"Are we in luck, sir?" Rhys asked eagerly as Danse and Lillian walked in.
"Mission accomplished, we have the transmitter." Danse handed the transmitter to Haylen.
"Finally some good news for a change. Good work, sir!"
Lillian smirked inwardly at Rhys's over-enthusiasm.
"I didn't do it alone," Danse looked over at Lillian. "It's time to welcome the newest recruit to the team. She shows a lot of promise, and with the proper guidance, I think she has the potential to become one of the best."
"Thanks, I promise not to let you down," said Lillian, suddenly feeling a bit shy. Haylen smiled at her warmly while Rhys glared at her.
"You don't need to prove anything to me," said Haylen, "Getting the transmitter is enough."
"So you decided to stay, huh?" Rhys continued to glare. "I expected you to take your payment and run."
"Gosh, and miss your charming company?"
"Rhys, that's enough," Danse said sternly, "Like it or not, you're going to have to learn to work together. And you," he turned to Lillian, "You need to understand what it means to be part of the Brotherhood. We're an army and we've dedicated our lives to uphold a strict code of ethics. If you intend to stay within our ranks, you need to obey our tenets without question."
"Understood," said Lillian. God, she hated it already.
"Outstanding." he smiled at her. "From this moment forward, I'm granting you the rank of Initiate. It's only a training rank. I'm not permitted to grant ranks higher than that."
"No problem."
"Ad victoriam, Initiate," said Haylen.
"She doesn't even know what that means," said Rhys.
"It means 'to victory'," Lillian said smugly. "I know my Latin."
Rhys glared at her while Haylen grinned.
"Now, go speak with Rhys and Haylen for your next assignment," he went back outside to do his patrol.
Rhys had already walked away into the other room, so Lillian spoke to Haylen first.
"Rhys giving you a hard time?" Haylen asked.
"Eh, I can handle it," shrugged Lillian.
"If you can, you'd be the first," she said, "Rhys bleeds Brotherhood, it's his whole life."
"Sounds like he has a serious case of needing to get laid."
"Um, I don't think that would help," Haylen blushed.
"Is there something between you two?" Lillian leaned in and asked quietly.
"I thought there was. I asked him once but he said he didn't have time for that sort of thing," Haylen said sadly.
"Just say the word, I'll knock some sense into him," she said.
"Heh, that won't be necessary," Haylen smiled, "So ready for your first assignment?"
"I think so."
"Well we're always looking for tech and there's a record of a flux sensor at the Beantown Brewery."
"What does it look like and whereabouts in the brewery should I look?"
"It's about the size of a book, usually with a blueish-green deck. You should be able to find it in one of the brewing machines."
"Okay, so that's just right across the river, why not do it yourself?"
"Someone's gotta keep these guys in check," joked Haylen. "But really, finding the tech has been low priority for us lately, especially since we're down to just us three. But now that you're here, we can get things going again."
"So basically I'm the resident bloodhound. Gotcha."
"Bloodhound?" Haylen asked, confused.
"Never mind."
Lillian found Rhys in the other room doing pushups. He watched her approach, but pretended to ignore her. She sat down on a desk, crossed her legs and pretended to be interested in her nails. Finally he sighed and stood up.
"Alright, out with it," he scowled, "What's your game?"
"What do you mean?" she asked.
"You shoot a few ghouls, a few synths, and suddenly you're all buddy-buddy with Paladin Danse."
"Maybe it's because I'm not trying to kiss his ass every time I see him," she snapped.
"You could be written up for talking back," Rhys glared at her.
"Do you have something for me or not?"
"Yeah. If you think you got what it takes, the Commonwealth is in dire need of some cleansing," he said.
"And what will you have me do?"
"Go to College Square, exterminate all the ferals," he said sharply. "And don't come back until the job is done."
"Sure thing," she said, hopping off the desk and going into the lockup. Canigou was lying down on her sleeping bag, but he stood up, stretched, and greeted her happily as she approached. She scratched him behind the ears and set her pack on the desk. She took out the laser rifle, ran her fingers over Danse's name on the grip, then placed it on the desk.
"Come on, boy," she said, zipping up her pack. Canigou followed her out.
"Are you leaving already?" Paladin Danse asked as he came back into the police station.
"Just doing my duties," she said.
"Oh, I didn't think you'd be doing them tonight," he said.
"I'd rather get them done sooner than later," she said, "And they're not far, anyway."
"Efficient and prompt," he said, impressed, "I like it. Good luck."
"See you later."
Four hours later, night had fallen and Lillian still hadn't returned to the police station. Paladin Danse came back in from his patrol and exited his power armour in the other room.
"We cooked up some Cram," said Haylen, passing Danse a cracked bowl. "Seeing as someone ate all that cooked molerat Lillian so kindly gave to us." She shot a look at Rhys who ignored her.
"Thanks, Haylen." Danse took the bowl and started eating without complaint.
"Disgusting," said Rhys, "I don't see why one of us can't do a supply run."
"We're not taking that chance," said Danse sternly. "Not yet. We nearly bought it when those ghouls attacked."
"If Lillian hadn't come along when she did..." Haylen said.
"Alright, fine," said Rhys. "But we're running low on food, ammo, and medical supplies."
"I'm aware of the situation," said Danse.
"Sir, maybe when Lillian returns, we could send her?" Haylen asked.
"You mean IF she comes back," Rhys scowled, "The way I see it, she's either gotten herself killed or she ran out on us."
"I don't think she ran," said Haylen, "She doesn't seem like that kind of person."
"We'll just have to trust she comes back," said Danse. He finished up his meal, got back into his power armour and headed out again for a perimeter check.
Even though he was supposed to be making sure no enemies were nearby, he kept watching for Lillian or her dog. His stomach fluttered when he looked at the flowers she had placed on the graves on his brothers. He shouldn't have let her go on her own. But he didn't have a choice. If he did, he'd keep her safe at the police station until backup arrived. She was not a soldier, he knew that. He knew she only joined in order to find her missing child.
"No sign of her yet?" he asked Haylen when he returned.
"No," Haylen shook her head, "It's after midnight, where is she?"
"I'm telling you she ran," said Rhys. "I knew you shouldn't have given her your laser rifle, Paladin. We could've used it here."
"Rhys-"
"She didn't take it," interrupted Haylen.
"She didn't?" Paladin Danse was surprised.
"No, she left it in the lockup," she said. "Guess she prefers her pistol. Her sleeping bag and extra clothes are in there too."
"Fine, so I guess we'll have to go searching for what's left of her body later," said Rhys.
"Rhys, that's enough," Danse said sternly.
"If you ask me, we should've just let her go," Rhys continued, "She's not the military type. She's a loner."
Paladin Danse was about to speak when they heard the door open and closed. Canigou trotted into the room, closely followed by Lillian. She was covered in blood and filth, and carrying two heavy duffel bags. She spoke to Rhys first.
"College Square is clear," she said monotonously before turning to Haylen.
"The sensor is in this bag," she dropped the bags on the ground, pointing at the one on her right, "and there's more food and supplies. I'm going to bed." She turned and went into the lockup with Canigou following close behind.
"Look at all this food!" Rhys said, opening one of the bags. "And more stimpaks and med-x!"
"I'd say she did well," said Haylen, taking out the flux sensor and looking it over.
"That she did," said Paladin Danse proudly. But he was worried about her. She looked upset when she had returned and he didn't like seeing her that way.
"I'll go check on her," said Haylen, heading to the lock up. She found Lillian stripped down to her underwear, furiously trying to wash the clothes she had been wearing.
"Come on, get out!" Lillian said angrily to herself.
"You okay?" asked Haylen from the doorway.
"Yeah, I'm just-" Lillian stopped then started sobbing. "I killed people. They didn't even let me speak, just started shooting at me. I had to shoot back."
"You've never had to kill anyone before, have you?" Haylen knelt next to her.
"Only those ghouls and giant bugs," Lillian sniffled.
"It's hard, but you need to kill to survive out here."
"But... I don't understand why they wouldn't even let me talk to them," said Lillian.
"This is the world now, I'm afraid. Shoot first, ask questions later. Or not at all. You'll have to get used to it."
"I guess so."
"Do you need anything?"
"A time machine would be good. Send me back a couple hundred years."
"Heh, well I'm afraid we're just out of time machines right now," Haylen smiled at her. "I'll be in the lobby, come see me at any time if you need something."
"Thanks, Haylen," Lillian resumed trying to wash her clothes as Haylen left. She had to get the blood out. She didn't want any reminder of having to shoot those men in the brewery. The ghouls were different. It was more of a mercy killing than murder. But it's not murder if she was merely defending herself. Manslaughter, at most. Maybe.
Canigou nosed his head under her arm and licked her face. She stopped washing and pet him, then put her arms around him. She wished he could hug her back, or for anyone to hug her back. It would be too awkward to ask any of the others to do so, seeing as she just met them. She giggled a little through her tears as she imagined Rhys's face if she asked him for a hug.
"How is she?" Paladin Danse asked Haylen as she returned to the lobby.
"Upset, but otherwise okay," she said.
"What does she have to be upset about?" asked Rhys, "She got the job done."
"She'd never had to kill another person before," she said, "I think we can appreciate that."
"Well she better get over that if she wants to survive," said Rhys.
Danse mentally cursed at him, but knew that he had a point. He wondered if Lillian would be able to survive without them. The Brotherhood could help protect her, but she had to do her part as well. They could help her adapt. He headed out on his nightly patrol, thinking of ways to help her adapt better. It was difficult since no one has ever been in her position, at least as far as he knew.
There was no sign of ghouls near College Square. They had heard the gunshots earlier, but weren't sure if they were from Lillian or coming from elsewhere. Considering she had only just found out what ghouls were the day before, Danse was very impressed by how she had handled herself. Understandably, humans were going to be more difficult to deal with. He rounded the corner to go behind the police station and saw Lillian sitting against the wall, wearing only her tank top and shorts. Canigou was lying at her feet. He lifted his head and woofed quietly at Danse. Lillian looked up at him.
"What are you doing out here?" he asked.
"Just needed some air," she replied, looking away.
"Are you bothered by what you had to do?"
"Wouldn't you be?" she snapped, then shrugged, "I guess you wouldn't really know, would you?"
"No, I'm afraid not," he said. "Why didn't you bring the laser rifle I gave you?"
"I don't know how to use it," she said quietly, looking down at her hands.
"You don't? Why didn't you say so?"
"I don't know. I only know how to use a pistol and a sniper rifle."
"Did your husband teach you to shoot?"
"No, we had mandatory military training in college. Couldn't get a degree without it."
"So they only taught you to shoot pistols and rifles?"
"They were the only weapons they could use false ammunition for. The laser weapons were reserved for those in the army full time."
"Why false ammunition? Why couldn't they use real bullets?"
"To save ammo for when it was actually needed," she then smiled a bit, "And for safety reasons. That's how I met Nate, actually. I accidentally shot him in the ass."
"You shot him?" Danse's eyes widened.
"Good thing it was just the rubber bullets," she laughed, "I mean, it still hurt him, but it would've been much worse if it had been a real bullet."
"Well, I can teach you how to use the laser rifle. If you promise not to shoot me," he added with a smile.
"Okay," she smiled back and stood up, "Tomorrow?"
"Sure."
She started toward the door, then turned back to him. "Does it get easier? The killing, I mean."
"When your life is on the line, you do what you need to survive," he said, "It'll become second nature to recognize danger and act accordingly."
She stayed where she was, thinking. "Thanks," she said with a small smile. She went back into the police station with Canigou following close behind.
Danse had a strong urge to embrace her, to make everything better for her, to protect her. He didn't know why he was feeling like this. She was just another person, just another woman. Maybe it was just being stuck out in the Commonwealth for so long, with only his own squad to talk to. She was simply someone new, someone who didn't despise the Brotherhood like some wastelanders.
He finished his patrol and headed back inside. Rhys was preparing to take the night shift while Haylen was already asleep. Danse exited his power armour in the motorpool and removed his hood as he went back upstairs. He looked into the lockup to see Lillian curled up next to Canigou, both fast asleep. He smiled to himself and went to the lobby, bidding Rhys a good night and laying down on his own sleeping bag.
He lay awake for a long time, staring up at the ceiling. When he finally fell asleep, he found himself dreaming of Lillian.
Danse was in the motorpool, tuning up his power armour. He heard the door open and looked up to see Lillian enter, still wearing her tank top and shorts. She closed the door and leaned against it.
"Need any help?" she asked.
"Yes," he said. She smiled and approached him. She ran her fingers up his chest to the zipper of his uniform.
"Oh, Nate, it's been so long," she said seductively.
"I'm not Nate," he backed away from her.
"Of course you are," she stayed with him, unzipping his uniform, "I've missed you so much."
"Lilli, I'm not your husband," Danse backed away and held her hands in his. "Your husband is dead."
"No, he can't be dead," she said, wrenching her hands away from him.
"Lilli..."
"You're lying!"
Danse woke up with a start. Haylen was still sleeping and he could see it was still dark. He didn't bother going back to sleep. Instead he went downstairs, got back into his power armour, and headed outside.
"Sir, what are you doing out here?" Rhys asked as Danse approached.
"I'll take over for the rest of the night," he replied, "Go get some rest."
"Are you sure?"
"Yes."
Rhys shrugged and headed back into the police station. Danse stayed on patrol for the rest of the night, even though he was still very tired. His head was hurting, but he tried to ignore it. He wasn't going to waste a med-x on it, not when the others could use it later. When dawn broke, the front door opened and Lillian came out followed by Canigou.
"Oh, Paladin Danse, I didn't realise you'd be up this early," she said.
"I couldn't sleep, figured I'd make myself useful," he said, watching as Canigou sniffed about. "Didn't think you'd be up this early either."
"I couldn't sleep anymore," she said, "So I figured I'd take the dog out, get some air."
"Since you're up, do you want to learn how to use your laser rifle?"
"It won't be too loud?"
"It'll be fine."
Lillian nodded then went back into the police station. Haylen and Rhys were still asleep. She retrieved the laser rifle along with a few fusion cells and returned outside. Danse was placing some empty cans and bottles on the barricades.
"Lesson number one, always be aware of where you're aiming," he said as she approached, "In battle, your brothers and sisters will be around and you don't want to hit anyone with friendly fire.
"Loading and reloading is fairly straightforward. Just unclasp here, pop out the empty cell, pop the next one in. The mechanics are more or less the same as your pistol or a sniper rifle. Aim and pull the trigger. Even though there shouldn't be any recoil, there is because back before the war soldiers couldn't get used to it and were firing more than they should."
"Yeah, Nate told me about that," said Lillian as she practiced unloading and reloading the fusion cells, "They added an artificial recoil mechanism because soldiers said it didn't feel right without it. He said they were working on removing the recoil entirely, but never got around to it."
"Why not?" asked Danse. Lillian raised her eyebrow at him. "Oh. Right. Anyway, try shooting those cans."
Lillian aimed the rifle and fired. She only hit one can after using up the cell and cursed loudly.
"You're too tense," said Danse, "It helps if you make sure you exhale when you fire."
"Okay." She tried again and hit all but one of the cans. "I did it!" She then aimed and fired at the bottles, hitting three out of the five. She lowered the laser rifle, grinning.
"And you didn't even shoot anyone in the rear," said Danse.
"Shut up," she smiled up at him. His heart started beating harder when their eyes met. He was glad she couldn't hear it.
"It just takes practice," he said, "Let's head back in. I have another task for you to look into."
"Before I do, I need to continue to search my son," Lillian said, looking down, "I know he's still out there, somewhere, and I can't just stay here."
"Of course," Danse nodded slowly, "In fact, that's partially why I'm giving you this task."
They went back into the police station where Rhys and Haylen had now woken up and were having a bite to eat.
"Feeling better today?" asked Haylen.
"A bit, yeah," replied Lillian.
"So as you know, we're not the first recon team out here," Danse said to Lillian, "A few years ago, Recon Squad Artemis was posted here under the command of Paladin Brandis. We lost contact with them shortly after their arrival. I want you to try to find out what happened to them."
"If they're even still alive," said Lillian, "It's been three years."
"They knew the risks. They were supplied with distress radio beacons. We think we got a signal from one, when we were near the airport, but it was very faint. We couldn't investigate because of injuries to our own team."
"I don't know if I'll be going near the airport," said Lillian.
"I know, but if you happen to find yourself over there," said Danse, "They were last recorded to be in the Malden area, so keep an eye on your Pipboy there for any distress signals. At the very least, we want to know what happened to them."
"Sure thing," she said, then left to the lock up to pack up her things. In a way, she didn't want to leave. She felt safe here at the police station. She liked to talking to Haylen about life over two hundred years ago. And Paladin Danse was kind to her, though he seemed to blush a lot. She wasn't entirely sure if it was because of her, or if he was just always like that. But there was something about him that intrigued her.
She headed back into the lobby and said goodbye to Haylen and Rhys. Danse had presumably gone back outside. Haylen gave her a holotape with useful notes about the Commonwealth.
"Diamond City is across the river, but they're not very friendly to the Brotherhood," Haylen said, "Bunker Hill might be a good spot to start looking for your son. A lot of caravans pass through there, so someone might've seen something."
"Thanks, Haylen," said Lillian. "I'll see you later."
Lillian went outside and saw Danse pacing in the yard. He stopped when he saw her.
"Here's some extra ammo and stimpaks for you," he handed her a small box. "Stay safe out there, soldier."
"Thanks, I will," she smiled up at him then headed out the front gate with Canigou.
Danse went up to the walkway to watch Lillian and her dog leave. "Come back to us," he said to himself quietly.