A/N: apologies for the late update. I`ve been out sick the last few days while the weather plays hell with my sinuses. Regular updates will resume now. This chapter was a welcome challenge to write, and I hope it turned out well. Let me know what you think by leaving me a review please.

Chapter Five: Location of the Heart

As far as MacCready was concerned, there weren't enough caps in the Commonwealth to persuade him to join the raiders. His ex partner seemed to be getting along with them rather well however. He wasn't certain why Frost had chosen to join them, or how she had managed to earn their respect and loyalty. The one thing MacCready was sure of was that had their leader been anyone else, he would already be dead. None of the faces here were friendly, particularly the one belonging to the man standing near the Overboss`s right. His light brown hair was styled in to a mohawk, and the one hazel green eye that wasn't covered by a metal eyepatch glared at the mercenary suspiciously. The raider lowered his rifle when Frost motioned for him to, but he did so in a manner that was deliberately slow to demonstrate his distrust of the new arrival. Robert took an instant dislike to him; he could tell already they weren't going to get along. His hope that they wouldn't have to deal with each other much were dashed when the woman whose aid he came to enlist interrupted his and Gage`s staring contest.

"If you were expecting me to drop everything to help you parley with Barnes and Winlock, you`re going to be disappointed. I'm not inclined to waste my time negotiating with those idiots."

"I`m not planning a negotiation. I just want your help getting them off my back. Killing them would work just fine too."

"What`s in it for me?" She asked coolly as she crossed her arms.

"Other than eliminating a threat to your own life, and my thanks?"

"If you hadn't noticed pretty much everything in the Commonwealth is a threat to my life, MacCready. There isn`t a living creature around that doesn`t want to kill you. Humans are the most resourceful, but they aren't unique in their murderous urges."

"I can offer you caps."

"Not enough."

"Boss, why are we wasting time on this guy? After clearing out that park this morning we should be regrouping and discussing how best to tackle the next one, don`t you think?" Gage interrupted with his opinion.

"My thoughts exactly."

"Oh, come on! Who is this scumbag, and why does he even get a say?" If MacCready sounded exasperated it was because he was both desperate and annoyed. Porter stepped forward aggressively, ready to run MacCready out of Nuka World or gun him down. Frost stopped him with a hand on his arm and an intense stare.

"Don`t. I`ve seen that mercenary shoot a ghoul between the eyes from a hundred yards away. He has more long range kills under his belt than most Brotherhood of Steel members I`ve met, and if you attack him he`ll add you to that count without a second thought, Gage."

"You think he`ll live long after, with all the raiders here?" Porter asked acidly. What he thought was; you would just let him? The Overboss hadn't moved her hand yet; she knew the situation was a hair's breadth away from spiraling out of control. Her tone remained hard but her face softened around the eyes just the tiniest bit as she replied;

"Not a chance in hell. I'd kill him myself as soon as he made a move, but that wouldn't make you any less dead. Then I would have the corpses of two allies to clean up. I need you alive."

"What about him?" Gage jerked his chin at MacCready, but his disdainful tone was met only by the Gunner`s smirk.

"He`s a pain in the damn ass but he might prove useful."

"Aw, don`t make me blush." Robert adjusted his hat. The signature .308 rounds tucked in to a band around it gleamed dully in the sunlight. Some might have even thought he looked charming. Frost was not one of them.

"Let me make this perfectly clear. You are on raider turf now. Out in the Commonwealth, Barnes and Winlock may try to kill you. But here in Nuka World my new friends and I will end you if you don't show some respect. Gage is my second in command. So don't go pushing his buttons." She wasn't asking, but demanding.

"Okay, I get it. Understood. I don't have anything else to offer, so I guess I'll have to take my chances on my own."

"That isn't what I said. As it happens, I'm feeling generous today." Seeing the scowl Gage was giving her and the dubious expressions some of the raiders wore she explained. "I can make arrangements to get Barnes and Winlock off your back, but you`ll need to do something for us first."

"What do you have in mind?" MacCready didn't like where this was going, but he also didn't have any other options. He had contacts in the caravans that could get him out of the Commonwealth if he needed, although that wasn't what he wanted. He was convinced the cure for his son Duncan`s illness was hidden somewhere in the Commonwealth. There was no way he would leave until he had it. His son's life was more important to him than his own.

"Nuka World has five theme parks in addition to Nuka Town, all of which were overrun with hostile creatures. Gage and I cleared out one this morning before you showed up, emptying out the rest is still my top priority. You want a favor? Do me one first by putting your sniping skills to work."

"Take out some of the local trash, huh? Since you`re not giving me much of a choice, I`m in." MacCready agreed with a nod of his head. He didn`t like being manipulated, but killing stuff sounded like an appealing way to vent some of his pent up frustration, and a fair enough trade.

"Are you sure this asshole won`t just get in the way, Boss?" Gage had simmered down a bit, but still didn`t appear wholly pleased.

"He`ll do what I tell him to while he`s here." She raised an eyebrow as if daring the merc to argue. She knew she`d already won.

"You won`t have any arguments from me as long as you hold up your end. Can`t promise I`ll be friendly with your...companions, but I won`t cause trouble if they don`t." He narrowed his eyes pointedly at Gage. The other man bit out a response.

"Suits me fine. He puts a toe out of line though..."

"And I`ll deal with it, Gage. I`m counting on you to watch my back, not MacCready`s toes." She smirked just a little. Porter caught it and blew his breath out in a huff to avoid looking too amused at her pun.

"Aww c`mon I have some sexy toes." MacCready couldn`t resist commenting.

"Shut up and wait by the door over there while I find something to eat." Frost told her former partner. She wanted to sound mean but may not have quite pulled it off because she was trying not to chuckle. MacCready could really get on her nerves like no one else, but his humorous antics had never ceased to entertain.

Gage obviously did not share his boss`s opinion. He walked next to and behind her slightly, a surly expression on his face. The pair of them made their way over to one of the vendor`s stall where various food were displayed. The smell of roasting meat permeated the area around the stand as one of the two merchants tending it turned a skewer of mutt chops over an open flame. The other trader greeted her customers and asked what they wanted to eat. Looking over the options available Gage`s mouth began to water. He definitely appreciated food, and enjoyed the experience of eating a good meal, but lately he had been too busy to eat properly. All of the arrangements required to keep things rolling in Nuka World took up a great deal of his time.

Thankfully the Boss had taken some of the strain off of him by talking with Mason, Mags, and Nisha. She knew little about the mechanical workings of the park yet though, and hadn`t had much opportunity to involve herself with the trade caravans yet. Without their uninvited guest now would have been a good chance for her to begin acquainting herself with how things ran around the marketplace. Instead, Gage anticipated a lot of babysitting in the near future.

What had possessed her to allow the Gunner to stay was unknown to him. Porter thought the two of them had done well on their own clearing out Dry Rock Gulch; they didn`t need anyone else getting in the way. While he browsed the various food selections he paid attention to his companion. She didn`t seem uneasy or particularly ruffled. He was surprised at this, and couldn`t help but wonder if her calm was a facade. Either she really trusted this MacCready guy, or she was damn good at bluffing. He just couldn`t figure her out. Not an hour ago the two of them had been getting along like guns and bullets. The next thing Gage knew some stranger shows up and it feels like she`d trying to sideline him.

If she was so happy with his efforts, why did she invite that scrawny mercenary along on their next expedition? Did I do something to make her distrust me? Porter thought back to when his gun had clicked empty and she`d stepped in and dropped the bloodworm that had been about to turn him in to it`s meal. He dismissed the idea mostly, on the grounds that she was the one who`d lost her breakfast over the first exploding rotted corpse they`d seen. Gage doubted that Frost had a problem with his combat capabilities. So what was it then, did she not trust him? Does she think I`m going to kill her when we finish clearing the parks? Maybe we didn`t settle that topic as well as I thought during our talks the other night. Is she keeping that weak chinned Gunner around as insurance? She told me she would kill him if he tried to shoot me. It didn`t seem like she was lying. How well do I really know her though? She`s told me a lot of things, like the story about being a Vault Dweller, and admitting she was with the Gunners at some point. It looks like the last one is true, since this guy showed up and they obviously have dealt with each other before. How much is safe to believe though? What do I really know about her? His train of thought was interrupted as their food finished being prepared. He`d gotten a few of the mutt skewers and a Nuka Cola, she`d ordered part of a radstag haunch and a roasted ear of corn.

"Sure you don`t want something to wash that down with, Overboss?" The trader who`d made their food asked cheerfully.

"Nope, I`ll stick to this." She held up a canteen Gage had`t noticed tucked away in to one of the pouches attached to her belt.

"Bit early to be drinking, innit?" Gage asked disapprovingly.

"It`s just water. I rarely drink alcohol since I prefer to keep my head clear." Frost explained while they slowly began to walk back towards the marketplace`s exit.

"Huh. Come to think of it, I haven`t seen you drink anything but water since you got here." He observed with a frown. He recalled seeing her imbibe bottled water both this morning and while they were in the Minecart ride.

"It`s harder to mask the taste of poison if the drink has no flavor or color."

"That`s why you didn`t buy a drink from that merchant? You`re worried about being poisoned?"

"I`m not worried, just careful. I know you wanted Colter dead, but that doesn`t mean everyone did. You and MacCready are the only people I trust here. The odds of Nisha, Mags, or Mason trying to kill me are fairly low, at least until I finish clearing out the parks. But there are others. The traders especially. I`m sure you can imagine what kind of chaos it would cause should I suddenly die. You could take my place, but you`ve already told me you aren`t willing to..."

"True, and the gang leaders would all try, but they would probably kill each other in the process." Gage thought out loud, and saw where she was going with this. It all made sense. Frost was much, much smarter than Colter. More than Gage had given her credit for. It made him uneasy, and he was glad that at least for now she seemed to be on his side. He still couldn`t kick the feeling that she didn`t trust him, in spite of her words to the contrary.

Harvester had been the same way; he`d told Porter countless times how much he valued his ideas, and how much he trusted him. Younger Porter`s old boss hadn`t been as intelligent or resourceful by half though; Gage had simply been too inexperienced to see that at the time. She could say it a hundred times, but he refused to make the same mistake again. He glanced over at her out of the corner of his unpatched eye as he ate, questioning her intentions even further. Being more observant than the people around him was part of what had kept Gage alive so long. He thought; what do I know about her? What are the facts so far? I have never seen her use alcohol or chems. She paranoid and she`s careful. Earlier she covered my back, but she didn`t risk her own safety to do it since everything around her was already dead. She also didn`t hesitate to draw her weapon on someone she claims is an ally, but appears to want to avoid conflict with that person if possible. While Gage was mentally ticking through his list of hard truths about the new Overboss he noticed something else.

MacCready was watching them approach from where he leaned casually against the wall by the door. Frost had called him by his surname in spite of the two of them appearing to have some previous relationship. That made Gage think that they were just close enough to have had a working professional association. However, out of all the people in the Commonwealth the man had come to her when running from a group as dangerous and well-armed as the Gunners. Porter was wondering why MacCready hadn`t just left the Commonwealth altogether until it hit him that something was tying him to this area. When he thought back on how the mercenary and the Overboss had spoken with each other, combined with the intensity of the stare he was currently giving Frost, the raider began to entertain the idea that she was the reason MacCready had stayed. Maybe their relationship was more than Gage had originally perceived. Great, just what we need. I finally get someone in here with backbone enough to kill Colter, and now this. What other loyalties does she have?

They walked right past MacCready, without Frost saying a word since she was occupied eating. He followed them out on to the main thoroughfare and fell in to step on the Boss`s left side. Gage was on her right, since he wanted her on the side he did not wear his eye patch on, and because it somehow seemed appropriate that he was literally her right hand man. The trio were approaching the Nuka-Cade when it happened. Frost had just finished her food and tossed the bones and cob in a waste can when an explosion went off in the building next to them.

It blew out the two remaining windows on the ground floor and sent bits of glass, wood, and scrap metal flying at them. The blast was close enough that it knocked MacCready down. Gage was utterly disoriented as he suddenly found himself sprawled on the ground. Something hot and wet was running down his face. When he opened his eye he realized it was blood; not his own. To one side of his head was the Overboss`s left hand. Her other was placed on the left side of his rib cage, and her legs were tangled with his. The blood on his face belonged to her; it also stained most of her right arm and the same side of her chest. Incredulous, he stared up at her from where she had essentially tackled him to the ground. Protruding from the space just under her right collarbone was a gory, jagged piece of wood. He saw that it had speared through her and was sticking out of her back when she crawled off him to one side. If she hadn`t been in the way, he realized, he would have likely been impaled through or very close to his heart. Something stirred behind her; it was the ex Gunner. MacCready emerged from under a pile of loose wood and shingles, his coat singed and spattered with red. He blinked through a bloody mask on one side of his face where his forehead had been cut and saw them. His eyes locked with Gage`s and he was on his feet stumbling towards them a second later.

"What the fuck was that?!" MacCready asked hoarsely, coughing from the dust and smoke that filled the air.

"Smells like...chem lab..." Frost growled, then winced in pain as she tried to rise.

"Shit. Shit, shit, shit, shit! Guns out!" Porter ordered as he sat up and looked around, trying to squint through the wreckage. It did smell like a chem lab explosion, but he needed to be sure this wasn`t an assassination attempt. He squinted at MacCready. "We need to move, now!"

"Sssstm...k" The Overboss was on her feet, dizzily trying to form words. Her gun was shaking in her left hand, and her eyes were bright with pain. MacCready looked at her with an expression of horror. He said to her;

"Lee, your shoulder..."

"Ssstmpk." She agreed, hissing. She blinked twice at him as Gage put a hand on the small of her back. The blood was spreading fast and made her clothing sticky under his touch. They needed to get her out of the open area before anyone saw what had happened and tried to take advantage of the situation. Already the noises of footsteps and shouts were drawing closer. MacCready`s face was both furious and worried, he told Gage;

"I`ll carry her. Tell me where to go."

"No." Gage replied sharply, not moving his hand.

"The hell you mean, 'no'?"

"I mean I need you to shoot. She said you`re the best shot she knows, now prove it. I`ll carry her since I know where we need to go."

"Sss..." Frost staggered a few steps and swayed. Her vision was blurry with pain and from blood loss, and the rubble strewn terrain wasn't easy to navigate. Black and white smoke mixed with the acrid odor of burnt rubber and hell knows what else stung her watering eyes and made her nose itch. Blindly she was trying to move forward, with little success. The men couldn`t understand she was trying to ask for a stimpack. Gage picked her up bodily just as she was about to trip and put her chest over his shoulder, holding on to her by the waist and legs. He began to move, not exactly running for fear of tripping himself or jarring the Boss too much. MacCready didn`t complain again as he followed, a loaded rifle in his hands. The trio circled around the back side of the Nuka-Cade. Gage avoided the main pathway, so they wouldn't pass within eyesight of The Parlor and its Operators. They made it to the plaza and were about to round the fountain when Frost lost consciousness. Gage knew because he felt her slide the gun she was still clutching through one of the belts adorning his pants right before her body went limp. He abandoned caution and ran to the elevator lift, MacCready on his heels. The mercenary urgently smashed the call button with his elbow and they began to rise.