"Lily."

God my head hurts.

"Lily."

Five minutes. Please?

"Lily!"

"What?" Lily's eyes flew open. A pale face hovered inches above her, concerned gray eyes quivering as she woke. "Get off me!"

The woman scrambled backwards, nearly falling off the couch in surprise. She managed to find her balance, just in time for an angry shove to send her crashing to the floor. Lily's fingers were already wrapped around her revolver's grip by the time the woman got to her feet.

"Lily it's me!" She cried, one hand stretched out in front of her.

"Curie?" The gun slowly dipped down as her senses came back to her. Not all at once, but piece by piece. Her head felt like it'd been shattered into a million fragments, and it took her a full minute to glue them back together.

"Wh-Where are we?"

Curie nursed a fresh bruise on her arm. When she spoke, there was a tinge of bitterness in her voice.

"Boylston Club."

"What's that?"

"Where we are," came the short reply. "There was a sign in the lobby."

"How did I get here?"

"You passed out on the road. I brought you here and put you on the sofa." Every word she spoke was pronounced with painstaking care, as if she'd rehearsed her answers well in advance.

"Did you see the river? How far did we get?"

"I don't know…" Her voice trailed off and she hugged her knees, rocking back and forth. When their eyes finally met, the words burst out.

"Lily, you could have died!"

"Yeah? And?"

Curie's lips dropped into a loose frown.

"Don't you care?"

Red-hot anger burst out of her aching head; she was speaking before she knew it.

"Why do you care?" She snapped, grinding her teeth against the pain. "I'll be fine!"

"You passed out, Lily. On the street."

Fuck. Why couldn't she just let it go?

Weak. So weak.

"Next time that happens, you can just leave me there." Lily spat as she rolled off the couch. "I won't complain."

She wasn't making sense. She knew that, even before she saw Curie's helpless expression. What she needed was something to clear her mind. Her throbbing headache wasn't giving her room to breathe, much less think.

Lily scanned the room, ignoring the stench of blood on her shirt and the nasty taste in her mouth. There had to be something in this place. Massive paintings and tattered drapes lined the walls and covered the windows, with only a trickle of faint, evening sunlight squeezing through to illuminate the gloomy interior. Dust had claimed every inch of the ancient room, stinging her eyes and coating her hands and arms with every step.

There. A skeleton was slouched in an armchair, the tattered remnants of an evening suit clinging to its body. More importantly, its bony hands held the answer to all Lily's problems. She stumbled over and snatched the bottle out of its hands. Half-full. Her smile grew wider when she shook it again. No. Three-quarters!

Besides the occasional stolen sip of beer when Red wasn't looking, her experience with alcohol was virtually nonexistent. The smell alone was almost enough to get her to toss the bottle out the window. Then the pain in her head hit her again, threatening to shatter her fragile skull with its relentless hammering. Another glance at the forbidden liquid sealed the deal for her. As far as she was concerned, alcohol was good for two things; getting rid of pain and getting rid of painful memories.

And she desperately needed both.

Without another thought Lily brought the bottle up to her lips, closed her eyes and swallowed hard. Her throat burned and her stomach heaved in protest but she kept at it, fighting waves of nausea until the drink was firmly downed.

Bitter. It was so damn bitter. Her tongue hung out of her mouth while she panted, desperately fighting the urge to vomit. Why would anyone drink this?

Getting rid of pain. Getting rid of painful memories. Red answered with a hint of smugness. You said so yourself.

Lily pinched her nose and dove in for another chug.

In the kitchen, Curie was engrossed in the meticulous art of packing. Her backpack, normally full and heavy on her back, was already starting to lighten. Theoretically, this should have made her job easier; less to pack meant less time spent packing. But her grumbling stomach ripped through this weak argument; less food was not a good thing. She'd packed extra rations as a precaution, but even those were only meant to last for a day or two at most.

For one person.

There was no denying that Lily was a drain on her supplies. The few precious Stimpaks she'd brought were gone already, used up in a desperate attempt to revive her when she collapsed on the road. She'd downed all of the purified water, most of the painkillers had gone during the surgery and she was now down to her last can of Mirelurk. The hunger seemed to make her bruises ache even more.

The sudden sound of shattering glass made her jump, tearing her away from her thoughts as she scanned the dark room. Shadows danced on the balcony above as she automatically reached for her rifle, a cold trickle of fear settling in her chest. Before she could get up to investigate, a figure stumbled out of the darkness.

"Lily…" She looked even worse than she had just a few minutes ago. Her skin was pale and her eyes bloodshot. Hands curled into fists quivered at her side when she spoke.

"Let's go."

"Are you alright?"

A short pause. Lily swiped at her damp forehead and grunted through gritted teeth.

"I'm fine. We're wasting daylight."

"Lily we can take some time to rest." Curie gestured towards the couch. "Maybe we could come up with a plan for today?"

For a moment, it seemed like Lily was going to give in. Her eyelids drooped when she glanced at the couch and she took a shaky step towards it. But then, as if she'd been jolted awake from a nightmare, Lily spun around and slapped the button for the elevator. The deathly look on her face was enough to convince Curie to stop pleading and start packing. She'd just finished stuffing her sleeping bag into her pack when the elevator arrived.

She managed two steps onto the street before her world spun and disappeared in a swirl of black. Only Curie's tight grip on her shoulders saved her from a nosedive into concrete. Lily's arms flailed in a feeble attempt to escape Curie's grasp, but she simply tightened her hold in response. Eventually, all she could do was hold on for dear life.

"Lily did you have something to eat?" Curie asked in a slow and deliberate manner. Like she was talking to a child. "Should we go back inside?"

Lily managed to take a stubborn step forward, ignoring the burst of pain in her head that threatened to send her right back to the ground. Curie hovered over her shoulder; one hand firmly wrapped around her waist.

"You are exerting yourself too much." She explained in a motherly tone that made Lily grind her teeth in frustration. She wasn't a baby. She didn't need a human Mrs. Nanny following her around.

"Why're you still here?" Lily spat, venting her pent-up frustration. "You're just dragging around dead weight."

Curie's eyebrows knitted while she carefully considered her response.

"Your vital signs may be weak, but you are not dead." Curie answered patiently. "So technically, you're living weight!" she added with a delighted laugh.

A stone-cold stare killed her laughter instantly. Lily shifted more weight onto her own feet, wincing at the jolt of pain from her hip and the dizzying agony in her head.

"Wh-" She spluttered and coughed violently, swallowing hard to keep back the bile rising in her throat. The pain in her stomach was only getting worse. "Where are we?"

"Maybe a few miles Northeast of where we were before?" Curie replied, eyebrows furrowed with concentration as she gauged her surroundings. Or atleast pretended to; Lily's health was a far bigger concern than their current location.

"Do you see the river…." Lily's voice trailed off. A chill ran down her spine, turning blood to ice wherever it went.

Slathered across a wall in bright, white paint was a single word.

Swan.

"A-Are we in the Boston Common?" Her grip on Curie's arm tightened painfully, eyes wild as they scanned the surroundings.

Two centuries of devastation had left the former park in utter ruin, even by Commonwealth standards. Curie tried to recall what she knew about the Boston Common, but the Pre-War images in her head were more than useless. At best, she could say that the size was approximately the same.

"Perhaps we could ask someone for directions?" Curie offered helpfully. The redhead squirmed in her grip, twisting and turning until they were making eye contact.

"Listen to me! There's a…thing that lives in the Common." She shuddered violently. "Swan. I've seen it with my own eyes!" She spun in a frenzy, searching desperately for an escape from an invisible enemy. A hallucination? More side-effects from the medicine?

"There!" Lily cried, pointing towards an opening that was partially obstructed by shoddily constructed platforms. She practically dragged a confused Curie along as she limped towards the alley.

Swan? Curie's mind raced to pull up everything she knew about the birds. Images of white-feathered, graceful birds with slender necks were all she could picture. Could Lily really be afraid of swans? Her trembling hands and quick, furtive glances over her shoulder seemed to suggest as much.

With her mind racing to conclusions and diagnoses, Curie almost didn't see the man standing in the entrance until they practically collided. Lily slumped in her arms, spent and exhausted, leaving her to face the man's cheeky grin alone.

"Good evening, ladies!" the man declared enthusiastically, dropping his guarded stance and opening his arms wide. "Welcome to the Combat Zone! What can I get you?"

Curie's eyes went wider than a Radstag doe's when the raider looked at her expectantly. She swallowed hard and opened her mouth on instinct, only to realize she didn't know what to say. Despite the raider's welcoming smile, something about him made her feel uneasy.

"I-Is Tommy here?" Lily gasped, her head lolling.

"What the hell's her problem?" He quickly raised a hand in case an actual answer was coming. "Actually, I don't care. What crew are you with?"

Lily coughed and spat out what might have been an answer, but neither Curie nor the man caught a word. Once again, those hungry, wolfish eyes turned towards her.

"W-We're looking for Tommy." Curie managed, gesturing towards Lily. "She needs medical attention."

The man gave her a curt nod before waving at the wood platform above them.

"Hey Sasha! You hear anything about Tommy starting up a charity?"

"A what?" Laughter rang out from above. "Haven't heard shit!"

He nodded again, satisfied.

"Sorry ladies. Looks like you made a wrong turn somewhere." He stretched, eying the redhead. "But I'm feeling generous today so I'll put your friend here out of her misery."

At this point, Lily would have gladly taken the bullet. The waves of pain radiating from her stomach, the constant taste of bile in her mouth and her sore, aching hip had all come together to make her deeply regret being born. But of course, the woman who seemed to care more about her life than she did took a protective step forward. Lily slid out of her hands and onto the road where she lay, unmoving, staring up at the darkening sky.

"She's alive and needs care." Curie wasn't used to raising her voice; it wavered and shook as she delivered her warning. "If you cannot help, you must move aside."

Idiot. Dumb bitch. The last thing she needed was for someone to die defending her while she drooled all over the road. Run away. Her lips mouthed the words but her voice was long gone.

The man whistled in response, shooting a quick look at the wooden structures above before glancing at Lily. His hand drew close to his hip, a thin smile spreading across his face.

"What's her name?"

He's trying to buy time. Lily wanted to cry. She could see movement on the structures above. Look up!

"Lily."

The smile froze on the man's lips. His eyes travelled from Curie to the redhead, then back to Curie.

"No way." He glanced at the redhead again, shaking his head in disbelief. "No fucking way."

"What's the matter, Gabe?"

"Get down here! Quick!"

A woman poked her head over the ramparts, eying the two strangers.

"What's the matter? These the charity cases?"

"Take a look at the redhead."

She shrugged; brow knitted in confusion.

"Yeah that's a redhead. What about her?"

"Her name's Lily."

The face disappeared, only to reappear seconds later at the bottom of a ladder. Curie shuffled in place when the woman's eyes landed on her.

"Can I see?"

Curie nodded, shifting slightly to let her pass. While both raiders were occupied with Lily, she slid a small, round object out of her bag and stuffed it in her pocket. Just in case.

"It's her. She's got the scars."

"You sure?" Gabe's voice crackled with excitement. "Lots of people have scars."

"I'm sure. She's got the eyes too. Red has these weird, crazy eyes. She has 'em too."

"Don't worry kid." Gabe reassured Curie, taking a step towards her fallen companion. "We'll take good care of her."

"Please be gentle." Curie warned, momentarily distracted by Lily's condition. A white froth had collected on her mouth, spit sliding down her face and dripping to the road. That can't be a reaction to the medicine. She fought in vain to swallow the panic rising in her throat. To come this far only to die like this…No! Lily's chest still rose and fell at uneven intervals and her fingertips twitched ever so slightly. There's still time.

"You must hurry…" The words died on her lips when she spotted the rifle in the raider's hands. Her rifle. Far too late, her hand dropped to her hip. The man inspected the weapon, fingering the trigger and shouldering the stock before casually tossing it over his shoulder.

"Be careful, idiot!" Sasha hissed, rushing to scoop up the laser rifle. "It could be worth something."

"How much? Ten? Twenty? Two hundred?" He chuckled. "She's worth ten times that. A hundred."

"In this condition? Red's gonna freak."

"It's her sister. She came all the way out here for her."

"Look at her. She's dead." Sasha's eyes lit up. "Tower Tom would pay to see that, wouldn't he?"

"What's he going to pay us with? Minutemen wiped out half his crew at the brewery!"

"But Red's crazy. We'll end up on spikes if we bring her in this condition." She shook her head. "I'd rather be poor than dead."

"She's not–hey!" He waved his gun at the dark-haired woman, who was dragging Lily towards the park.

The balls on this one. He marveled as he lined up his shot. What a waste.

Clink. Both raiders paused to stare at the metal ball rolling towards them. Gabe was the first to react.

"Grenade!" He screamed, tackling Sasha to the ground. It went off a second later in a blinding flash of light, followed instantly by an ear-shattering noise. Gabe howled in pain, hands cupped over his ears while Sasha mindlessly scratched and scraped the asphalt. Through the brilliant white haze, she could just make out the two silhouettes heading towards the abandoned park.

"Move, Move!" Curie urged desperately, half-dragging Lily away from the raiders. They had to disappear before the effects of the flash grenade wore off. Furious swearing echoed through the alley behind them, spurring Curie to move faster. The park was tantalizingly close, the gate only a few feet away. A cautious peek over her shoulder told her that the raiders were still on their hands and knees, groping for their weapons.

Just when it seemed like their escape was guaranteed, Lily began to flail and kick.

"No. No!" She moaned, spitting up more froth as she dug her heels into the ground. "Not there."

Curie glanced back down the alley. The raiders were on their feet and shaking off the last of the grenade's effects. It wouldn't be long before they'd be spotted.

"Hush, Lily." Curie whispered, running a hand through her tangled, matted red hair. "We're almost there." She seemed to calm down a little when she heard her name and her body shuddered under Curie's gentle touch.

But when she tried to take a step forward Lily fought to twist herself out of her grasp, slapping away her hands.

"B-Back to the h-house." Lily gasped, gesturing towards the Boylston Club. "Not the Common."

It was too far. Curie's arms felt like they were on fire and her breaths came in short, ragged bursts. She didn't need a diagnostic test to know that her body couldn't take much more. Even if they made it, there would be no escape if their pursuers chose to chase after them. In the park they would have a small chance of losing them in the overgrown vegetation.

A bullet burrowed into the dirt inches away from Lily's foot.

"That was a warning!" Gabe's voice called from the alley. "Don't you fucking move."

The time for discussion was over. With a final heave, Curie pulled Lily into the park as bullets whizzed past. The redhead offered little resistance as she was dragged into the shrubbery.

"Stay quiet, please." Curie whispered before peeking back towards the Combat zone. To her dismay the raiders were still heading their way. One glance at Lily made it clear that she wasn't going to move any time soon. Her face was white, her eyes unnaturally wide. With a sudden lurch she turned on her side and began to hurl.

Curie breathed deeply as she considered her options, her nose wrinkling at the stench of vomit mingled with the scent of damp earth. She had no more weapons, no more tricks up her sleeve. For the briefest of moments, she considered grabbing the revolver at Lily's hip and making a run for it.

A wave of guilt and shame washed away the thought before it could take root; she had taken a solemn oath, centuries ago, to never do harm to her patients. Whether it was fate or dumb luck, Lily was now her patient. She clenched her fists, looking for something, anything that might help. With her eyes focused on the ground, she didn't hear Lily's strangled gasps at first. By the time she noticed her panicked cries, it was too late.

At that moment, if the raiders hadn't opened fire on the Behemoth, both Curie and Lily would have been dead already. But the night sky lit up with flashes of light, outlining the silhouette of the monster that had snuck up on them. Curie felt a terror that was unlike anything she'd experienced in her short human life; an icy hand wrapped around her heart when the creature's scarred face appeared in the moonlight. The monster stared down at her with milky-white eyes, ignoring the bullets thudding into its chest as it reached for her. Her every instinct screamed at her to run but her feet were rooted firmly in place.

The deafening crack of Lily's revolver added to the chorus of gunfire, sending a jolt through Curie's body. She wasn't the only one caught by surprise; the behemoth blinked and brought his hand up towards its face to assess the damage. Finally, Curie regained control over her feet.

"Let's go!" Curie screeched, grabbing Lily by the shoulders and dragging her towards the nearby subway entrance. Swan ignored them for the moment, roaring in rage as the raiders struggled to reload. Sasha tossed a Molotov Cocktail at the approaching Behemoth; while the fire on its skin went out almost immediately, the bright flames seemed to distract it for a moment. That was all the time in the world for the raiders, who retreated down the alley.

"Get out of here." Lily muttered deliriously, gesturing towards the exit while she fumbled with her weapon. Curie snatched up a weapon of her own, a small, smooth pebble. Her creator had told her once about the story of David and Goliath, the miracle of human ingenuity overcoming insurmountable odds.

As the monster glared down at her, features twisted into a cruel grin, Curie squeezed the pebble with all her might.

If she could just hit its eye…

Author's Note: To anyone who might have already seen the first part of this chapter before I deleted it, I apologize. It was an unfinished version that was supposed to come after Chapter 15, and I mistakenly published it before.

Regards,

Principe