The Wasteland was desolate, people were few and far between. Beorn didn't run into anyone for a while. He had gone East from Sanctuary and then South past the old Starlight Drive in. He saw some two headed deer, a two headed cow, some more mole rats and giant cockroaches. The dog had continued following him and he didn't mind. Mama Murphy said his name was Dogmeat. So Beorn went with it, he liked having some company on the road. Everyone from Preston's group had been too tired, sick, or worried to leave after settling in Sanctuary.

He occasionally threw a baseball he'd found and Dogmeat would run and bring it back. Walking through the mutated countryside was not too unlike the old days when he'd gone hunting with Nate.

Nate. He missed his best friend. He had seen most of Beorn's ups and downs. He knew how to cheer up his battle buddy. He knew when cheering up was not what was needed and would take Beorn out for drinks, shooting, hunting, practice hand to hand combat, or just listen. Nate had been a great listener, Beorn understood why Nora had fallen so deeply for his best friend.

Nora. That pain was even more raw. He had lost her less than three days ago to his perception. Tears welled in his eyes and he fingered the engagement ring in his breast pocket. Dogmeat rubbed against his leg and whined a bit, looking inquisitively at his new friend. Beorn looked down and saw the tear fall on the brown earth. He patted the dog and knelt next to him. Letting the warmth of the animal seep in as Dogmeat leaned into the attention. The dog licked the man's face for a minute, wiping away the tears. For that moment Beorn felt loved again, the hurt of his loss was still there but Dogmeat helped the sharp pain turn to a dull ache.

Shaun. Beorn remembered the child. Nora's child. Nate's child. He had been kidnapped and Beorn would get him back. He couldn't allow himself to fall into the despair that Shaun was dead too. That would be too much. He rubbed Dogmeat's ears again and stood up.

"Boy, we have a job to do. Let's go find Shaun." He said aloud. Dogmeat barked and took a few steps away as Beorn started to walk again. The sun was starting to set as a man and his dog set out to find a lost little boy.

Night had fallen and the Wasteland had not changed much. It was harder to see. There were still dangerous mutated critters seeking a meal. Beorn and Dogmeat avoided most of them and killed what they could not avoid. Beorn was tired, but he had a purpose and did not want to stop. He continued on, perhaps a bit reckless in his quest.

That was when he stumbled on a patrol of enormous green skinned men. They were wearing giant pieces of metal for armor and wielded large boards, sign posts, and guns. He was caught unawares in the middle of them. Surrounded. Dogmeat attacked, but he had a hard time finding purchase through the thick armor plating. Beorn pulled his pistol and fired three round through the head of the one barreling down on him. He dodged as it crumpled to the ground and didn't move. At least he knew they could die.

"Puny human!" One of the other two yelled. "You die today!" Its voice was strained and low, but it spoke English somehow. Another nightmare from a sci fi thriller come to life. The one behind him hit him with an old metal pole from a street sign and Beorn was launched through the air. He tried to roll with the landing but ended up hitting a low wall instead. His head was ringing, he could hear heavy footsteps approaching. He heard Dogmeat whimper in pain. Then a shot rang out through the night, followed quickly by a second. The heavy footfalls became a loud thump as the enormous man fell beside Beorn, barely missing crushing him in its fall.

Beorn rolled and brought up his pistol standing slowly and looking for the shooter. A figure stood on the road in a dark duster, blown by the wind around the bottom. A black bush hat on its head and a revolver in its hand. Its eyes glowed faintly red, like a gas mask with optics. Beorn held his pistol at the ready but did not fire. The figure spoke, its voice filtered by the mask it wore, "Put the gun down. Unless you think you're faster than me. I won't shoot unless you give me a reason."

Beorn considered for a moment before putting his pistol on the ground. This stranger definitely had the drop on him, could he take them down before they got him. Probably not. His head was still ringing a bit from the impact with the wall. Dogmeat was growling nearby but seemed to wait for Beorn's decision. The stranger continued to watch Beorn from behind the pistol. This was a seasoned warrior. Finally Beorn put his pistol on the ground and slowly stood. The stranger didn't hardly move save to track him with the barrel of the revolver as he stood.

The stranger and Beorn stood there quietly. Dogmeat stood nearby, his tail up as well as his hackles but he was silent as well. The wind gusted through the scene, causing both dusters to flare a bit. Beorn was definitely larger than the stranger, but he was bigger than most. The full moon lit the scene in grayish white tones, giving the feel of an old timey movie. They stared for a bit longer, the silence growing.

Finally, the stranger holstered the revolver and turned to leave without a word. Beorn could certainly respect that, but he also needed some answers. The man who had shot Nora used a revolver. "Just like that, huh?" He said.

The stranger continued walking, its duster blowing in the gusty evening. Beorn retrieved his pistol and his rifle. He brought the rifle to his shoulder and said, "I don't think you get to walk away that easy."

The stranger turned and drew two revolvers as quick as lightning, "I'm saying I do," the mechanical voice replied. Dogmeat growled and barked.

"I'm grateful I'm not dead. That is thanks to you. For that I won't shoot you yet." Beorn said.

"Some kinda grateful you are. You would have been mutant chow was it not for me. I think I get to leave here on my terms." The stranger replied and holstered the revolvers before turning around and walking away again.

Beorn's finger tightened on the trigger and he nearly fired. Something deep down stopped him. He couldn't figure out what. He wasn't a murderer, but he sure was pissed right now. If this was Nora's killer they might know where Shaun was. Instead, he let them walk off into the moonlight.

A little later, after helping some guys dressed like baseball catchers fight some more of the big green men, he arrived at Fenway Park. He had learned the big guys were called super mutants and that his favorite baseball stadium was now called Diamond City. What a world.

He met a spunky young reporter named Piper and her sister Nat. They were helpful with finding his way around town in exchange for a story about where he was from. They could tell he was from a vault right away. This meant there were other vaults out there. Were they all filled with frozen people too? Were all those people dead like the ones in vault 111?

Beorn didn't allow himself to get too sidetracked, though such questions might be useful when he found Shaun. He was currently in Piper's office drinking a beer and talking to her about his next steps.

"This would be a great story Blue, if it weren't so tragic...if it weren't so terribly common. No one does anything about the kidnapping and missing people! It's so frustrating." Piper was ranting a bit.

"Common or not. Tragic or not. It's my story and I plan to find Shaun. Can you tell me of anyone who might have passed through here? Or do you know someone who can help?" Beorn replied.

"We should go see Nick. He is an old style private eye, but actually good at his work. He is usually the one who handles missing persons since Diamond City Security won't do anything about it." Replied Piper.

"Nick? Alright, I'm willing to try just about anything right now. I have nothing to go off of. I don't know if some PI will have better luck. I also don't have much in the way of trade." Beorn sighed.

"Don't sweat the caps. Nicky is real sweet. I'm sure we can work something out." Said Piper.

"Caps?" Beorn's face was incredulous again.

"Yeah, caps. Money," Piper started and then stopped. "You wouldn't know, you've been on ice for so long...those old nuka cola bottle caps are the currency the Wasteland runs on."

"Seriously? How did that happen, I wonder?" The look on Beorn's face was priceless and Piper started to laugh. He looked at her, a bit annoyed at first but eventually just shrugged and said, "Well, at least it wasn't something more disgusting. I used to collect bottle caps as a kid, not because they were valuable, just because I was a kid. The different labels were interesting and they were small enough to not take up a bunch of room. Strange world to wake up to."

"Strange for you, Blue. Caps have been money for almost everyone else since they were born. Except for the few Ghouls still around from before the war." Piper replied and put her hand on his arm. "We should go see Nick."

"One more question Piper. What's a Ghoul? Is it like some undead zombie monster?" Beorn asked.

"Hmmmm, not sure what you mean. They are irradiated people. Some lose their minds and become feral, attacking anything other than other ghouls. Fewer keep their wits but live a long time. Like I said, there are still a few around from before the war. They're as old as you but not as well preserved, if you will." Piper stood up and headed for the door.

"Are there any pre war ghouls in Diamond City?" Beorn followed.

"Not since McDonough kicked out all the ghouls. Said they weren't 'Diamond City material'." She flexed her fingers in air quotes for this last one.

"Do you know where they might be?" Beorn walked close to Piper as they went through the market.

"Goodneighbor is the best place to find them. Maybe we can get there one of these days." Piper led them down a narrow alley to where a neon heart surrounded a sign which said "Valentine Detective Agency".

"Did you say this PI's name was Nick Valentine?" Asked Beorn.

"That's him, why?" Replied Piper.

"And he's not a pre war ghoul?" Beorn had stopped.

"No, he's a...synth." Piper seemed at a loss for words for a rare moment. She looked at Beorn a bit apprehensively, like that word might mean something to him.

"What's that mean?" He asked.

"He's a kind of human-like robot. Way more advanced than a Protectron, or other pre war robots. Just trust me Blue. He's our guy here on Diamond City." Piper pushed open the door and went inside…

A couple of hours later he and Piper found themselves deep in a second vault in the city itself. Beorn was surprised, a bit, but getting less surprised by every twist of this crazy world. They were standing in front of an office window, looking at a robot that looked like a man dressed in an overcoat and a fedora. He was smoking a cigarette and looking at his would be rescuers. "Well, ain't this a surprise. I hate to spoil the moment but we've got about three minutes before someone misses muscles for brains there and comes lookin'. You got a way to hack that terminal over there?"

Beorn saw the terminal and walked up to it. Behind him he could hear Piper and Nick chatting like old friends. The RobCo exploit worked again and he got through the security. The door hissed open and Beorn walked through.

"You're a big boy aren't ya? My knight-in-shining-armor. But the question is, why does he come all this way, risk life and limb, for an old private eye?" Nick looked up at Beorn.

Beorn looked down, "You sound like him, but you are not Nick Valentine."

Piper's jaw dropped and so did Nick's. "I'm pretty sure that's him Blue. I've known him for years."

Beorn didn't look away from the synth, "I believe you when you say this is the Nick you've known. I knew a detective Nick Valentine before the war. Cocky fellow, threw a mean slider, and one of my good friends."

Nick's eyes flickered a moment and he rocked back on his heels. "Sorry to disappoint big fella. That old Nick is dead. I have his memories though. All part of some big experiment before the war. If we get a moment after we get out of here I'll try to explain what I can."

Beorn reached out a hand as if to touch Nick. Then just let it drop. "Damn," was all he said and gave a quick nod. He turned away as he shook his head and left through the doorway. Nick and Piper exchanged a glance and followed.

The fight with Skinny was short and sweet. The mobster threatened them, Beorn growled and shot him right between the eyes before anyone else could say anything. The other gangsters turned and fled.

The girl tried to smash Beorn's head in with a bat. He caught the weapon with one hand and tore it from her grasp. She collapsed on the ground, covering her head. "Don't kill me," she begged.

Beorn threw the bat away and kept walking. Nick turned to the poor woman. "Darla, run on home now. Remember who your real friends are and leave the mob alone." Piper looked at Nick as Darla fled, running past Beorn and out of the vault. They followed the big man as he walked in a trance, up the ladder, through the manhole, and into the cold Boston night. Their breath came out in a fog. The first cold front of the season settling over Boston Commons.

"You wanna tell me what happened back there?" Nick demanded.

"I killed a wannabe mobster. The girl you came to find ran back home if she's smart and I rescued your synthetic ass Valentine. This world has gone to hell in a hand basket. I woke up to a worse nightmare than I ever imagined possible, and I've had some doozies for sure. I came here hoping you could help me. Maybe even hoping to find an old friend. So, can you help me track down my Godson or not?" Beorn's breath blew from his mouth like he was smoking a cigar.

"I'm not condoning what you did to Skinny but I sure am happy that my synthetic ass is still moving about. I might be able to help you, but we should get back to Diamond City first." Nick replied.

"Come on, Blue. It's freezing out here." Piper chimed in.

Beorn chuckled a bit without humor. "Freezing. Yeah. I know what freezing is and this is practically a tropical vacation compared to it. I'm real pissed right now. Shaun was kidnapped and all I ever find are more delays in picking up the trail. We can go back to Diamond City, but your gonna spill your story on the way synth, or I might find a reason to put you in the ground myself."

Piper started to speak, "What's gotten into…"

Beorn cut her off, "This whole fucking place has gotten into me! I'm about this close to just shooting first and asking questions later. My boy is lost and I can't help him. I couldn't help his mom...I couldn't save his dad. If I can't save him…" He trailed off. Dogmeat licked the man's hand and sat on his haunches next to his friend. Beorn reached down and patted the dog's head. Tears welling up again. He blinked them back and motioned for the other two to start moving.

The trip back to Diamond City was uneventful for the Commonwealth, a few light scuffles and dodging some super mutants. Meanwhile Beorn grilled Nick.

Before the war Beorn had taken a job with the FBI. His military background made him a prime candidate for the job. They asked him to infiltrate the Boston Police Department and he had done a good job of it. He was gathering information about corruption inside of the department. Nick was one of Beorn's inside men.

Nick had been one of his roommates at West Point and the two had stayed in touch. Nick got out of the Army sooner than Beorn, and joined the Boston PD to pursue his lifelong dream of being a detective. The two had grown up across town from each other without knowing it. When they were put together at West Point it only took a minute for them to figure out they had been rivals on the baseball field. Nick had pitched for Beorn's high school rivals.

When the FBI approached the BPD about putting an agent in their mix Nick had been given the assignment, since he had recently been pulled from the Eddie Winter case. Beorn had been delighted to see his old Army buddy. He was not so pleased when he heard what happened to Nick's girl, Jenny.

So he grilled this synthetic Nick. He found out that he did have most of Nick's old memories. Some of them locked away, like the ones about Jenny. He also had a lot of years in the Commonwealth to discuss. By the time they got to Diamond City Beorn was less angry, but still ready to break some things. After some more discussion of the case they found themselves outside of Kellogg's old house. The door was slightly ajar.

This put all of them on edge immediately. Beorn had Piper watch the stairs and Nick watch his back as he carefully checked for trip wires and booby traps. None. He kicked the door in and went straight around the corner, scanning the room for anything else out of place. He saw a section of the house that looked like it might have been hidden behind a wall.

In that space he saw a familiar figure with a nearly black duster and dark bush hat on sitting in a chair. A revolver pointed at him, though the arm rested calmly on the armrest. "Damn," Beorn said. " I should have shot you when I had the chance."