Chapter Eight

Falling

Of all the people who had to walk in and find her on the floor, it just had to be Rhys. The Knight hesitated in the doorway, his usual frown deepening into a scowl. "Knight Hart, you're a mess and a disgrace." As he spoke, he strode towards her, leaving the door open behind him. "You're so high on the med-X, you can't even tell how weak your body is!" He grabbed her roughly under the arms, but she couldn't feel the iron grip as he hauled her off the floor and began to drag her unceremoniously back to the bed.

"It's just my leg!" Nora protested, "besides, I'm sick of this room and I'm sick of the bed-"

"Well I'm sick of listening to whining rookies!" Rhys snapped, practically throwing her on the bed. "Now Haylen's going to have to make sure you didn't do any more damage to yourself!"

Nora rolled her eyes, huffing as Rhys stalked out of the room. I'd have thought leaving the Cambridge Compound would have done him some good. He'd left the door open and she pulled herself up to the head of the bed, trying to peer out of the doorway, desperate for a glimpse of something that wasn't a discoloured wall. It had been two days since Rhys and Haylen's arrival and under the Scribe's care, she was feeling much better.

Though, admittedly, that could also be because of the med-X.

She could hear a heavy tread ascending the stairs and silently cursed Rhys as Paladin Danse stepped over the threshold, his frown blowing Rhys' scowls out of the water. He closed the door behind him and marched towards her. "Rhys tells me you were collapsed on the floor."

"He's blowing it out of proportion. I got up and I stumbled, that's all!"

"Did you hit anything?"

"No Sir!" Nora shook her head, though in truth, she couldn't really be sure. She wouldn't have felt it if she had. Danse's eyes narrowed slightly and as she watched, he reached out one gloved hand to her face. "…What is it?" She felt his fingers brush her fringe aside and saw his lips thin.

"That is it. No more med-X. You've cut your head and you can't even tell!"

Curious, Nora began to raise her fingers to feel for it, but Danse caught her hand and set it back down on the covers. "You'll likely make it worse." He growled, striding over to where the packs were sat on the floor, removing his gloves as he went and dropping them on the armchair. She watched as he opened Haylen's pack, withdrawing an antiseptic wipe before stalking back towards her.

"Isn't that a waste?" She asked as he seated himself on the bed beside her, carefully sweeping her fringe out of the way.

"Negative. It's serving its purpose, and I shudder to think of the filth coating this floor. The last thing I need is to have to worry about you getting even worse. I would tell you to start reciting the litany of steel to distract yourself, but I somehow doubt you'll feel the sting."

Nora sat patiently as he wiped away at the cut, studying his face intently. This was the first time they had been alone together since the argument, and secretly she was glad of the minor head wound. It had certainly gone a ways to shattering the glacial wall that had been between them, though maybe the euphoria of the med-X also helped on her side.

"So… I've been meaning to apologise to you, Paladin." Nora began, turning her head towards him, earning a slightly annoyed tsk in response. Danse lowered the wipe and Nora raised her eyebrows in surprise when she caught sight of it. That's more blood than I expected…

"Hold still." He frowned, tilting her chin up slightly with his fingers. She found herself now looking directly at his face as he returned his attention to her forehead. He was much closer than she had realized. She couldn't feel the stinging of the cut, or any of the aches that plagued her when the med-X wore off, but she could feel her heart beating faster. She wondered if her face was turning red. "You can still talk, you know." He prompted, his dark eyes momentarily flicking to her own.

"Of course!"

God since when did my voice sound so shrill?!

She sighed, licking her lips before continuing. "I've had a lot of time to sit and reflect on the mission so far, and I realize that I've not been very fair to you." She frowned slightly, glancing past him. It was harder to focus on her words when she was looking at him.

"I won't apologize for leaving the vertibird to help the settlers, because doing any less… I couldn't, wouldn't do any less. But it wasn't fair of me to ask you to bring the Squire here and then expect you stick around waiting for me to recover."

Danse finally lowered the wipe from her head, but he didn't move, waiting for her to finish. She could feel the intensity of his gaze and found her eyes returning to his. She licked her lips again, trying to order her thoughts.

"Ever since we met back at Cambridge, you've done nothing but try to help and advise me. I've really come to respect you as a superior, and I treasure you as a friend, though I know the past week it probably doesn't seem like it…" She sighed, rubbing the back of her neck.

"I want to see this mission through, Danse. I want to show the Squire as much of the Commonwealth as I can, before he's sent back to the Citadel… because there's no chance he's going to be allowed to stay, is there?"

"It would be… unlikely." Danse agreed, running a hand through his hair.

Nora sighed.

"I thought as much… I don't want to give up on him, Danse, but so far my decisions seem to have only endangered him…" Her words trailed off and she lowered her gaze to the bed sheets, momentarily clenching her jaw and balling her hands into fists. "Which is why I think you should be the one to hold onto the vertibird grenade. If you should feel at any point that the mission is too dangerous, or should Burke step too far out of line, I will defer to your judgement and we'll return to the Prydwen."

For a few moments, her words hung in the air between them. "Knight… Nora."

She turned to face him. He had lowered his gaze to his large calloused hands which lay in his lap, the bloody wipe in one of his palms. "I appreciate your faith in me and that you've taken the time to say that."

"You're the one who took the time to help clean up my head," Nora shrugged, smiling slightly, trying to ease the strange, heavy air between them. Danse sighed and turned to look at her, his dark eyes smouldering. She felt her breath catch and swallowed.

"You're the one who charged into a feral horde to try and save complete strangers, with nothing but a dog and a gun you didn't know how to fire… I don't know why I thought I could make you act any different when those settlers were in danger." His voice was low and hoarse. "I have always believed it of great importance for a soldier to be principled, brave and just. Yet I would have left them to fend for themselves."

Nora sat up straighter, placing her hand on his arm. "You were focused on protecting the Squire," she said gently, "strategically you were doing the right thing."

Danse's jaw squared slightly and he snorted. "Exactly. Strategically I would have left those men and women to be slaughtered by mutants."

"You were also fulfilling your obligations to the Brotherhood and the Squire." Nora said firmly, gently squeezing his arm, running her thumb along the fabric of his uniform. "You fought with me to defend those settlers, Danse. You only fell back to protect the Squire and ensure his safety, as the Brotherhood demands… I just decided to adhere to my duty to the Minutemen, but I was only able to do that because I knew you were with the Squire, that I could trust you to protect him."

"…I was scared that you wouldn't walk back through that gate." Danse said quietly. "I was scared that I'd failed you."

Nora smiled softly. "You've only ever given your all, Danse. You couldn't fail me if you tried…" She trailed off, her gaze fixing on where her hand rested on his arm. "But as a friend, I want you to promise me something." She took a deep breath, raising her eyes back to his. "I honestly thought I was going to die out there. The mutants were relentless and as the biggest target, I drew most of their fire."

Her voice trembled slightly at the memory, but she forced herself to continue. "The whole time, all I could think about was how many people I would fail if I fell, how all I had done would be for nothing… That Shaun would remain trapped with those Institute bastards." She paused for a moment, her eyes growing wet with tears.

"Danse. If I die, if something should happen, promise me that you'll find him and keep him safe."

"It won't come to that, Soldier." Danse's voice was low and fierce, his eyes blazing.

"But do you promise?" Nora demanded, her voice raw as she leaned closer, her eyes pleading.

Danse swallowed, parting his lips slightly as he leaned closer. "I promise." He breathed, his lips mere centimetres from hers. Nora leaned forwards, closing the distance between them and gently pressing her lips to his.

She felt him tense and pulled away slightly, peering into his eyes. "Danse… I-"

Her words were silenced as his lips pressed to hers, leaning into her, his hand reaching up to gently cup her cheek.

Burke sipped his Nuka-cola, watching as Knight Rhys and Scribe Haylen worked on Nora's power armour. He had reached the conclusion that they were okay adults. Less bossy than the Paladin, not quite so nice as Nora. Haylen was bubbly, while Rhys was dour, though he had been the one who had bought him the Nuka-cola, so Burke supposed that made him better than a lot of the other Brotherhood adults.

He rose from his seat on an empty crate and stretched, wincing slightly as he moved his shoulders. They still hurt, but he didn't want to cry about it in case the Paladin decided to take him back to the Prydwen. It was bad enough that he was waking up in his own piss every night. So far, Danse had been pretty good about it, taking him down to the water pump to wash his bed roll before the others rose.

He only prayed the nightmares stopped when he returned to the Prydwen. He didn't think the other squires or captains would be so good about it.

"I wonder where Danse has gotten to," Haylen frowned, standing upright and putting her hands on her hips. "He's the power armour Paladin. He should have some idea what to do about this leg…"

"Maybe he's giving Hart a lecture." Rhys grunted, standing back and folding his arms. "I can't believe an idiot like her gets a whole suit of T-60 Brotherhood armour. They haven't even bothered sending me a replacement." As he spoke, he raised one foot and launched a kick at the damaged leg.

"Easy now, we're supposed to be repairing it, not beating on it." Haylen sighed, raising an eyebrow.

"It's already shot to shit, and we don't have anything here to fix it with." Rhys scowled.

"Language Rhys!" Haylen gasped, lightly slapping his arm. "The Squire's present!"

"He's in Bunker Hill. I think he's going to hear plenty of curses." Rhys muttered.

As Haylen began to attempt to lecture the grumpy Knight on setting a good example, Burke rolled his eyes and attempted to zone out, listening for anything remotely more interesting. They were at the back of the Savoldi's bar, working out of sight of unscrupulous traders, mercs and raiders. He had been warned several times by several different people that raiders would sometimes visit Bunker Hill to purchase supplies or to drink.

He frowned, cocking his head slightly as he heard a distant clamour, which seemed to be drawing closer. He glanced to where Rhys and Haylen were still bickering, apparently oblivious to the noise. I'll just take a quick look. He told himself, slowly turning his back to the pair and walking towards the corner.

The closer he got, the louder the noise became, though when he rounded the corner, the cause was not immediately apparent. He paused for a moment, waiting to see if his absence had been noted, but when neither the Scribe nor the Knight appeared, he shrugged his shoulders and decided to go as far as the stairs leading up to their room.

A large caravan had arrived. He could see caravan workers and merchants unloading pack brahmin across the compound. His curiosity piqued, Burke glanced over his shoulder towards the back of the building, then again up the stairs to the closed door. "I'll be fast," he mumbled aloud, twirling Tara's bracelet on his wrist as he set off towards the commotion.

As he drew closer, he began to see the wounds. Many of the brahmin were staggering on their hooves, Kay working with some men to move the animals into the corrals. Some had suffered laser burns, others were riddled with bullet wounds. The merchants who had come with them had fared little better, bloodied and burned, some of them requiring the support of the mercenaries accompanying them.

He watched as two of the mercenaries carried a woman between them, following one of Doc Weathers' assistants. They were dressed in green fatigues and combat armour, a white skull leering from their chest plates with an X across the forehead. Gunners. He recognised their crest from lessons aboard the Prydwen. The most brutal and highly paid mercenaries in the Commonwealth, they had clashed with the Brotherhood several times.

"Hey, kid." He jumped as a meaty hand grasped his shoulder, causing him to hiss in pain. Joe Savoldi frowned down at him. "You'd better head back to your guardians, these guys ain't good company. C'mon, I'm walking you back."

They had only just arrived in sight of the bar area when the Paladin came striding down the stairs, his eyes turned towards the Gunners at their back, though at Joe's whistle, he soon glanced down to where the proprietor was ushering the Squire towards him. His eyes narrowed.

"I found your boy over near the Gunners," Joe announced, frowning and folding his chunky arms across his chest. "They're a bad lot to get involved with, not as polite or quiet as you Brotherhood types, and not above kidnapping if the rumours are true."

As Joe spoke, Burke glanced towards the alleyway where Rhys was stood, hand dragging down his face. Evidently, he'd been hoping he'd find Burke before Danse did.

"I appreciate it," Danse sighed, gesturing for Burke to stand beside him. Burke glanced sheepishly at the Paladin as he moved into place. All the other times he had been caught red handed, the Paladin had worn an expression that would have made a deathclaw cry, but now he simply frowned to where the Gunners were milling around, looking thoughtful.

"Squire, I want you to return to the room and wait there." As Burke set off up the steps, he wondered at the lack of anger in the Paladin's voice.

"How many Gunners?" Nora frowned, her eyes widening in concern.

"A lot. It was a pretty big caravan, too." Burke added from where he was sitting on his chair. "They looked pretty bad, the brahmin were wounded and everything!"

"Gunners don't work for free, and they never work for cheap. Why would someone be willing to pay a fortune for such a big escort?"

"Do you think they'll cause any trouble?" Burke asked anxiously, peering at her face. A small dressing had been applied to her forehead since he had last seen her, and she was dressed once more in her uniform, which he and the Paladin had washed days ago alongside his bedroll. Her face was a little flushed, but she was the brightest he had seen her since her arrival.

"Not in Kessler's town," Nora said with a reassuring smile. "Especially not while Stockton's here. He's got some friends in shadowy places."

Burke frowned, opening his mouth to speak when the door opened and Haylen slipped inside, followed by Rhys in Nora's power armour and Danse bringing up the rear. Rhys looked pissed, his face dark as clouds in a radiation storm.

"So, what's this news about Gunners?" Nora asked, glancing from one to the other.

"It would appear there's been a surge in super mutant activity across the region." Danse frowned, locking the door as Rhys stepped out of the power armour. "The caravans were forced to band together and cough up enough caps to hire the extra protection."

Burke's face grew pale at the mention of mutants, and he fixed his gaze on his boots.

"Joe doesn't think many of them will stick around after this, they've already drained the caravans of most their caps and there isn't enough room for all of them to stay here. But until the majority of them are gone, I want the power armour kept in this room, and Burke, under no circumstances are you to go anywhere unaccompanied. This time, I mean it." The Paladin's tone hardened, and his glare was piercing.

"I'm not afraid of Gunners, Sir." Rhys grunted, folding his arms and leaning back against the wall. "I say we continue repairs to the power armour. Chase the scavvers off if they so much as look our way."

"These scavvers apparently fought off a behemoth, Rhys, and we're not here to cause trouble. I won't risk unnecessary confrontation." Danse said curtly. "Either way, they won't be staying long."

Nora felt some relief as the door closed behind Rhys, and her four companions left her alone. The bar area had quietened down considerably as the day wore on, most of the Gunner company leaving after a few hours, only a few lingering to waste their caps and catch up on sleep.

She drew in a deep breath as she rolled over to face the wall, her entire body aching. Red hot pain lanced up from her bad leg, her arms were sore and now she had a bad head to contend with. Her mind turned towards the conversation and kisses she had shared with the Paladin, and she sighed, closing her eyes and raising her fingers to her lips.

What was I thinking…

She could feel the chill of Nate's ring against her chest, and felt a twinge of guilt. And yet…

It had felt good. For a few blissful moments, she had been able to forget the world and enjoyed the simple pleasure of his gentle kisses and the warmth of him beside her. She wondered if protocol allowed such fraternisation, considering his rank and position within the Brotherhood.

In the quiet time that had followed, they had discussed their plans on how to proceed. Danse had agreed to give her another two days to get back on her feet, using only stimpaks to relieve the pain. If she was capable of marching in her power armour, they would continue on to Diamond City where they would rest up, restock their supplies and prepare to embark on the final leg of their journey. However, if at any point the Paladin decided it was too dangerous to continue, he would call the vertibird and they would return to the Prydwen.

I wonder what will happen when we return. She wondered, allowing her eyelids to drift shut. Will they really send Burke away? Or will I see him grow into a soldier aboard the Prydwen? She felt too tired and sore to wonder which idea she hated more.

"Are you sure this is a good idea?" Burke asked doubtfully, watching as Knight Hart finished pulling on her boots. She still looked unwell. The dressing on her head peeked out from beneath her fringe and her smile was taut.

"It's a better idea than lying there hoping to feel better!" She supplied, warily flexing her feet. "If I can't walk by the end of tomorrow, the mission's off and we all go back to the Prydwen, so…"

In a flash, Burke was out of the armchair and proffering his hand. "Ad Victoriam, Ma'am!"

"That's the spirit!" Nora smirked, grasping his arm as she rose stiffly. Her bad leg was shaking already and she feared it might buckle. But she forced herself to take a few experimental steps towards the door. "Nothing to it!" She lied, desperate to convince herself as well as the Squire.

Burke raised an eyebrow at her. "You're not really thinking of going down the stairs, are you?"

"Maybe. I really want to get out of this room for a bit, the walls are closing in and I'm going to lose my mind!"

"But what happens if you fall, Ma'am?" Burke folded his arms, looking very unimpressed. "The Paladin's just waiting for an excuse to report back to the Prydwen. And no one else is here to catch you if you fall!"

"I have every confidence you'll catch me, Squire! Your freedom depends on it!" She smiled, ruffling his hair. It was already starting to grow out in coppery tufts.

Burke rolled his eyes. "Fine, but I'm not dragging you back up the stairs." He marched over to the door, smoothing his hair back down. He waited patiently for her on the landing outside.

As Nora finally approached the top step, she began to realize how daunting a challenge she had set for herself, knowing instinctively that Danse and Haylen would protest the attempt. Rhys might bet some caps on how many steps she took before she fell.

Burke moved to her left hand side, observing her cautiously. "You really sure you want to try?"

Nora stubbornly raised her right hand to grasp the wooden bannister. "100%."

She took one step at a time, Burke following beside her, watching carefully, his hands hovering and ready to grab her arm. When she had made it halfway down without any incident other than splinters biting into her palm, she grew more confident, speeding her step and loosening the death grip she had on the bannister. Which was why she fell with six steps between her and the ground.

Her leg buckled from beneath her and she gasped as she pitched forwards. She felt Burke's hand desperately claw at her arm, but then she was out of his reach, falling head first towards the hard ground below. She squeezed her eyes shut and raised her arms in preparation for the impact, when she landed against something solid which caught her before she hit the ground. She heard a grunt and opened her eyes, to find herself staring at a green material.

"You okay?" At the gruff voice, she glanced up and found herself staring into a pair of glacial blue eyes that peered at her from beneath a fringe the colour of rust.

"…Hi?" She managed dazedly, making to step back only for her leg to betray her again.

"Easy there," the man frowned, catching her under the shoulders and helping to lower her to the steps. "You'll do yourself an injury if you're not careful… Looks like you already have plenty," he added, his eyes flicking beneath the brim of his hat to where the dressing on her forehead poked from beneath her fringe. As he stepped back, Nora found her suspicions confirmed. The man who had caught her was undoubtedly a Gunner, the marked skull leering from the sleeves and breast of his green jacket.

"Are you alright, Ma'am?" Burke asked anxiously, rushing down the last few steps to stand at her side, his green eyes wide and anxious.

"I'm fine, provided my rescuer isn't charging for the rescue?" She glanced pointedly at the Gunner crest on his chest. The man followed her gaze and snorted, his lips pulling into a crooked smile.

"Consider that one on the house, though if you'd fallen in your power armour, I would have charged for the medical costs." He folded his arms, studying the Brotherhood insignia on her uniform. "Have to say, this is the first time I've ever met a Brotherhood soldier that I didn't have to shoot at." His eyes flickered towards the Squire. "Is the kid Brotherhood, too?"

"He's with me, yes." Nora frowned, noting the way Burke was bristling at the man.

"Huh. Interesting. I'd heard rumours that the Brotherhood had child soldiers, wasn't sure I believed it though." The man began to pat down his pockets, finally retrieving a preserved carton of cigarettes and a gold plated lighter. He lit it and inhaled deeply, expelling a cloud of smoke from his lips. "I suppose you guys are more like us than you let on."

Nora felt her face redden, one hand reaching up to grab the splintery bannister, hauling herself back to her feet. "Thanks for the help." She said frostily, making to walk past him. Only for her leg to buckle a third time. This time, she was able to retain a degree of dignity by clinging to the bannister. The Gunner laughed.

"Tough sons of bitches, you Brotherhood types. I'd love to see your training."

"You can lean on me, Ma'am." Burke offered, shooting the Gunner a glare that would have made Rhys proud.

"Don't be ridiculous, kid. She'd break you." The man smirked. "Tell you what, why don't I help you over to the bar and get you a seat? Gotta be better than falling in the dirt."

Nora opened her mouth to speak, when Burke suddenly piped up. "The Paladin's coming, so we don't need your help." Nora raised her eyebrows slightly at the Squire's tone, before following his gaze. Danse was advancing quickly from the plaza, frowning at the Gunner.

"Is there a problem here?" He demanded, stepping in front of the Knight and Squire, directing the question at the Gunner. Danse easily dwarfed the man, as he tended to dwarf most people.

The Gunner smiled crookedly around his cigarette, lazily tapping the brim of his hat in greeting, his cold gaze measuring the Paladin up. "Not at all, just offering some assistance to the lady." He glanced back towards Nora, gazing at her piercingly. "But I see now my help's no longer required, so I'll move on."

"That would be wise." Danse grunted, watching as the Gunner turned, walking towards the bar with a ribbon of smoke trailing in his wake. "Are you both alright?" He asked, turning to face the Knight and Squire. "What was that about?"

"It's nothing. I just stumbled on the stairs and he caught me before I hit the bottom. That's all."

"Your leg's still troubling you?"

"I'll get over it." Nora said with a taut smile. "Where are Rhys and Haylen?"

"Currently refilling your pack with supplies." Danse frowned, folding his arms. "When were you going to mention how much you'd lightened your pack, Soldier?"

Nora cringed. "What's the bill going to look like?"

"We'll discuss that later. For now, we'd better get you back upstairs and apply a stimpak to that leg." This time, he didn't even ask her permission before sweeping her off her feet and setting off up the stairs, and the Knight didn't complain. Burke followed them, relieved to be putting walls between them and the Gunner. There had been something about the man that made his blood run cold in his veins.

When he reached the door, he paused, the hairs rising on the back of his neck. He glanced down the stairs, but all he saw was a caravan guard walking past, on his way towards the bar. Still, the Squire couldn't shake off the feeling that they were being watched. He gave an involuntary shudder as he closed the door.

A/N:
Sorry this chapter is up a little late- it took several rewrites, but I hope you enjoyed it!

So just a couple of things; thanks as always for the favourites and follows, I really appreciate it & a big thank you to everyone who has taken the time to post a review! :D

First of all, I've finally settled on Nora's last name as being Hart, hence you will notice she is now known as 'Knight Hart' when they refer to her by title. It fits in with the other Brotherhood characters and structure that way, the only reason I hadn't done it before was simply that I hadn't noticed, but I've rectified that and edited the previous chapters already to include it! (Cheers ReachandFlexibility! ^^b)

Guest: EDIT: Burke would likely be between 11 and 12 I think now, having considered his behaviour & maturity in more depth!

Thanks again for taking the time to read & I hope you've enjoyed it!