"Shh." James hushed Katherine as they neared Lexington. Katherine nodded. After weeks of hunting game with James, she'd learned that he was simply more perceptive than she was. She lowered her laser musket and crouched behind a car. James inched forward, rifle lifted up. He checked left and then right. Nothing. James was dissatisfied. He had a bad feeling about Lexington and there had to be a justification for his sense of imminent danger.

Katherine shivered. It was starting to get cold. It was in the middle of November and the leaves already all fell from whatever trees grew back after the blasts. Katherine saw her breath hang in the air and she exhaled once more to see it again. She smiled, something about being able to do that satisfied her.

A small growl in the distance caught James's attention. The corner of his lip shot up in a small smile. He was right. As usual. James slung his rifle and strode back to where Katherine hid behind the car.

"Get on the top of the car. Hurry." James whispered. Katherine nodded and began to climb. James held out his hand to help her up and thought reluctant at first, she took it. She stood on the roof of the car. The red-orange light of the sunrise silhoueted Katherin's form as James looked at her. He smiled as he brought out a strange looking box from his ammo pouch.

"Check this out." James said as he smiled. He tossed it into the intersection and the box bounced a few times before landing. Katherine waited for an explosion. Nothing happened. She waited for some kind of discharge. Nothing. A sound. Nada.

"What's it supposed to do?" Katherine asked.

"Wait for it." James said. Then they came. Hordes of gray skinned, withered "people" came running down the streets and after the box. They tore into one another and tackled everything in sight. Seemingly just to get at the box.

"What the hell are those things?!"

"Feral ghouls." James responded, his eyes never leaving the sight of the creatures tearing each other into pieces. "Nasty mothers."

"Why are they attacking each other?"

"They usually don't." James said. He rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "But I think I finally figured out how to make 'em."

"Is it that box?" James nodded, his gaze never leaving the carnage in front of him.

"What's it do?"

"I have no idea. I found it on a deathclaw I killed at Adams Air Force Base. Tinkered with it and never got any results." He looked at Katherine. "Not 'till now." He smiled.

"This is sick."

"Well, less killing on our part." So he does have a human side to him. "We can cut down on our ammo expenditure immensely by using this tactic." Katherine sighed.

"Don't you think it's a little sad?" she asked. "They used to be people."

"But they're not now."

"But they used to be."

"As did raiders before they decided to take up raiding." Katherine frowned.

"I'm not sure that's the same."

"It's not."

"Then?"

"I just like to be right." Katherine glared at James. He shrugged and smiled. Katherine rolled her eyes.

"So why am I on the roof of this car if I don't have to shoot anything."

"I told you. I didn't know if it'd work. You were up there for your own safety."

"That's sweet." Katherine commented.

"What is?"

"You were looking out for me."

"No. You are simply carrying the bad with the food." Ouch. Why so salty all of a sudden? "All right, I've had enough of this." James brought out a green ball from within his ammo pouch. He pressed a button and Katherine heard a high-pitched whine. James lobbed it into the mob and Katherine watched it arc through the air and straight into the middle of the frenzy.

"Wow. What an arm. You should play football?" James looked back at her. The plasma grenade exploded adding a green light to the red-orange hue of the time of day.

"What's football?"

"Nevermind." Katherine blushed. Why is that making me blush? Football. Katherine thought of Nate. He used to be the star quarterback of his college team and would never stop bragging about playing and how it led to him joining the army. Katherine smiled. Those were simpler times.

"Let's move on." James said. His hand held out, ready to assist Katherine down from the roof of the car. Katherine took his hand and she leapt off the car.

The two walked through the streets of Lexington together. The creaking of metal in the distance played the soundtrack of their journey, creating a somber, lonesome mood that prevented either person from engaging in conversation.

"Uh." James started.

"Yes?"

"Is it weird coming this way?"

"What do you mean?"

"I mean…" James rubbed his neck with one of his hands. "You were alive before the bombs. Does this bring back any memories?" Katherine looked around and thought about it.

"Yeah… I guess it does."

"What do they bring up?"

"Mostly house-searching with Nate. I was pregnant at the time with…. Shaun…."

"Oh." James said simply. He didn't say anything else. What else could he say. He reasoned. Say something, she demanded. Katherine sighed. She'd almost given up looking for Shaun. What are the odds that someone would take him and she'd be able to find him.

"We'll find him, you know."

"Hmm?"

"Shaun, your son." James said. He looked at her seriously. His dark brown eyes permeating her stoic composure. "We'll find him. Don't matter how long it'll take. Doesn't matter how many favors I have to call. We'll find him. Together." Katherine blinked. She was dumbfounded. James misinterpreted the gesture. "I mean, you know, unless you don't want me to help, I mean, you don't want me here, uh crap, no. I mean…"

"Stop." Katherine chuckled. "I get it, James. Thank you." James grinned. "Now let's go take out this Jared guy, I want to see how tough a raider named 'Jared' can be." James laughed and they continued down the road.