"Guess he wasn't so tough." James said, he spat into a corner. Katherine cringed. It was crude and frankly a bit gross. But his faced was cut and bruised from some blows that Jared had laid on him by surprise.

"Actually, James. The correct tense would be to say he 'isn't' tough." Katherien subjected.

"Why's that?" James asked.

"He's still alive and just because you're choking him and handing him over a railing doesn't mean he's dead."

"Hmm. Well Mr. Brotch always told me I sucked at English."

"But you're always so charismatic!" Katherine commented. "You even have one of those stupid vault-tec bobbleheads for that stashed at Red Rocket."

"Hey!" James's grip grew tighter. Jared's eyes began to bulge as he chocked. He slammed his fists at James's armored arm. "Those are collectibles and are worth a lot of caps!"

"I don't care James. They're still stupid." Katherine looted through various chests. "There's nothing here. Just a stupid comic book." She grabbed it and flipped through its pages.

"Which one?" James asked. Katherine showed. "Oh man! I've always wanted to read the one, keep it and do not spoil it for me!"

"Is it my fajult that you don't read Grognack? How was I supposed to know you didn't know that he kills the dragon. He's a barbarian for God's sake!"

"I was saving that issue for a special occasion!" James lifted Jared up, who was now limp. James threw him to the floor. "That's for getting the drop on me."

"James, was that necessary?"

"No."

"Then…"

"It felt good."

"Well, can you try not to do it when I'm around?" James looked at Katherine. "It makes me feel uncomfortable." He nodded.

"I'll try."

"That's all I ask."

"There they are!" a voice shouted. James tackled Katherine into the room that Jared used as his home. They both landed on a mattress on the ground.

"Was that really necessary?" Katherine asked flustered.

"Woman, we are being shot at! C'mon!" James grabbed Katherine's hand and lifted her to her feet. He had his 10mm out, he led her to cover before jumping out from behind a column and squeezing off a few rounds.

"Agh! My arm!" a raider shouted. James ducked and numerous shots sent sparks flying around him. He ducked under a desk and hoped they weren't good enough shots to be able to hit anywhere near it. A raider ran up the steps, Katherine fired her laser musket. A red beam of energy shot from her weapon and slammed into the man's side. The man's body slammed into the wall leaving a gaping hole in his torso, his arm attached by a thread. Katherine cranked the musket twice. Four. That's four people I've murdered. How many people will I have to kill to find my son?

"I'll get you!" She squeezed the trigger. Five. The gunshots stopped, James rolled out of cover and stayed prone. No shots fired.

"C'mon let's go!" James hissed at Katherine, he took her hand and led her out of a door that said exit. There was a chain that prevented them from leaving. James shot the chain off and kicked the door open. More raiders waited outside.

James fired twice and two raider, who stood by a truck nearly 100 feet away, fell to the ground limp. Katherine aimed at a raider on top of a construction platform who aimed at both of them. She opened fire and missed.

"Shit." Katherine hissed. James shot a glance at her, amused. "Are you serious?!" James aimed and casually shot the man before turning to her and placing his hand on her shoulder.

"Yeah, kinda am." He said and winked. He ran down the slope and took cover behind the corner of the building. He shot out of the corner and fired at some unknown enemy. Katherine made her way down as she cranked the laser musket.

"okay, I think we're clear." James said. He looked at Katherine and shot her another one of his gourgeous smiles. "so. What'd you think?"

"About what?"

"Well, your first actual firefight."

"What are you talking about? What about Concord?"

"Concord doesn't count, I killed most of the raiders."

"And I saved you from the deathclaw."

"Which killed the rest of the raiders." He leaned closer to her. Katherine could feel his breath. "And for which I thanked you for saving me from." She backed away.

"Let's get back." Katherine muttered.

"Okay… But remember, score's still 55 to 3." James grinned. Katherine rolled her eyes.

"Thanks for taking care of those raiders."

"No problem. Just remember any more problems, just send word to the Minutemen." Katherine said as he she shook the settler's hand.

"You got it. Settlements gotta stick together for protection if you know what I mean." The settler rummaged in his pocket. He produced a cloth sack and held it out. "Y'know for protection.

"Oh that's not…"

"Don't mind if I do." James said as he swiped the pouch. "Thank you, sir. These will be used well." James began to walk east. Katherine stared at him as he left. The settler soon left as well, Katherine ran to join James.

"I cannot believe you."

"Fourteen, fifteen, sixteen. What?"

"We're supposed to be helping these people!"

"Twenty, Twenty-one, twenty-two. We are."

"But we're taking their money?!"

"Twenty-five, twenty-six. Yeah, they're helping us back."

"I thought that's not what we do."

"Shit. I lost count. Do you think you could ask them how much they put in here?"

"You're joking, James. I thought you were better than this!"

"I am. But quite simply, without caps, we can't do anything to help expland Sanctuary. We don't have enough materials for food, beds, and medicine. We cannot help other settlements if our own is not a well-established trade route."

"What are you saying?"

"I'm not taking these caps for myself, but I'm going to collect them and start a trade caravan company."

"Why?"

"So we can net a profit and be able to trade in between allied settlements."

"So you are working for profit!"

"Yes and no. We need extra funds to help fund the Minutemen. Otherwise we'll just be a poor version of the Regulators."

"I don't know who they are."

"Uh… Think cowboy policeman."

"Oh. Oh…"

"Yeah. Not good. So we need a foundation, a base camp, a headquarters."

"But why our own company, I've seen countless traveling merchants with their huge two-headed cows!"

"Katherine, get with the times. They're Brahmin."

"I don't care what they're called. Answer my question."

"If we use them, we'll have to pay an extra fee for them to make the extra trip. Trust me, it's much easier this way."

"And who's going to head this company? You?"

"No, actually I was thinking Marcy should."

"Hold on. What?"

"Well, right now she's just farming and is probably going out of her mind looking for stuff to keep her busy. Especially with her son and… Jun."

"Right. But a company? That's a huge responsibility."

"Which is why I'm giving it to Marcy and not Jun. She can handle, I'm sure of it."

"How do you know?"

"I just know."

"rrgh!" Katherine grunted. He's so irritating when he thinks he's right.

"You know I'm right."

"Shut up!"

The sun was starting to set. James lowered his Pip-Boy, noting that they were approximate 200 yards away from Sanctuary. Just over the hill really. James looked at Katherine from the corner of his eye. Their friendship is quite bipolar, sometimes it means something sometimes it doesn't. It just confused him. He just had no idea how to read her.

"You ever think about your husband?"

"…"

"Yeah. I thought so. Nevermind."

"No wait. James." James turned his head to face her.

"To be honest. Not anymore, I've been thinking of someone else."

"What?"

"Yeah. And I guess that's what has been making me feel so guilty lately, I just haven't really thought about Nate all that much lately."

"wow."

"You must think I'm a terrible wife."

"Hey, out here. There's no one to judge you. I'm the least one qualified to judge. We've all done some shitty things." Katherine looked at him. He seemed serious. Sometimes she just didn't know how to read him.

"Thanks. I guess." She whispered.

"So… who do you think about?"

"Why?"

"Ub, I, uh. I mean. I just wanted to know." Katherine smirked.

"Don't worry about it."

"Oh come on."

"No seriously." They reached the top of the hill and Katherine saw Sanctuary. The sunset illuminated the entire area. People walked in between houses, farming and working on various projects as the day ended. She could spot a campfire by the huge tree in the cul-de-sac. It's you, dummy. She thought to herself. "Who is it?" James asked. "I want to know." Katherine looked up at James incredulously.

"What?" He asked. "Don't tell me it's Preston, cause I swear to God I-" Katherine planted a kiss on James's lips. James was a bit taller so she had to stand on the tips of her toes. She was about to stop and drop back down but James embraced her and brought her closer to him. They stayed embraced in each other for a long time after that, bathing in the blood-orange hue of the sunset.