Disclaimer: I do not own Fallout

Red didn't know what happened to the town, the damage seemed to only get worse the closer she got so she assumed it must have been some kind of bombing. She wondered if it was cannons or something else. Although it was a port town so a flood was the most likely option. She peeked in the run down houses, long abandoned, but found little worth taking. Things seemed to already be picked clean. She continued down the streets until she arrived at the docks and found a single ship. The flag was one she recognized but could not identify, she waited on the dock trying to hear something in a way of a clue. An idea as to what a ship like that was doing in a town like this.

"Hear anything good?" A gruff voice asked from behind her. She tried not to make any noise, but turned to stare wide eyed at the man behind her. He was leaning back against the boat fiddling with a knife, his hat pulled low hiding his eyes.

"Boss?" A voice called from the ship as some men came over to look.

"A lady? She cute?" One shouted. The man pushed his hat up to shoot a look at the men and they fell silent.

"What can we do for you?" The man asked, leveling his hazel eyes at her.

"I'm just traveling through. Was curious what happened to this town." She said evasively. Not that it was untrue, just that she didn't want to give much information beyond that to this man. His face finally broke into a smirk and his hands fell to his sides.

"You must've traveled pretty far if you haven't heard of the attack." He pushed off the side of the boat and looked at her directly. "Do you want to come aboard and I can tell you?"

"I think I should go-"

"Come on!" One of the guys hollered. The man she had been speaking to shot a glare, smile fading to something dangerous, feral. They fell silent.

"I didn't mean to scare you. Guy like me doesn't send off the best signals." He turned back to her, smile returning. It made him look easy going, like someone you could joke around with.

"Well you haven't introduced yourself. That doesn't help." She forced a small laugh.

"Ah I'm so used to my reputation preceding me I forget." He took off his tri-cornered hat and bowed dramatically. His dirty orange hair falling around his face. "John." He said standing up and running his fingers through his hair to push it back revealing scars across his face. So that's what his hat was hiding. He put his hat back on and looked at her, waiting for a reaction.

"Just John?" She asked, giving nothing away.

"Mayor of this town, Captain of this ship, but you can just call me John." He smirked.

"You're the mayor of this?" She asked looking over her shoulder.

"Well we're the only ones who come here, but I intend for it to be usable some day." He rubbed the back of his neck like he was embarrassed. She wondered if he ever actually felt embarrassed, his confidence seemed unlimited.

"We can talk, but not on your ship." She nodded to the town. "Walk with me?" His smile was electric, a grin more than anything and she felt herself smiling back before she could stop herself. It was like he was magnetic, she couldn't resist. Was it charm or something more insidious? They strolled the dirty streets, mostly just footpaths now that things were eroding and overgrown.

"This place used to be a normal town, nice people, mostly fishermen and traders. The Institute came here in big fancy ships and shot their big fancy cannons until everyone was either dead or run. There wasn't anything left to come back for so no one did." He said, tone less jovial.

"Why?" Red asked, she didn't understand. How? Why? What purpose did it serve to hurt these people? John let out a bitter laugh.

"Because they can. The Institute thinks anyone who doesn't join them doesn't deserve to live. Not that you have the option to join. They kidnap you if they want you, if they don't they just blow it all up around you." He sounded bitter. She wondered if something like this had happened to him.

"Did you live here?" She asked softly.

"No, I lived farther inland. That's the thing, no matter where you go, where you run, the institute is there. They're growing and there's no way to stop them. Everyone I've met knows about the Institute, most follow it up with first hand trauma. Those are the lucky ones because they survived."

"What's yours then?" She asked. His feet slowed, and then stopped. She felt she should retract her question, it was too much, too far.

"My brother." He said softly.

"John, I'm sorry." She reached out to touch his arm gently and his eyes landed on her hand. Should she take it back? Had she gone too far? His eyes slid up to find hers and the pain in them was unmistakable. She knew that pain. What would she want to hear when she was feeling that? "You can cry if you want. I'll be here. I won't leave." She said, not moving her hand. She looked into his eyes and felt herself firm and her resolve harden. "I won't look if you don't want me to see, but I'll be here." He stared at her for a long time, before his eyes fell to the ground.

"I've done all my crying. But that's...I needed to hear that." His voice was soft, barely audible. "Thank you."

"Do you want to head back?" She asked.

"I'd like to stay here a bit longer if that's okay?" He looked at her, hope in his eyes. Surely he didn't show his emotions so readily to a stranger.

"As long as you like." She smiled and they resumed walking. They reached the end of the road, it dissolved entirely beyond so they stopped. He turned to her and sighed with a smile.

"Initially I thought you were the naive one, trusting me so easily, but it seems like it was me not you. You never told me your name."

"You're right." She turned to him and smiled. "Let's start over, no one listening in. Hello, I'm Red." She offered her hand.

"John, a pleasure." He took her hand and kissed it. She was expecting a shake, but he smirked up at her. "The sun is going down." He looked at the horizon and his smile turned sad. "We should head back." They began the way back to the ship and when they arrived at the port a woman approached. Red felt her chest tighten, of course. He was just a charmer, a player. "We have spare beds and food if you want to spend the night on the ship. It can get a little spooky in the town. Just tell the boys to leave you alone and they will, they're not bad, just curious." John said before turning to the girl. Red climbed onto the ship and saw a collection of men standing around staring at her.

"Can I have something to eat?" She asked. They all scattered and a few brought her some fruit. "Can you show me somewhere I can sleep?" She asked now that she had pockets full of food. One of them brought her to a room with two hammocks. She got in one and began eating. The door opened and she looked up expecting one of the guys to have brought her more food. But the man didn't have any food.

"New girl." He said. "Name's Finn, I'm the security around here. You owe an insurance fee." He said.

"I don't have-"

"If you don't pay I'll show you why you need it." He was not smiling.

"I'd like to see you try." She growled, putting her fruit down and standing up.

"Is that any way to treat a guest?" A gruff voice said from behind Finn. His eyes went wide and for a moment Red didn't know why. Then he fell face first onto the ground with half a dozen stab wounds in his back. Hot blood oozed onto the floor, staining the wood. John was standing behind him, knife in hand. "Sorry you had to see that." He said, stepping over the body towards her. "I saw you had it under control, but a captain's gotta make a point sometimes."

"I should go." She said softly. Why was she even here in the first place?

"Move old man." A voice said from behind John. The redhead from before elbowed him out of the way, glare landing on Red. "They roomed you with me? Figures." She rolled her eyes.

"Can I show you one more thing before bed?" John reached out to touch Red's hand but stopped short. His hand was big and scarred and calloused, it looked like it would feel nice holding hers. She shook her head. He clearly had this girl already, she didn't want to be part of some kind of harem power trip.

"I should really go." She repeated.

"I promise, it'll only take a minute." John smiled hopefully at her. She sighed, how could she say no to a face like that? She grabbed his hand and allowed him to lead her to the deck of the boat. Everyone had gone except for a lookout and he pretended not to be watching them.

"If you do decide to go...can I go with you?" He asked, leaning over the side and looking into the water below.

"You want to leave?" She asked. "Can you just leave like that?"

"I do what I want. I can leave Fahrenheit in charge. That's what I was talking to her about and she agreed." John looked over his shoulder at her with a soft smile. "She's a good kid but damn can she be disagreeable."

"You talk about her like you're-" She cut herself off.

"I knocked a girl up when we were both really young. 16 ish. We get that alot though. She's my daughter, can't you tell?" He laughed.

"I assumed you two were romantic." Red confessed.

"I'm not her type." He chuckled.

"Why do you want to leave though?" She asked leaning back beside him. He looked back over the side of the ship and smiled softly.

"Bored? Runnin? Or maybe I just wanna see where life takes you." He turned his eyes on her.

"Hancock, they're here." Someone said running on deck from below. John stiffened, grabbing Red by the hand and running to the quarterdeck.

"Hang on to something!" He shouted as men swarmed the area, all going to work like it was second nature. They were moving before Red even had time to question but the first lurch came shortly after. She stumbled but John grabbed her around the waist and righted her. He only took one hand off the wheel, making sure to keep them steady. The look on his face was no longer a smile, it was so strange seeing him so focused and determined. His emotions had faded, replaced with training and precision and direction. They lurched a second time and she didn't stumble. She kept a hand on John to keep her steady, he seemed to move with the boat like it was part of him.

"Flooding on the lower deck!" Someone shouted.

"Patch and bail!" John shouted back. "You okay Red?" He asked not looking over his shoulder at her.

"What's happening?" She asked.

"The Institute." He said through clenched teeth.

"Is there anything I can do?" She asked.

"Think of a good line to say when we escape." He smirked. It was a facade. He was afraid, and angry and not good at hiding his emotions. They made it to open waters and kept going a while before people finally relaxed. John went down to check on his men, and Fahrenheit sidled up to Red.

"Only one casualty, Roderic." Someone was reporting.

"So you and Hancock." Fahrenheit said, looking at Red with a small smile. "What's the play?"

"No play. He asked to go with me when I leave." Red replied.

"Be careful you don't become a pawn in a larger game." Fahrenheit said cryptically before walking off. John turned around and looked at Red. He offered her a weak smile and let out a sigh as they went under deck.

"I don't think I can keep doing this." He said softly.

"Doing what?"

"Losing people." He replied, pulling his hat off and running his fingers through his hair.

"Why not hit the Institute?" Red asked.

"I'm a pirate not a calvary." I'm sorry I shouldn't be venting at you." His hand moved like he was going to reach out and touch her like she had touched him to be comforting, but curled back in on itself.

"For now let's just rest." She took his hand and for a moment they were silent.

"Look, I know I've got the charisma and style and personality, I'm really checking all the boxes, but I know I'm not the most attractive guy-" He was looking at her hand in his with a sad expression on his face. He had scars like slashes down the right side of his face. She wondered what could have done this, and if it was the same thing that attacked his hand. She stood and went to the door and she could almost hear his pain even though he made no noise. The stench of heartbreak filled the air but then she closed the door and they were officially alone, secluded, in the captain's quarters. She turned back to see a surprised and confused look on his face. She walked over and took his hat off.

"How can you be so handsome and not know it?" She asked looking in his eyes with a firm expression. He just seemed shocked by all she was doing. She leaned in and kissed his forehead. "Although I feel like if you knew how attractive you are the world may not be able to take it." She chuckled. "I'm exhausted, can I sleep here tonight?" She moved to his bed, an actual bunk unlike the hammocks in the rest of the rooms.

"I can sleep-" He stood to go but she grabbed his hand.

"Let's worry in the morning." She smiled. He allowed her to pull him to the bed and they kicked their shoes off and settled in.