Jack heaved a heavy sigh as he dragged his feet to the landing of the staircase. He always hated the climb to the third level of Diamond City's southeastern high rise. He knew the risk of putting off going home in favor of the bar and expected nothing but the worst. Jack stared at the polished metal home, mentally preparing himself for the consequences.

She'd kill him for that…

Resigning to his fate, he turned the knob and pushed his way inside. The room fell to an eerie silence after the latch clicked into place. Jack removed his coat and placed it on the rack by the door before taking a tentative step forward. "Hello?"

A soft click and an emphatic whirr came from around the corner. Wheels spun up, and a set of red lights shone into the entrance hallway. A towering figure with multi-barreled weapons on each arm sped into the room, stopping just short of running over Jack's toes. Spiked shields protruded from each leg and shoulder, electricity arced, and sparks jumped from tesla coils on its back, and a caged head rested atop the machine.

"Unidentified intruder, you have entered a restricted space. Leave the premises at once or you will be reduced to ash."

The machine was a full two feet taller than Jack, and he was forced to reach upward to push the gun away from this face. He whistled. "You certainly don't get any less scary, buddy. The townsfolk must love coming up here."

A short burst of static shot from the modified robot. "Registered user 7274 recognized. Welcome home, Jack." The machine wheeled back into the alcove from which it came.

Jack smiled and shook his head. He looked toward the end of the hallway and walked towards the open door second from the last. As he approached he heard furious typing, keys screaming in agony as they received unwarranted punishment in place of the recipient of the heated message.

"Careful, mom, you'll break your special terminal again if you aren't careful."

The woman in the chair continued, as if she'd failed to hear him speak at all. Jack leaned against the door frame, arms crossed, and waited. He checked his watch. Four minutes and thirty-seven seconds passed before he heard a button slammed with an air of finality. The woman at the desk closed her work and pressed the large red button near the screen.

"Bitch."

It was an exclamation of pure disdain, practiced over the course of many years. She shoved her chair from the desk, causing the nameplate resting on it to slide forward.

Piper Wright.

She stood up, finally looking at Jack standing in the door. She opened her arms in a wide sweep. "Well, look who finally returns! Man, who teaches kids standards these days? Your parents should be ashamed!"

Jack shrugged. "They've got plenty to be pissed at me about, they can add it to my tab."

Piper dropped the charade and smiled, walking over to Jack before taking him into a hug. He bent down to wrap his arms around her, smiling as she squeezed his larger frame.

"Welcome back, Jacky." She rubbed his back as he patted hers. She released her son and resumed her relaxed posture. "It's been a couple months, Sport, what brings you here?"

"What, can't a guy just visit his family every now and then? I'm hurt, mom."

She scoffed. "From what Natalie tells me, you're doing more than just that."

"Ah hell, did she already go telling everyone about the smackdown at the bar last night?"

Piper tilted her head. "The bar? Jacky, you didn't go to the Dugout and harass Vadim without me, did you?"

Jack failed to contain the wince that contorted his face. He rubbed the back of his neck, chewing softly on his cheek. "I-it wasn't… I mean, Nat caught me on the way in, and— "

She waved a hand. "I'm grounding you both for that. Jeez, a kid leaves the cushy life of Diamond City for a couple years and loses all his manners." Piper snapped her fingers. "Speaking of which, what's all this I hear about some vigilante going around popping grapes belonging to people on both ends of the moral spectrum, huh?"

Jack did a double take, not immediately answering. He cleared his throat. "Look, a cap's a cap, and they haven't been coming as easily lately. Uncle Mac always told me that the best thing a merc could do was act without hesitation when a contract's involved. Not sure why he told that to an eight-year-old, but it ended up being pretty relevant."

His mother scoffed and folded her arms. "Of course he did. Should've kicked him in the balls if he came within ten feet of you. But Jack, you could've come back here and made perfectly blood-free money. Why start killing people who don't deserve it in the name of some scumbag who'll probably OD on Psycho within a couple weeks anyway?"

Jack pinched the bridge of his nose and let out an exasperated sigh. "You think I wanted to slink back home like that, when I'd already chosen to give it up the first time? Besides, I wanted to be my own man, and do things beyond what you could've handed to me."

"That doesn't excuse assassinations in today's Commonwealth, Jack— "

"I'm just doing what I need to do to keep the food on my table, mom." He snapped at her. "I'm not proud of everything that I've been doing, but who can say they always are? I bet you and dad weren't always goddamned golden angels! What right do you have to judge me?"

Jack finally took a breath, suddenly realizing the step forward into an aggressive stance and tone he'd taken, looming over Piper. She stared up at him with a look that he'd seen only a few times before. Piper wasn't scared of him; she'd been yelled at by men far more dangerous than her son and lived to talk about it. Her expression was one of mild disappointment.

Piper sighed at him. "I wish you wouldn't say things like that."

Jack took a step back, "I… I'm sorry, I shouldn't have— "

"You're right, your father and I weren't perfect. But we tried our best to make a difference in the world, so that you, and everyone else, could have better opportunities, ones that didn't involve killing people for profit."

Jack was silent, refusing to look at his mother. He knew she was right, she usually was.

"You and Ronnie both, you were always such rebellious kids. A normal life was never enough for you two. I thought Carla was going to blow a fuse when she told me that he wanted to quit school. Hell, I just about did too when you told me the same thing…" She trailed off, lazily shrugging. "But your father never doubted or judged you, either of you. I guess Nate rubbed off on me in that aspect too, because deep down," Piper looked into his eyes, "maybe I didn't either."

Jack shuffled uncomfortably under his mother's soft expression. "How come… how come you never remarried, ma?"

Piper let out a sigh. "To be honest, I'm surprised the question came this late — I've been dreading it for years. I dunno, I guess there wasn't any particular reason. I never met someone that was as important to me as your father was, though I guess I never tried. I doubt any man in the Commonwealth could compare… Nate was—" Her voice hitched as she choked up. "Nate was special. You'd never believe our story if you didn't already know."

Jack took Piper into his arms and held her in silence. He waited as she allowed herself to cry, something he'd only seen his mother do on a few other occasions. He felt tears pricking at his eyes as well.

"I miss him…" Piper whispered.

"I miss him too mom. I don't think about him often enough, anymore."

She sniffled. "He really was a good man. He did a lot of good things for a lot of people. But, since he's gone, I just have to remember how much I still have because of him – a happy life, exciting memories, tons of great friends… and you, Jacky."

At that, Jack had to fight back the lump forming in his throat. " I'm sorry, mom. I won't…" He gulped. "I'll stop taking jobs like that."

Piper rested a hand on his arm. "I know that you're a good man too, and I believe you'll do better. No matter what, though, I love you, kiddo." They shared another hug.

Piper took a deep breath. "But, you didn't come home to catch an earful from me. Tell me about last night."

Jack's mouth hung open at how quickly Piper had pivoted the conversation. He shook his head and hummed; she was always good at compartmentalizing. "Making friends with the locals all over again, they seem to keep forgetting about me."

"Hey, you won't catch me saying Hillman didn't deserve it." She chuckled. "Just like your father, such a gentleman…" She walked past him into the hall, signaling with her hand to follow her towards the kitchen.

"I see you've still got Ronin working guard dog duty. Ol' guy never quits, huh?"

Piper beamed at him as they passed the robot. "Built by the Commonwealth's finest. He keeps on ticking, just like the old press used to when the screws were loose."

"Still don't know how you didn't lose a hand from that rickety piece of shit."

Piper raised a finger at Jack's abhorrent offense. "Don't you make fun of my old equipment! That 'rickety piece of shit' put you through school, and allowed you to proceed to squander that education by becoming a wandering thug- sorry, I mean mercenary."

Jack scoffed. "Low blow. Didn't we just go through this? Man, you're just mad that I get to travel and shoot stuff."

"Yeah, yeah."

She pulled two ice-cold beers from the refrigerator, handing one to her son. They clinked the bottles together before slamming the bottle tops against the edge of the counter, sending the caps hurtling into the air before being snagged with clenched fists.

"Listen, I didn't stop by only to hear you make fun of my hopes and dreams, or lack thereof, again. Now tell me, what's Diamond City's best-ever mayor up to these days?"

She sighed and took a long swig. "I still hate politics. Never would've thought I'd end up in charge of anything more labor-intensive than the paper, and yet here I am as the 'leader' of this place after… Christ, seven years?" Another drink. "Weird how life works. But, then again, I never would've thought I'd end up meeting a time travelling Blueberry, falling in love, going through a bunch of other sappy shit, being part of a war, and having a kid either. So, I guess it evens out."

"You have quite the way with words, mom. You should write for a newspaper or something."

Piper deadpanned at him. "Funny. You should join a circus or something, you certainly look the part."

"Hm, I'd have to work on my acrobatics. Not as limber as I used to be…"

They shared a laugh before Piper continued. "Seriously though, I can't wait until my term is done. I just want to go back to when times were simple, and I could slag the mayor all I wanted without seeming like a self-hating lunatic, rather than a fully functional one."

"You could just quit, you know. You've done more for this place than anyone since the bombs dropped, and I doubt that anyone with any credibility could say you've done a poor job."

She shrugged. "I've thought about it. We'll see. Hey, you didn't ever answer my question. Spill. What made you come to Diamond City?"

"Well, I wasn't totally full of shit, I did come back to see you and Nat. But, some guy up in the stands is paying me good money to go take out a group of raiders up north, something about interfering with trade routes."

Piper put her bottle down and looked at Jack. "When you say 'up north…'"

"Lynn Woods."

"Ahh, up near our old buddy's turf. You gonna pay a visit?"

"I'm sure he'll get involved one way or another. Good in a fight, for sure."

Piper gave an unamused chuckle. "Yep, definitely just like your father." She sighed again. "Well, I'm sure my sister would love to go for a little murderfest."

"You sure she's not busy for a few days?"

Piper shook her head. "Nah, I can get her shift covered. Besides, she could use a break. Go peel her sorry butt off the couch that she undoubtedly passed out on."

"And if she's not alone?"

"Not my problem."

They clinked bottles once more before downing the rest of the drinks.

"I'll probably be back through after I'm done, so I'll see you then. Thanks for the drink, mom. And the kick in the ass."

Piper smiled softly, hugging her son again. "Always."

Jack shut the door behind him, zipping up his jacket and descending the side of the building. From his perch he could see Nat's apartment, attached to the side of Publick Occurrences.

He stuffed his hands in his pockets, weaving through the bustling streets of Diamond City. His eyes flicked to the store owners openly hawking their wares, and the small crowds that typically occupied the surrounding areas. He made a mental note to stop by Diego's weapon shop the next time he was in town to refill his stock of ammunition.

Jack turned a corner and stopped at the door, raising a closed fist to rap on the door of Nat's home before letting himself in. "Diamond City Security, here to bring you in, Ms. Wright!"

Sounds of panic and clothes shuffling reached his ears, moments before a man barely two legs into his underpants burst into the entryway. Jack smirked at the scene in front of him and crossed his arms, stepping to the side as the panicked man streaked out the door and into the dense crowd outside. Jack heard Diamond City security yelling after him and shook his head at the eventual report his mother would get regarding public indecency near the Publick. From Jack's guess, it wouldn't be the first. Nat emerged from her bedroom with a bored look, dressed in only her underwear.

Jack shot her a glance. "Have you no shame, Nat?"

She rolled her eyes. "Only one who has something to be ashamed of is that little man. Maybe I should start asking for professional references before I start bringing these overconfident boy scouts back…" Nat shook her head. "So what's up, Blackjack?"

Jack jerked his thumb towards the door. "Got word that there's a buncha raiders up near Lynn that have got to go. We can go see our friend while we're up there, and mom says you've now got the week off. You down?"

Nat gave a half smile and cracked her knuckles. "Always. Give me a few minutes to make myself decent, and we can get to killin'."

She shut her bedroom door behind her. Jack took a look around, eyeing up the relatively spartan household furnishings. He knew Nat made enough money to own more than what she had on display, but she also exercised far more financial restraint than he would assume, were she not his relative. Minutes later she emerged dressed in tight road leathers and strapping a weathered chestplate to her torso.

"Onward, stalwart explorer!"

Jack whistled. "Wow, Nat, that's a big word for you! You find a roll of word of the day toilet paper during your last trip?"

She punched his shoulder and pushed her front door open. "Get moving, Jack-ass."

Jack laughed and walked back outside, hearing Nat lock the door behind them. They continued down the damp street, rounding the corner to face the stone steps of Diamond City's main gate. They walked side by side, falling into quiet conversation.

A group of children ran from an alley, screams of delight coming from each of them. The last one to run onto the path caught his foot in the mud and tumbled down, pouting and making no immediate effort to stand. Jack tossed Nat a look and walked to the kid. Little scars littered his arms, and his short brown hair was stuck to his forehead. Jack smiled.

Looks like I did at his age.

"Up you go, kid." Jack lifted him by the underarms and placed him gently down and reached into a side pouch on his backpack to retrieve a red bottle.

"I was savin' this for a rainy day, but I think you should have it."

The child gingerly took the Nuka Cherry and uttered the tiniest "thank you" Jack had ever heard. The kid took off right away, disappearing around a corner.

Nat came up beside him. "That was real sweet, Jack."

"Eh, I had the extra soda."

"And you weren't planning on sharing it with me, huh?"

Jack turned back to her. "Hmm… Nope."

"You little— "

A shout came from behind them. "Whoa, hang on, Jack! Are you tellin' me that you came back home and didn't even visit me?! I'm hurt, brotha!"

"Not even the first time I've heard that today…"

Jack and Nat turned to see a man of color with a build just slighter than Jack's, and as tall as Nat, jogging toward them. To Jack's expectation, he was already dressed for a walk in the Commonwealth.

"Mornin', Ronny. A little early to be this amped up, isn't it?"

Nat scoffed. "He's always this amped up. S'why I've called him Espresso since you two were kids, especially when he bounces off the walls. Hey kid, your zipper's down."

Ronny's expression didn't falter, using one hand to correct his wardrobe malfunction as he waved the other. "Yeah whatever, not important. Seriously, where was my invite? And don't tell me that the mailman lost it again, or that D4 must have eaten it!"

Jack chuckled dryly and shook his head. "Still can't believe you called him Dogmeat the 4th. But yeah man, just wait till I tell you that we went drinkin' last night, and that I broke some dude's arm."

Ronny's mouth hung open, posture leaning forward to the point where he nearly fell over. Nat laughed, propping him up with two fingers.

"Cheer up, killer. We're gonna go shoot stuff that maybe-probably-definitely deserves it, you in?"

Ronny popped up in an instant, smiling the big dumb grin he was known for. "Sweet. Where we headed?"