"What is this?" James asked as he walked. James walked over past the couch in his living room. Seated on it was Preston Garvey himself.
"It's a list of contracts that the Minutemen has completed over the years, General." Preston said softly. James dried his hair with a towel as he collapsed onto a sitting chair besides Preston. He quickly tossed the towel aside and began to flip through a few manila folders.
"Lot's changed in the Commonwealth since the Institute." Preston began. "Doubt you'd recognize half of it."
"Well, if it's anything like what I saw in Concord." James said as he flopped down a folder and looked up. "I guess there's still much to learn from this wasteland after all." He smiled and grabbed another folder. "So you going to tell me what these folders are all about? All seems random to me."
"Yeah, well, I figure that's because they are." Preston said happily. "Lot of raider gangs have gone underground or just moved out of the Commonwealth. Crime's down by a lot and hell people are starting to move around again."
"You're kidding." James said as he closed what seemed to be the 30th folder before giving up entirely.
"Not at all. Minutemen presence alone has most gangs running scared." Preston grinned as he looked at the blue flag on the wall in the distance. "But a whole army of Power Armor clad one call away? Now that's deterrence." James nodded slowly before looking at the coffee table before him.
"So if the Commonwealth is starting to become a much safer place" James said softly before nodding decisively. "It's quite a lot to take in." Preston nodded and stood. James joined him.
"Well, it was an ambitious goal before." Preston said shifting his weight on both of his feet. "Too ambitious for lesser men." James waved the statement aside.
"Don't, it wasn't my goal." James said. "It was Kat's. She wanted this more than anybody."
"But she wasn't the only person who helped make it come true." Preston suggested. James had no reply to that.
"So if the Commonwealth's doing well, I assume the CPG's been dissolved?" James asked. Preston shrugged as he began to pace around the room.
"Something of sort" Preston said as he fiddled with a book in its shelf. James eyed him carefully, wondering why Preston was trying to be so cautious with his words."The Commonwealth Provisional Government that you and General Katherine established originally consisted of a Council of Settlement Leaders and the President. A title that you nominated the General for personally." Preston gestured at James and James nodded.
"Right, and since we disappeared, I assume a new President was elected?" James inquired. Preston winced.
"Not really, we tried, the Council really did. But we quickly split into factions." Preston said.
"You mean splintered again into various factions that compete against one another? Really? After everything that we went through together?" James asked.
"Not quite. Danse's Brotherhood and me got along well. He had trouble trusting Desdemona but Deacon eventually got Danse to come into the fold." Preston answered.
"What? Danse agreed to ally with the Railroad?" James asked, remembering Danse's extreme prejudice against anything the Brotherhood deemed "not natural".
"It's really more the new blood of factions that cause the problem, but I'm sure you'll come to meet them sooner or later." Preston said. "The point is that the Brotherhood, the Railroad, and the Minutemen stand by the Enclave. Your word is as good as ours." James nodded as Preston tipped his hat and prepared to leave.
"So then, things in the Commonwealth are not going well politically. Great, I'll keep that in mind." James sighed and stood to see Preston out.
"Thanks, Commander. I'm glad you understand." Preston said. James walked Preston to the door and held it open as Preston walked out.
"Oh, by the way, a settlement-"
"Not today, Preston." James said. "But thanks for trying."
"Of course, figured I'd see if anything about you had changed since you went under is all." Preston said with a small smile. James noticed that Preston had aged considerably despite being younger in age that James. A few scars covered his face now as well. As well as they appear now, the Commonwealth is still a dangerous place.
"I'm sorry I don't have more time to run around with you Preston. Wish it could be like old times. but-"
"But they aren't." Preston finished. "I know. I get it. You don't have to tell me." And then he left. James nodded and then closed the door.
James looked around his house. Completely furnished, radio on the bar table on and playing Frank Sinatra's "We'll Meet Again". Paintings lined the walls as if he lived in a mansion back before the war or in a Vault rather than a house on the edge of a wasteland. The way things were now, James was hard-pressed to remember what the town was like the first time he arrived with Marie all those years ago.
Then in the middle of James's daydream about the past, a knock jarred him back into the reality. James wiped his face and turned to answer the door.
"Is my house the new town hall or am I really that popular?" James asked as he threw the door open. Before him stood a teenage girl with red wavy hair tucked into ponytail while dressed for school. "Uh, what is this?"
"Well, I know it's been a while but it really hurts for you not to recognize me James." the girl said. James cocked his head to the side.
"I know you?" He asked.
"Yeah, really hurts James." she said as she brushed past him and strode into the house. She dropped her bookbag on the couch and took a seat on the couch as grabbed a nuka cola from the fridge and took a seat by the radio.
"Um, what?" James asked. The girl flipped up the volume as Travis began talking about some Superhero craze in Goodneighbor. Codsworth then slowly floated in casually humming a beat.
"Miss Marie, how would you like your afternoon tea today?" Codsworth asked, apparently not seeing James. James frowned and stared at Codsworth as he passed and back at the girl.
"Not today, Codsworth." Marie said. "I'm not in the mood for tea."
"Of course then, mum!" Codsworth chirped. "A sandwich it is!" Marie groaned and rolled her eyes on the couch.
"Codsworth…" James began. Codsworth spun an eye as the rest of him enthusiastically made Marie a sandwich.
"As I live and breath, Mister James!" Codsworth exclaimed. "Oh I am so excited to see that you are back amongst the living! May I get you anything, sir?"
"No, Codsworth. I'm fine." James said as he struggled to find words to fill the gaps in his mind left from utter shock and surprise. "Marie…. I"
"No, I think you've said enough back there, James." Marie said leaning over the back spine of the couch with a sarcastic smile aimed at him. James was speechless.
"Sounds like you have the quite a trouble on your hands, Master James." Codsworth mused before resuming his great work of assembling the perfect sandwich. James grabbed a stool and sat across from Marie, who still leaned over the couch. He sighed trying to think of something to say.
"Marie, I'm sorry." James began. Marie cocked an eyebrow and leaned back and sat in the couch once more, back facing James.
"What for?" she asked as she crossed her arms. James rolled his eyes and stood from the stool. He vaulted over the couch and landed hard on the decaying furniture.
"Hey!" Marie cried as his sheer weight forced the cushions to pluff upwards and forced her to bounce in the air.
"What? Did I do something?" James asked, as if her were surprised at her reaction. Marie eyed him carefully but refused to grace him with a response. "Now we're getting somewhere." James thought as he smirked.
"I'm sorry for one, losing you, and then two for taking so long to find you." James said, not daring to look up at the girl he was supposed to protect. "I promised your father I'd protect you. And I was terrible at the one thing he asked of me." Marie visibly relaxed as James looked up to check on her. He nodded slowly without a word and began to fiddle with his Pip-Boy.
"It's okay, James. I was never mad about that anyways." Marie said quietly. James shot her a confused look and found that she now was staring back at him.
"Then what were you mad about?" he asked softly.
"I don't know." She responded. "I guess I thought that you'd save me like some knight on shining armor, but all efforts to save me only showed me that you too are only human."
"Well, that's some deep thoughts for a teenager." James commented. Marie rolled her eyes at him. James shrugged. "Just a joke, sorry."
"I thought, that everything would be perfect once you showed up, but just as our reunion started, instead of a happy ending, it was you who got taken and me left behind." Marie said softly as she stared at her boots. James nodded, it was a feeling he knew well.
"I know it's hard, kid." James said. "I know all the sorrys in the world can never make up the hard times you had to go through without me. I won't always be there, it's a hard lesson but you found out the hard way. I am sorry, Marie. For everything. I hope that we can try to catch up. Maybe make up for some of the lost time." James finished with a soft smile and nudge at Marie's shoulder. She eyed him carefully before accepting his apology. Marie sighed and jumped to her feet.
"Well, I do hope we can get along. I do live here after all." Marie said cheerfully before stalking away to one of the back rooms.
"You do? Wait a second, there's only one bedroom!" James called after her.
"Exactly!" Marie said with a large smile before slamming the door.
"Oh great, I come home and all I get is the couch." James said with a hand on his forehead. "Well, kid. I'm headed out. You stay safe and uh, do whatever it is that you do!" He shooked his head as he grabbed his leather jacket and slung it on.
"I'm ready." Marie's voice said from behind him. James frowned and turned to find Marie dressed as if she were about to attend a military hearing. It was military dress uniform. One of the official, high-level ones Pre-War officers wore. Only this one was black and engraved with silver linings that made it quite obvious that it was Enclave.
"What do you think doing?" James asked inquisitively. Marie gestured at her outfit.
"You're headed out for inspection as a Settlement Leader. I am going to join you." Marie said as she tucked her red hair into a ponytail before slipping a black officer hat over her hair.
"No I'm not. And no, you're not." James replied. "I'm just headed out for a walk. Been in this house way too long."
"You've been back for four hours." Marie said with a sassy look. James grinned as he zipped his jacket up halfway.
"Exactly" James said with a grin. Marie groaned.
"I am coming with you. There's nothing you can do to stop me." Marie said confidently. James gave her a look before turning around for the door. James grabbed his duffel bag and slipped it on his shoulder before reaching for the door.
"Sorry, kid. I know just got back but I'm going for a walk. I swear. I'll be back soon. Probably." James said as he turned the door handle.
"Good, then if it's short, I'll just come with you." Marie said leaning against the wall by the door.
"No, you're not." James repeated.
"Then. I'm afraid I will have to report you for breaking a General Edict. 11 to be specific." Marie said with a frown as she whipped out a pencil and a clipboard.
"What?" James asked, amused. "A General Edict?"
"That's right." Marie confirmed. "Don't ask me, I just enforce the law. One of Arcade and Nate's pet projects you see."
"They created a set of laws without me?" James asked, incredulous. "Which one am I breaking?"
"No adult can allow a child to journey more than 100 feet from the family house. Penalty I'm afraid, is death." Marie said with a sick smile. James was amused. Leaned forward to look Marie directly in the eyes.
"You think you can hustle me?" James asked carefully.
"Not a hustle, sir. Just the law." Marie replied cooly. James looked back up to find Codsworth hovering closeby.
"Your sandwich, mum." Codsworth said before redirecting his eyes at James. "It's true Master James. There is such a mandate." James nodded before slowly stroking the stubble on his chin.
"Okay then." James said. "You're with me then, kid." Marie jumped in the air and seemed to fist-bump the air.
"But you carry my bag." James added.
"What?!" Marie protested.
"Well, otherwise, I guess I'll just have to, uh, die then." James said with a smirk. Marie pouted as James handed the bag to her. She snatched it from him before slipping it on. "Great. You're doing swell already kid. Now let's lay down a few ground rules."