A.N.: There are slight spoilers/references to my one-shots, "Mechanical Engineering" (Found on A03) and "I Couldn't Forget You If I Tried." (Found on FF)
Also, there's heavy adult sexual content ahead.
Chapter 5 - Down the Rabbit Hole
"This is N1-08. I am ready to relay the synth detective back with me." Nate's voice crackled out from the intercom.
Nora jolted upright in her seat and opened her eyes. She wiped drool from her cheek and vigorously rubbed the sleep from her eyes. Although she was disoriented, she had enough sense to press the red button near the microphone and communicate back
"The relay is open. See you both soon." She replied, hoping the sleep that slurred her voice wasn't too evident, to and then she pushed a sequence of buttons to accept a relay transmission.
Even though Nate was perfectly capable of teleporting in and out of the Institute from anywhere in the Commonwealth, Nora wanted them to teleport to the relay room so they could avoid most of the awkward and possibly rude questions about Nick's sudden appearance. Dr. Li and Dr. Binet were aware of Nick's visit, but the majority of the Institute's residents and scientists did not.. Nora felt reasonably sure that Nick wouldn't be in danger, but she couldn't take the risks either.
A flash of blue light emitted from the relay room and Nora heard Nick's distinctive smoky, rough voice.
"Aaah damn, t-that's a sensation I'd rather not feel again."
Nora ran her fingers through her sleep-mussed hair to fix it back into some semblance of order and then she stood. The room ahead of her was too dark to see them, but Nora could feel their presence nonetheless.
"So is this where I ask you to bring me to your leader?" Nick asked sardonically, his voice was noticeably closer but Nora still couldn't see them.
"You wont have to walk very far." Nate replied. "Our leader wanted to welcome you personally."
The duo walked out of the relay room and into the whitewashed control room blinking against the harsh light. Nora's breath hitched in her chest when she saw Nick. His luminous eyes came out of the darkness like two lanterns in the night.
"Hi." She breathed out. Her top teeth worried over her bottom lip as they both stared at each other for what seemed to be an eternity.
"Nora..." Nick replied. An unusual sound came from his throat. It sounded like a half sigh and half groan.
He crossed the floor in four large, sure strides and scooped Nora up into his arms. Their bodies crashed together and Nora let out a small "ooof." The hug he gave her was so tight that it bordered on being uncomfortable, but Nora wasn't going to complain. Simply feeling Nick's hands on her back and hearing his mechanical heart thumping in his chest was enough.
"Doll, I've missed you." His voice was unusually husky which made Nora hold onto him even tighter.
"I've missed you too." She murmured into his chest.
Nate watched the two of them and felt the same cacophony of jealousy, anger, self-pity, and hatred bubble in his heart. He would've let it incite him again but then he noticed Nora - mostly he noticed Nora's blissful face. Her face looked relaxed and worry-free for once. Nick murmured something in her ear and she smirked coquettishly at whatever the synth had told her. She pressed her body into Nick's so that no part of their body was without the touch of the other's. For the first time since Nora had arrived back at the Institute, she looked truly happy.
He cleared his throat and the couple broke the hug but didn't fully separate from each other. Nick looked sheepish and then slightly concerned when he saw the obvious pain that was displayed on Nate's face, but Nora looked supremely guilty.
"Nate, I'm -"
"- I'm on my way back to the wasteland right now. Are we still staying with the same plan?" Nate interrupted.
Nora's face fell slightly at his briskness but regained her poise. After all, he still had a job to do.
"Yes. Find Desdemona at Sunshine Tidings and offer your services to her." Nora commanded. "I will use the outside terminal connection in my room to coordinate more consistent synth releases. Desdemona knows I'll have to start slowly; the Directorate will need proof that this can work, but once it can, I know she will need help establishing and clearing out more safe houses."
Nate nodded. His was face masked by cool indifference, but the raw pain in his eyes was still there. Nora told herself that there was nothing she could do. If Nick couldn't provide Nate some solace, then she feared nothing would.
Nate spun around on his heels and walked back towards the relay room. He wiped at the tears that dripped from his eyes, cursing himself for his own weakness, and teleported away again in a flash of blue light.
"You okay, doll?" Nick asked after Nora had been silent for several seconds. She had a perplexing expression that Nick couldn't quite read.
She nodded and then cleared her throat. Her voice was slightly hoarse and heavy. "Yeah, I'm fine."
Nick tilted his head ever so slightly down in a disapproving look.
"I'm not lying!" She insisted
"Then tell me what you're thinking." He said.
Nora fingered the knot in his trench coat. "I'm considering whether to have you on the floor right here or whether to wait to get you to my room."
Her coy smirk and the mischievous twinkle in her eye did things to him that no other worldly substance could, but he still shook his head.
"I wouldn't be a great detective if I caved that easily to a seductive dame's brash talking and her bedroom eyes." Nick said. "Out with it. What's wrong?"
Nora closed her eyes and sighed. She didn't know how to phrase everything; in fact she was constantly worried about something that she didn't know what was worrying her the most at the moment.
"I'm just happy to see you Nick, that's all." She murmured into his chest.
The truth was that Nora had a laundry list full of things she was either worried about or actively trying to prevent, and none of them had easy solutions. But she didn't want to spoil the moment by blubbering in Nick's arms like some silver screen damsel because she - the swooning woman - couldn't handle being the boss.
"C'mon doll, talk to me." Nick encouraged. He placed a gentle kiss on her forehead and held her in his arms. His thumb caressed over her knuckles like he was encouraging her to find the right words.
"Nick, I'm not trying to purposely withholding information. Not this time. I - I just have a lot on my mind and I'm having trouble sorting everything out into rational or irrational fears. Can we just enjoy the moment first? I promise that I'll tell you everything in time, but not right now okay?"
"Okay."
Nora shook her head; Nick's patience never failed to amaze her, and she kissed Nick chastely on the lips. "Thank you."
She moved to pull away but Nick held her and pulled her back into him. He leaned down and captured Nora's lips into a deep, passionate kiss that took her breath away. Nick's intact hand was curled through her hair; he appreciated how good that felt since her hair had begun to grow out. His metal hand held gently onto her shoulder, ready to progress farther down to her chest should the occasion or their desire call for it.
Nora shuddered, her face flushed and eyes heavy-lidded, as she pulled away. "Nick..."
"So right here then, doll?" Nick whispered. The huskiness in his voice made her whimper.
"No. Let's go to my room. There's more privacy." She murmured.
"I thought you liked being seen." Nick teased.
"Not by people I have to work with." Nora's rebuke was accompanied with a gentle slap to his chest. "Come on. We have to be somewhat discrete."
"How scandalous. I'm sneaking around with the Institute's Director." His grin was positively wicked.
Nora led Nick into an elevator and then she pushed the single glowing arrow pointing down and swiped her Director's ID card in the card reader. The elevator began its long, silent descent through the darkness.
However, Nick's glee quickly faded as he realized that his exit out of here would now be a lot harder to come by now that Nate had left. He wasn't claustrophobic, but he could feel the tight grip of fear squeeze his artificial heart. Nick's hand grabbed tighter onto Nora's and his own breathing became heavier, almost labored.
"Abandon all hope, ye who enter here." He said.
"You'll be okay. I promise." She murmured.
As she said that, a bright light opened up at the bottom of the glass elevator and grew larger as the elevator descended into the Institute's atrium. No matter how many times she had used this elevator, the sight of the Institute's atrium was breathtaking.
In the late evening, the entire courtyard was swathed beneath a blanket of dim lights and twinkling artificial stars. The crystal clear water looked almost blue in the darkness, and the large pine trees that dominated the courtyard glowed slightly as they caught the reflection of each division's illuminated sign.
A couple of bald, identical Gen-2 synths were pushing large carts full of equipment, food product boxes, and laundry back towards the housing and cafeteria area. They paid no attention to either of them as the elevator descended down to the ground floor.
Her son's grave marker sat in the grass in front of the Robotics entrance. It's hologram projection depicted the Vitruvian Man and beneath it had an inscription that said He was the Father to us all.
Nora forced herself to look at Nick, and in the dim artificial night, Nora could see more of his face and she saw a mixture of wonder and terror there.
"It will be okay Nick." She repeated, more insistently this time.
"I know, doll." He whispered. "I-It's just surreal being back here and all. I don't remember any of this, but then again, I guess I was knocked out. I never thought I'd be back here. Nick's cop instincts are yelling at me to start looking for escape routes. I don't like going into a place blind."
"You're not blind. You have me." Nora pointed out.
The doors to the elevator slid open and Nora led him out onto the sidewalk. Although the Gen-2 synths didn't pay attention to them as the elevator was descending, they all noticed them now. Nick saw a dark-skinned man walk out of a doorway labeled Robotics and stop in his tracks when he saw them.
"What the-" His inevitable curse was cut off by Nora.
So much for being discrete, Nick thought.
"Let's go." Nora hissed to Nick.
She walked quickly across the courtyard and went through a concrete archway that led towards a large spiral staircase. She tried to move quickly and quietly without drawing too much attention to them, but the working synths had preternatural hearing. Each Gen-2 synth greeted her as she passed them with their typical programmed responses of "Good Evening Director" but their cold yellow eyes never left Nick's face.
When they finally reached the third floor landing, Nora brought him down a hallway and pressed her ID card to a black pad near the door. The orange and white hydraulic door slid open and Nora led Nick into her room.
Nora rushed over to the rotary phone and dialed Dr. Li's office extension. Thankfully the woman picked up the receiver after the first ring.
Nora spoke quickly, "Hey, Dr. Loken saw Nick and I exit the elevator. You know how he feels about me being appointed to the roll of Director."
There was a brief pause and then Nora replied, "He knows that Nick is a synth from the Commonwealth. I think that would be enough clues for him to dig through some files in the Robotics lab to discover who he is."
There was another pause. "He's staying here with me. Dr. Binet will meet with him after our Directorate meeting."
Nick felt supremely uncomfortable and out of place. Within ten minutes of arriving in the Institute, Nick had to watch as Nora negotiated for him like he was some stowaway.
"You know that locking himself in the BioScience lab was an overreaction!" Nora countered. "If he does something rash like that, then that's on him."
There was another pregnant pause and then Nora sighed in relief.
"Thank you. I - we - appreciate it."
Nora hung up the phone but didn't turn back to face Nick. He could see the whites of her knuckles as she gripped the desk far harder than necessary.
"Doll, talk to me. What's going on?" He asked.
"It's nothing Nick. It's just political bullshit, that's all." She replied hollowly.
"Dammit Nora! You gotta let me in here. If you can't tell me the whole truth, then at least level with me. I deserve that." Nick's response was sharp.
Nora turned to face him and he saw just how exhausted she looked. In the harsh fluorescent light, the bags beneath her eyes were startling. The skin around her fingers were raw and a few spots were scabbed over. Nora was either a nail bitter or picked at her cuticles obsessively, Nick deduced.
"I don't know where to start." Nora admitted. "I have a lot of shit that I've been bottling up and I'm just so damn tired."
Nick nodded and approached Nora. She reached out to him and slid into his outstretched arms like it was a dance they had practiced for years.
"What can I do to help you?" Nick asked.
"Honestly, I only need one thing." The frustration in her voice melted away to something more carnal. She slowly undid the knot that held his trench coat closed and looked into his eyes.
"Nick, I haven't seen you in almost a month. I really only want two things. I want to apologize to you..."
"Oh? You're apologizing?" He interrupted. "Is it for being so damn stubborn about clueing me in to what's going on?"
"Ha ha." Nora replied dryly. "No. It's for my note."
"Nora..."
"Nick, I was a coward. I'm sorry..." Nora trailed off. Her fingers snuck beneath his trench coat to gently caress the bare skin above his belt, "...that I couldn't face you in person. It wasn't my finest moment, I'll admit."
"No doll, it wasn't." Nick agreed breathlessly as Nora's hands traveled beneath his waistband to run her fingers along the warm paneling of his pelvis. "S-so what else do you want?"
Nora's coy smirk turned absolutely wonton. "I want those bigoted assholes like Max Loken to know that a synth is fucking me."
Nick's breath hitched in his chest at the intoxicating combination of her fury and her conviction. Hell, he had no idea who this Max Loken guy was but he'd knew enough bigots in his life to understand. As the old adage said: once you've seen one, you've seen them all.
He untucked the long, grey and blue Institute tunic from her linen pants and unbuttoned the shirt with deft fingers. She wore a navy blue tank top beneath it but had no bra on. The outline of her breasts and pebbled nipples begged for his touch.
"You're - ah - a little exposed there, doll." He stuttered.
"What can I say? It was laundry day and my undergarments are in the wash." Nora said and began working at his own buttons of his dress shirt.
Nick's fingers untied the drawstring that held up her linen pants and then tentatively reached down the front of them. Sure enough, his fingers were met with soft hair and delicious wetness rather than cloth panties. They both groaned and Nora unintentionally bucked her hips into his hand.
"No...Nick. Not like this. I-I want us to be together like we were at the Red Rocket" She whimpered and withdrew his hand from her pants.
"I dunno if I can wait that long, doll." He murmured. "I've wanted to hear you whimper my name again ever since then."
"I - I don't know if I can keep my voice to a whimper." Nora's voice took on a wanting panting quality that tipped Nick over the edge.
"Screaming it is then." He growled and shirked her pants off her hips and peeled the tank top over her head. She had never been disrobed so quickly in her life.
Nick picked Nora up into his arms like she weighed nothing and kicked his shoes off as he carried her to the bed.
"Nick, you're still dressed!" She half complained and half squealed as he set her onto the bed and crawled over the top of her. "I want you naked!"
"Not right now." He growled. "This first round is about you." and he crushed his lips onto hers.
Nora shuddered in pleasure, her skin prickling delightfully where Nick's synthetic skin met hers. She returned his kiss with gusto. Tongues and teeth clashed and Nora heard moaning but couldn't recall if it was from her or Nick. From his dominant position over her, she began working him out of his trench coat and threw the large, heavy thing onto the floor. Nora broke away first, desperately gulping down air, forgetting the fact that Nick didn't technically have to breathe.
"You alright, doll?" He whispered into her ear.
She nodded, "I'm wonderful, just slightly woozy. Lack of air and all that. Though I suppose there's worse ways to die."
"There are easier ways to get to heaven, doll. Mind if I show you?"
Nora guffawed at his line and stroked his face, gently tracing around the tears in his jaw and neck.
"D'you get to come with me?" She asked.
"This is a one-way trip for you, doll. But don't worry, I'll catch the next one. You do owe me that apology"
His intact hand cupped her right breast and worried the pad of his thumb over her erect nipple. She exhaled quickly at the electrical shock that traveled from their point of contact down to her stomach.
She forgot how good his hands felt. She sighed as he cupped the weight of her breasts in his hands and kneaded the supple flesh until she became putty in his hands.
"Use your mouth too. Please." She begged.
Nick's kisses traveled along her jaw, down her neck and ended at the start of her modest cleavage. His teeth gently grazed over the sensitive nerves before laving over the pebbled flesh with his tongue. His other hand firmly rolled the other nipple between his thumb and forefinger, the slight pain mingled with her building pleasure and it was exquisite.
"Yes! Oh, yes!" She sighed. Her encouragement spurred Nick onward. His touches became almost too eager and incessant and her hands flew to his.
"Touch me lower." She urged.
Nick obeyed and adjusted himself so he was kneeling off to Nora's side. His skeletal hand was gently intertwined with hers, and held her hand against the pillow. If the metal joints and thin tubes and chords bothered her, Nora didn't mention it.
His other hand traveled between her breasts, down her stomach, and settled just above the part in her slit. His fingers gently tickled the short public hair that adorned her vulva. He could feel the heat and the wetness that radiated from her and they both groaned in satisfaction when he slipped his middle finger into her.
"Dammit, more..." She groaned and bucked her hips up into the air.
Nick chuckled and kissed her again. The kiss was searing but brief. "More what?"
"God. Nick ..." Nora trailed off with another needy whimper but saw that Nick was grinning as she writhed beneath him. He slowly inserted is index finger and turned his hand so his fingers could tease the rough patch of flesh that sat a couple of inches inside of her. The feeling was strange but pleasurable, but she wanted the immediate lighting reaction from clitoral stimulation, and here Nick seemed content to have her spontaneously combust from his teasing.
"Y-you're a bastard." She half moaned and half sighed. "Stop teasing me Nick."
"Patience, doll. I'm not teasing you. I think you'll enjoy this." He murmured and nipped at her ear.
His two fingers stroked inside of her but they teased in an upward "come hither" motion. And that's when she felt something shift inside her. Nora was lost in her pleasure before she could even recognize that her climax was baring down on her like a freight train.
The arousal that pooled in her stomach and loins seemed to heat up her core. Her skin felt flushed and Nora felt sweat slide down her calf muscles. Nick's ministrations and lovingly aggressive strokes sped up, and he'd occasionally slide his thumb across her clit which sent an electric jolt through her heart.
Her eyes rolled into the back of her head and her mouth fell slack. She was going to cum, but she couldn't get enough air to warn Nick.
"Oh God, Nick -" She choked out.
"Go on, doll. Let go. I've got you. Trust me." His voice sounded so far away as Nora's orgasm approached like an oncoming storm.
Nora heard and felt a rush of liquid leaking from her. Her rational mind knew what was happening, although she had a hard time believing it was happening to her, but her primal mind roared at her to fall into the pleasure no matter what happened.
"Yes doll. Come for me." Nick urged. "You're so damn beautiful like this."
The tensing coil in her abdomen finally snapped and she felt her entire core push into Nick's waiting fingers.
"NICK!" She wailed.
Her voice seemed to echo off the walls as her pelvis canted upwards in one last greedy attempt to chase after the unbearable pleasure that twisted through her body.
She lost all sense of time and awareness. She didn't feel Nick's other hand gently caressing her sweat-slicked outer thigh, nor could she determine what Nick was saying to her. Her own lips were moving but she didn't know what she was saying. The feeling of complete and total loss was intoxicating.
She let herself float through the ether of her afterglow. Her body felt heavy, almost like she was swimming in a pool with her clothes on, or maybe she just really had to pee now.
"Doll?" Nick's voice asked a little louder. "Talk to me."
She felt his metal hand bush her face and she rolled into his touch. A smile played at her lips as the world came back into focus.
"Nick." She murmured.
"Hey." He chuckled and kissed her forehead.
"W-what the fuck did you do to me?" She asked.
He chuckled and slid down so he was laying against Nora's flushed body. "Well...the cases that have been coming through the agency have been quick open and shut ones which has left me a lot of free time to read."
"What d'you mean read? What the hell are you reading that told you to do that?" Nora asked. She blinked a few times upon opening her eyes. She was exhausted and damp everywhere, but she felt sated.
Nick grinned at her question. "Piper gave me a few books as a Christmas present. She's always done it, actually. There were the usual classics that she salvaged from a nearby bookstore: Great Expectations, Oliver Twist, and Gulliver's Travels, but one of the books in that pile was more risqué then I was use to."
"What was the book called?"
Nick shifted uncomfortably at her side. "It was - ah - it was called The Joy of Sex."
The laughter that erupted from Nora's chest was so violent and powerful that it hurt her stomach. She let her head fall back against the pillow as she became wracked with full body tremors of pure mirth.
Once she pulled herself together long enough, she rolled onto her side and cupped Nick's face with her hands.
"Are you done laughing at my expense?" He asked bitterly. "You know, I'm still learning about all of this." He gestured between them. "I was never given the whole birds and the synthetic bees talk. Piper's gift might've been crass, but -"
"Nick, I'm not laughing at you!" Nora urged. "No. Damn! I mean, the gift is kind of weird. I'm not sure if I could ever look at her without blushing, but leave it to Piper to not beat around the bush."
"Was that a pun?" Nick asked dryly.
Nora snickered. She couldn't help herself. "Well, thanks to her...you did beat around my bush."
"Nora!"
She cackled and climbed out of bed. "Nick, relax. It was hot. I've never felt like that with anyone before. Thank you."
He sighed, "I'll admit that seeing you like that was a gift of sorts too."
Nora blushed and turned to kiss him. Her kiss was languid and soft which was a nice contrast to their recent foray into the rough and passionate.
"Why don't you go clean up and I'll strip the sheets." Nick said.
Nora walked over to the panel on the wall. The screen showed a red box that said "LOCKED" but Nora pressed a few buttons on the keypad and then spoke into the intercom.
"Can I get a clean set of bedsheets please?" Nora asked.
"Right away Director." A robotic Gen-2 voice replied.
"I hope those synths pushing the laundry cart are discrete and don't ask too many questions." Nick said.
"They wont if I ask them not to." Nora replied. "Being Director does have its perks. I think it would be a change of pace after what they're use to. Asking for discretion after a satisfying love making session is far less evil than hiding the existence of a synth husband and child."
"A synth child?" Nick asked.
Nora sighed. The pleasant fuzz of her orgasm had left and the numbness was beginning to return. "Like I said, I have a lot to get off my chest."
"And I'll be here." Nick said. "Go on, take care of yourself and I'll see to the bed."
Nora nodded. She grabbed her clothes from the floor and walked into the bathroom. The glass wall that separated the bathroom was made with frosted and opaque. If he was human, he'd only be able to see the vague shapes and outlines of a person inside. But Nick's synth optics could look through the obstruction as though he was looking through a window. The sight of Nora showering was too good to pass up.
As the water cascaded down her bare back and over her buttocks, Nick thought back to their tryst at the Red Rocket. He never forgot how Nora felt against him, slick and warm, and the thought stirred something within him.
He slipped his intact hand beneath his pants and cupped himself but the feeling didn't invoke the same sort pleasure that he had experienced when Nora was gyrating against him or when she touched him. At best, all he felt was a minor tickle or twinge akin to feeling the need to sneeze.
He withdrew his hand from his pants with a regretful sigh and simply watched Nora's movements like a voyeur until the door slid open and a Gen-2 synth came in with a bundle of clean sheets.
"Oh um..." Nick said and stood quickly. The Gen-2's face was unexpressive as he handed Nick the bundle of sheets.
"These are for the Director. She requested them." He said in a mono-toned voice.
"T-thank you." He said. "I'm Nick by the way."
The Gen-2 synth nodded in acknowledgement. "Please let the night crew know if you require anything else."
With that, the synth turned around and walked back to the laundry cart that was waiting in the hallway.
Nick shuddered at the uncanniness. Although he was still built like a Gen-2, he most certainly felt like he was far and beyond something different altogether. He once thought that he was just a Gen-2 with an overactive imagination, but now Nick was thankful that he had been gifted with the ability to have an independent thought.
When he heard the water shut off and the toilet flush, Nick stripped the bed sheet off the bed. He grinned when he saw the damp spot on the bed sheet; it was the only evidence that anything untoward happened, and it was a memory that he saved in his memory banks for a rainy day.
He put the sheets next to the door and made up the bed as Nora walked back out with a towel wrapped around her head. She wore a long white t-shirt that had the CIT logo printed across the chest, and the hem of the shirt barely touched her knees.
When Nora climbed onto the bed, Nick caught an eyeful of her now bare vulva.
"Y-you shaved?" He asked, his voice was more hoarse than he intended.
Nora smirked. The lust was rekindled in her eyes. "You gave me the best climax of my life and I didn't get to touch you. I don't think that's fair. Take off your pants and lay on your back."
Nick gasped at the change in her tone. Her voice was demanding still, but there was an undercurrent of dominance that he appreciated.
He complied without question and left his pants near the foot of the bed. He had a strong desire to move his hands in front of his bare pelvis, but Nora shook her head.
"Take off your shirt and hat but keep the tie on." She ordered.
Nick obeyed and sat on the side of the bed. Nora looked at him hungrily and gently pushed him back onto the mattress. He saw her pale leg swing over to straddle him and he sighed once Nora's sex kissed his.
"Doll..." He groaned. The smoothness of her on him felt exquisite.
Nora giggled and undid his tie and then tied it around his eyes like a blindfold.
"It's your turn now." She purred. "You better be ready Nick Valentine. I have a lot to apologize for."
Nick held Nora against his bare chest. The warmth of her back was pleasant and her skin felt like velvet against his thick synthetic plating. He listened to her steady breathing as she slept in his arms. From the looks of it, this was one of the first full night sleeps that Nora had gotten since arriving in the Institute. In her sleep, she looked peaceful but ragged.
He carefully brushed back a piece of stray hair that had fallen into her face and tucked the strand behind her ear. Since he last saw her in Sanctuary Hills, she had cut her uneven hair into one length and now all of her beautiful brown hair fell tousled around her cheeks and her chin. He liked the short-haired look on her; she looked like one of the vintage Pre-War movie stars, the kind of ones that Humphrey Bogart and Gene Kelly would play opposite of.
After their second bout of love-making, Nora curled into Nick's chest and told him everything without too much coaxing. He knew that bottling everything up would eventually cause something to explode, and Nora's had been bottling up a lot of frustration, fear, and anxiety.
He gleaned what he could from their infrequent messages and from her small, subtle hints, but that didn't stop him from worrying that Nora was trying to be responsible for too much, too fast.
She told him about Dr. Secord's constant antagonism, especially in matters synth-related, which delayed Nora from fulfilling her promise to Desdemona to start releasing synths on a regular schedule. She spoke about the impending Brotherhood threat and her fear that the wasteland could never accept the Institute due to their inflexible and naturally bigoted ways, but conversely, opening their doors to the outside world would make them a prime target for Raider and Gunner gangs looking for a lucrative score.
Nora talked about synth Shaun and Nate. Shaun's existence was news to Nick, but her discussion about Nate put the man's suffering into a more nuanced perspective.
"I was never the type of person my son wanted me to be." Nora lamented. "My personal romantic relationships were deemed unnatural so I was given a suitable replacement with Nate. I failed to raise my son, yet he gave me a second chance to try again. I feel like he wants me to be eternally grateful, but now I'm saddled with a job I never wanted, a husband who I can never love, and a son who I don't want to care for."
Lastly, Nora talked about Hancock. Nora hadn't cried when she talked about everything else on her mind, but when she broached the subject of Hancock's amnesia, small tears trickled down her face as she stared without really looking.
"I feel like what happened to him was my fault." Nora murmured.
"It's not, doll. Hancock's been involved in fights before. He knew the risks about leaving Goodneighbor for too long." Nick replied.
"That's not what I'm talking about." Nora said. "I'm talking about what Mama Murphy had said before she died."
Nora's heart thudded in her chest. Nick had seen Mama Murphy convulse, and he heard her claim that she was a Psyker, but Nora never got a chance to actually sit down and talk about what was really bothering her the most. This was one thing that had no easy answer; Hell, Nora didn't know if she even believed in prophecies.
"You're talking about the prophecy you heard." Nick said. It was a statement instead of a question. After all, he had heard the same prophecy too.
Nora's voice echoed Mama Murphy's ominous tone, "Of the three who love you, one will forget you, one will cease to exist, and one will perish with your name last on his lips."
"And you think that Hancock was the one who will forget you?" Nick stated.
Nora nodded. "He has. Before I came here, I snuck into Goodneighbor and saw him. Dr. Amari told me that he didn't remember who I was. She said that his short-term memory might not return. And - And -," Nora bit her shuddering lip and took a steadying breath, "- And I left him there hoping that the amnesia would keep him protected if something bad happened to the Institute or to me. After all, he can't be hurt if he doesn't remember me."
"Doll..." Nick began. Everything in his mind screamed at him to hide the truth from Nora, even if just for one night, but he knew he could never live with himself if he lied to Nora about Hancock.
Nora looked up at him questioningly. Her green eyes were red-rimmed and watery, she looked so pathetic that Nick pulled her closer into him and kissed her forehead.
"Hancock's been getting better." He said finally. "He seems to be remembering more than what Dr. Amari's been expecting."
"What d'you mean?"
"Well, I went to Goodneighbor on Christmas Day. Partly to check up on him, but also to tail a guy who was a suspect in a missing person's case." Nick thought back to that day and how Hancock revealed the truth with hushed skepticism. The ghoul didn't believe that Nora was actually real until Nick confirmed that she was a real person. "And he asked about you."
Nora pulled back in shock. "What! How is that possible? Dr. Amari seemed doubtful that he'd regain his short term memories."
"I don't think Dr. Amari knows this particular detail. He seemed reluctant to tell me the truth, but the way he explained it was that he would see you around Goodneighbor or he'd hear your voice, but he didn't remember who you were. He only remembers your name and that you must've been important to him at some point."
"So he doesn't know that you and I and him ... That we ... " Nora faltered.
"He didn't know until I told him." Nick replied.
"You told him about us?"
Nick nodded. He remembered the ghoul's perplexed but satisfied expression when Nick told him that Nora was his girlfriend, but he also remembered how that expression turned into a gobsmacked look of both disbelief and amazement when Nick mentioned his involvement in their relationship.
Nora kissed Nick. He could taste the salt from her tears, but her kiss was warm and pleasant nonetheless.
"You amaze me." Nora whispered, her breath tickled Nick's chin.
"Thanks doll. But may I ask why?"
Nora looked at him. Her gratitude and pride was evident. "You could've told Hancock that I didn't exist, or that I was just a drug hallucination, or any other plausible story that underwrote the relationship that we had...but you didn't. You told him the truth."
"I'm a man of the law. I usually try to be truthful." Nick pointed out.
"Even if that meant you had to share me?" Nora asked.
"You cut me to the quick here, doll. I did come up with that idea. I'd rather share you than have none of you. Besides, Hancock can make up for my ... deficiencies."
Nora punched his bare arm. "Nick Valentine. You are not deficient in any way. I would've hoped my apology would've made you see that."
He knew that she was right. The feeling of Nora's bare sex rubbing against him was just as gratifying as it was when they first tried it, but Nick felt there was something sorely missing.
"Doll, I'm not trying to wallow in self-pity here, but try and see it from my perspective. I have the memories of a red blooded American man who most certainly wasn't a eunuch. Call it memory, drive, or just plain instinct, but I don't feel complete without...it."
Nora considered what he said. Although she couldn't relate on quite the same level, she knew how much of an insecurity this was for him. Then an idea struck.
"Dr. Binet might be able to fix that." Nora said aloud.
"What?" Nick asked flatly.
Nora shrugged, "I've arranged for you to talk with him tomorrow. I assumed you'd have a lot of questions that you'd like to get answered. You could always broach the subject with him. Of all of the Institute's scientists, he's the most knowledgeable about synth physiology. I mean, all Gen-3s are anatomically correct, so it couldn't hurt to ask."
Nick wrinkled his nose in distaste at the idea. Granted, the man was a doctor, but he didn't exactly want to start off his line of tough questioning with "Can you give me a penis?"
"I'll think about it." He replied and kissed Nora lightly on the lips. "Now get some sleep."
Nora rolled over so her back was against his chest. She held onto both of his hands as they encircled her like a protective cage. She was asleep within minutes while Nick brooded about what Nora had said.
He did have a lot of questions for the good doctor, but he also thought back to his and Sturges's conversation back in Sanctuary Hills. Although the conversation about how to feel sexual pleasure was awkward for both men, the conversation was life changing. After Nora had made him climax that night, he felt so much more ... human. If the Institute had given him the capacity to feel sexual pleasure, then why did they feel the need to withhold the primary tool used to capitalize on that pleasure?
Either the people in the Institute had made a grave error in Nick's programming, or they were unbelievably cruel.
He just didn't know which of those options was worse.