Author's Note:

Here's a little bonus story. Enjoy!

Arthur rolled his shoulder, somewhere along his spine something popped and he breathed a sigh of relief. His dark hair was stained red as he ran his hand through it, pushing it back and out of his eyes. Splashes of blood, from his enemies, decorated his clothes. There was a cut in his worn leather pants from a combat knife that one of the raiders had been lucky enough to slash him with. He put a fingerless gloved hand on his shoulder and rolled it again, applying pressure. It popped again and the pinch in his back lessened.

"If you keep doing that, you're going to do more damage than you are good." Nick flicked his cigarette butt to the ground and stepped on it as he passed.

"Shut up." Maxson scowled but Nick shrugged it off. Maxson had been helping the Minutemen for a few years now and Nick would tag along sometimes. The two of them still didn't see eye-to-eye but it didn't stop Nick from going.

"If you keep picking at that, your shirts going to unravel." Nick teased with a serious tone that caused Maxson to glare at him. Internally, Nick smiled.

"Leave me alone, synth." Arthur warned as he tugged at the loose hem at the bottom of his gray t-shirt.

"Fine, but it's the misses that's gonna be mad when she has to fix another one of your shirts." Nick turned his head to hide the smile on his face. Maxson groaned in frustration and dropped his hand to his side. "You hungry yet?" Nick asked. They hand been travelling for hours after saving a new settlement from raiders.

"You have food?" Arthur looked at his unwelcomed companion.

"No, but they probably do." Nick pointed with a metal finger towards a small diner. Maxson sighed loudly and turned slightly west, towards the diner. Nick followed as Maxson stepped inside and talked with the woman behind the counter. He bought himself a quick snack and sat in a booth. Nick took his seat across from him.

"Not hungry, Nick?" Maxson asked sarcastically.

"I hope your daughter doesn't inherit your charming personality." He said under his breath, but still loud enough that Maxson would hear. He chose to ignore the robot's comment and focused his attention on the radio playing nearby. It was tuned in to the Minutemen's station.

Arthur certainly didn't mind clearing the commonwealth of abominations; in fact, he quite enjoyed it. However, he preferred to do it alone. Tatum never came with him, she was at home watching their daughter. A small smile played at Maxson's lips as he thought about the two most beautiful women in the world. Tatum, almost 27 years old now, had grown her hair out again. Danae, their only child, just turned six a few weeks ago, four weeks, Maxson remembered. She had beautiful long hair like her mother but it was dark like her father's.

Danae's face was sprinkled with freckles along her nose. Her nose was just like her mother's, small and perfectly round. Her lips were fuller, like her father's, and her eyes were a beautiful green-blue. Arthur knew that when she was older he would have to fight the men off of her. No one was good enough for his little girl.

"Attention all available Minutemen!" The song on the radio was interrupted by a man's voice. "Supermutants have raided Sanctuary Hills. Eye witnesses report that several residents were carried off by the mutants. They were headed southeast—" Maxson didn't wait to hear the rest of the broadcast. He leapt up and hurdled out of the window next to the booth he was in, Nick following slightly behind, having used the door.

The two men raced towards home. Maxson's body was exhausted from his latest mission, but that didn't matter anymore. Nothing mattered to him except getting home and making sure his family was safe.

Nick had no problem keeping up with Arthur, his body didn't ache in the slightest and he never ran out of breath. The synth admired Maxson's stamina; when he set his mind to something, there was no stopping him. The two ran and ran, and by the time they entered Sanctuary Hills, Arthur nearly collapsed.

Nick didn't pay him any attention as he continued forward, heading to Tatum and Arthur's house. He flung the door open and called out her name. There was no response. If Nick had a heart, it would have stopped. Blood pooled on the floor and Danae's hair ribbon lay in the middle.

Arthur, panting worse than a dog, flung himself inside the house and promptly fell to his knees. His chest heaved and tears came to his eyes. He blinked them back as he pounded his fists against the floor, his angry yell echoed through the house.

"We'll find them." Nick promised out loud.

"Gear up robot, we aren't coming back until we do." Maxson got to his feet and headed towards the hall where a large cabinet was stocked full of ammunition and guns. He grabbed a combat knife and tucked it in his boot, then he filled the pouches on his bandolier, that was slung over his left shoulder and across his chest, with small energy cells. Nick helped himself to the revolver rounds and grabbed a shoulder bag from the cabinet. He left Maxson to 'gear up' as he went to the kitchen. Nick tucked as many bottles of water in to the bag as he could. Water and stimpaks. Maxson was great at getting the dangerous stuff, but lacked when it came to the healing stuff.

"Ready?" Nick asked when Maxson approached him in the living room.

"Let's go." Maxson's brow was set and the two of them marched out of the house to find their loved ones.

Tatum struggled against the ropes binding her wrists together, behind her back. Three Supermutants paced back and forth from one room to the next. She kept her eyes locked on the mutants and her ears trained towards her daughter. Luckily, Danae was still unconscious.

Blood gushed from one of the gore bags hanging from the ceiling as a mutant walked directly in to it. He made an indignant noise and swatted at the bag like it was a fly. Not the brightest bunch… Tatum thought, as an idea came to her head. She continued to twist and turn her wrists in an attempt to free herself. She smirked, confident that her plan to stall the Supermutants would work.

Maxson held up his fist, signaling that Nick should 'hold'. Nick stopped in his tracks and waited while Arthur peered around the corner of a building. It was getting late, the sun was setting and it was inconveniently casting their shadows all over. Maxson crouched against the building, his back pressed against the wall, Nick crouched as well.

"Find 'em?" Nick whispered and Maxson nodded. He started giving the detective a bunch of hand signals, which he could only follow a few. "What?"

"God…" Maxson hissed, clearly irritated. "Three hostiles at the entrance and two on the roof."

"Why didn't you say so?" Nick pestered, also a little annoyed. He readied his gun and Maxson peeked around the corner again.

"I've got the roof. Can you manage all three on the ground?"

"Easy." Nick said, earning a sneer from Maxson.

"Move out!" Arthur whipped around the corner and immediately took aim at the Supermutant to his right. At the same time, Nick ran forward, shooting the grenade attached to one of his enemies and ducked behind a ruined wall. Two mutants exploded instantly and Nick aimed for the third one.

Maxson finished killing both hostiles on the roof and looked to see that Nick had also eliminated his targets.

"What took you so long?" Nick smiled confidently.

"Don't be an ass, Valentine." Maxson growled as he headed towards the door.

"That's the pot calling the kettle black." Nick mumbled as he followed. Arthur spun on his heel and grabbed Nick by the coat collar, pulling his face towards him.

"Are you having fun?"

"I always have fun with you, Arthur." Nick replied sarcastically. The vein at Maxson's temple throbbed angrily. "We're wasting time, let's go." Nick said nonchalantly as he reached for Maxson's wrist but never made contact as Arthur pulled it away quickly, avoiding Nick's metal hand.

"Squishy little human looks angry." The tallest Supermutant, the same one that repeatedly bumped in to the hanging gore bag, poked at Tatum's body. She wiggled away from his dirty fingers and tried to conceal her daughter's body with her own.

"Are you going to eat me?" She asked the mutant as calmly as she could.

"Humans are delicious!" He replied as if it was the most obvious thing.

"Then you're in for a surprise." She said with a chuckle. Remain calm. She instructed herself; she could barely stop her body from shaking in fear. Tatum and Arthur spent countless hours training for surviving in the wealth. He taught her advanced self-defense and marksmanship, they practiced making fires, and they even practiced hacking in to computer terminals. However, the one thing they couldn't practice was suppressing fear.

"Surprise? What surprise?" The mutant looked irritated and Tatum's heart beat loudly. She took a deep breath.

"I'm not very tasty." She said with an apologetic frown. "You won't like eating me, I'm all metal inside."

"Metal?!" He grumbled. "You're not metal!" He was getting angrier by the minute and Tatum glanced at her daughter; still asleep."

"It's true!" She said quickly. "I can prove it."

"You prove it." He roughly grabbed her by the arm and pulled her forward. She bit her lip to keep from screaming in panic. She was spun around and the mutant untied her hands. "Prove you're metal."

"I need a knife."

"No!" The mutant roared. "You are tricking me!"

"No, I'm not." She held out both hands and tried to calm him. "I have metal under my skin, but I can't show you unless I cut myself." She prayed that he would fall for her trick. The mutant stared at her for several moments before moving away from her. She watched closely as he bent over to pull a knife out of one of the corpses of her neighbors. Bile rose to her throat at the sight of her dead friend.

He came back over to her and handed her the knife. "If you are tricking me, human, I'll crush you!" He roared and Tatum nodded vigorously. Her eyes met with another of her neighbors that was tied up across the room. The woman stared at her in horror, silently begging Tatum to save her.

Tatum gave the woman a quick nod before removing her shirt. "Ready?" She asked the mutant in front of her.

"Prove!" He demanded and she obliged. She held her breath as she ran the blade across her left shoulder. A whimper escaped her lips as her skin split apart and blood poured from the wound. She set down the knife and used her shirt to dab at the blood.

"Look." She said breathlessly as she spread her skin with her fingers. The mutant leaned forward and inspected her shoulder. Under the skin was a metal plate that she had had surgically inserted after she had a bad fall and cracked her scapula.

"You are metal!" The mutant was dumbfounded. "But all metal men were destroyed!" He stood up and stepped away from her in utter confusion. Tatum quickly hid the knife under her butt when the mutant looked away from her. When he looked back she was putting her shirt back on. "We don't eat metal! Hurts teeth!" He complained, whining like a child.

"I'm sorry." She said with as much sympathy as she could. Please don't just kill me. She watched as the flustered mutant paced back and forth, his hands on his head.

"Metal is bad." He shook his head repeatedly. "Metal is not food." Tatum glanced at Danae who stirred slightly.

"Hmm hmmm hmmm." Tatum started to hum in an attempt to keep her daughter sleeping. The mutant stopped pacing and looked at her.

"What are you doing?" He questioned as he approached.

"You seemed upset," Tatum's eyes darted to Danae then back to the mutant. "I thought I would sing you a song. It'll make you feel better." Tatum's neighbor looked at her with wide eyes. She shot her a glance that meant: I'm making this up as I go!

"Song make Tree feel better?" He asked.

"Tree?" Tatum repeated. "Is that your name?" The mutant nodded his head in confirmation. "That's perfect!" She said with a smile, "I know a song that's all about a strong tree. Want to hear it?"

"Yes, strong Tree!" The mutant sat in front of her again and eagerly waited for her to sing. She took a deep breath and prayed that her song would occupy him long enough for her to figure out a way to escape.

Despite their less-than-perfect relationship, Nick and Arthur worked well together. Each acted as if they had completely planned and rehearsed their battles; they almost never aimed for the same enemy which allowed them to clear the area much more efficiently.

From the corner of his eye, Maxson saw a Supermutant rapidly approaching Nick, who was reloading his gun. "Hey!" He yelled and Nick looked up just in time to see the knife that Maxson pulled from his boot, and had expertly thrown, impale itself in to the mutant's wrist. It dropped the spiked club it was holding and clutched its wrist. The diversion gave Nick just enough time to snap the cylinder back in to place and unload several bullets in to the mutant's head.

Within moments they had cleared the room and moved on to the next. Neither one saying a word to the other as Nick handed Maxson his knife back.

Shouts and bullets cried out from the floor above Tatum. She tried to sing louder in an attempt to block out the noise but it was too late, Tree had heard it too.

"Puny humans come to rescue metal people!?" He roared with laughter and Danae woke with a start.

"Cover your eyes!" Tatum yelled to her daughter and Danae followed her mother's orders immediately. Tree turned his face towards Tatum, surprised by her sudden outburst. As fast as an angered Deathclaw, Tatum pulled the knife from under her and stabbed it through Tree's eye and up in to his brain. She let out a roar of her own as she pressed with all her strength.

Danae screamed, her eyes still covered, panic taking over. Tree's lifeless body collapsed on the floor and Tatum hugged her daughter. She shushed her and gently rocked her in her arms.

Nick and Arthur sprinted down the stairs, towards Danae's terrified scream. Arthur headed towards his family and Nick spotted captive woman on the other side of the room. He made his way towards her as Arthur wrapped his arms around both Tatum and Danae.

"Daddy!" The young girl sobbed as she wiggled out of Tatum's grasp and in to her father's arms.

"Danae!" Arthur breathed. His entire body felt numb as he held his daughter tightly, protectively. The adrenaline was being washed away by relief and exhaustion. Tatum sat back and caught her breath as she watched her daughter crying hysterically in her father's arms. Tears came to Tatum's eyes as guilt overtook her. Arthur glanced at Tatum, her head down and shoulders shaking as she cried. He looked at Nick who was slowly approaching.

"Hey there little lady." Nick said after getting an approving nod from Arthur. Danae raised her head and her sobs restarted, full power, as she reached her arms out to Nick. He carefully snatched her from Arthur's arms and walked her away from her parents, trying his best to soothe the child with calming words.

"Tatum." Maxson reached out to his wife and took her hand.

"We should have never done it!" She pulled her hand out of Arthur's and turned her back to him. "What were we thinking? Bringing a child in to this world!" Her entire body shook with grief and Maxson held her still in his embrace. He kissed her cheek from behind and held her close even though she struggled to break free.

"Tatum, listen to me." His voice was soft but firm, demanding. "These things happen. It's not your fault." He knew she was feeling guilty about not being able to prevent the mutants from kidnapping them. "You did a great job. You singlehandedly protected your daughter." He noticed the knife hanging out of the dead mutant's eye. "We had Danae because we love each other and wanted to share that love with a child of our own." It wasn't often that Maxson spoke like this, but he knew it was what Tatum needed right now.

"She could have died."

"But she didn't because of you." He reminded her and kissed her cheek again. "Thank you."

Tatum looked at her husband, his eyes brimming with tears. She turned in one fluid motion and wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him like she had never kissed him before.

"Ahem." Nick cleared his throat after a minute and the two of them pulled apart. Maxson scowled at him and grabbed his daughter from Nick's arms.

"Daddy," Danae sniffled. "I want to go home."

"OK baby, we'll go home." He promised and kissed her forehead before she rested it on his shoulder, her breath tickling his neck. Nick held a hand out and Tatum gratefully took it.

Several minutes passed as the five of them, Tatum, Arthur, Danae, Nick, and their neighbor, walked home. The only people talking were Danae and Arthur. She kept asking what happened and why the mutants took them away. He explained that the Supermutants were bad guys that he had to kill. He told her that they wanted to hurt her and that she was very lucky that she had such a clever mommy. He hated that he had to tell his little girl about the horrors of the commonwealth, but it was necessary. Arthur had been only four years older than Danae when he saw his first Deathclaw; evil doesn't care how old you are.

"Let's take a break." Maxson suggested as he set his daughter down. Nick took Danae's hand and led her towards the nearby stream. The two of them started washing their hands and clothes. The neighbor woman followed after them and Tatum sat on a tree stump, feeling completely exhausted.

"You look like hell." She informed her husband.

"We're moving." He said flatly.

"What?"

"We're moving to Diamond City. It's safer there."

"I'm not allowed in Diamond City." She informed him.

"I'll do whatever it takes. You'll get in that city."

"Danae doesn't want to move, all her friends are at Sanctuary Hills." Tatum argued.

"No, they're not." Maxson lowered his voice. "The Supermutants killed almost everyone." Tatum's eyes widened and she stared at him in horror. "We're moving."

"But—" She started to say but Maxson cut her off, his voice desperate.

"I can't go through that again." He was speaking in a voice barely above a whisper. "I've never been so afraid in my life."

"Not even when you fought Deathclaws?" Tatum tried to make a joke to ease the tension but it fell flat.

"That doesn't even compare." He dropped to a knee and took Tatum's hands in his. "If you and Danae had been killed… I couldn't…" He shook his head and dropped his gaze to the ground.

"Ok." Tatum whispered before clearing her throat. She spoke clearly. "We'll go to Diamond City." She stood and Maxson copied her. Tatum took several steps forward before stopping and looking over her shoulder at her husband. She gave him a wink and a big smile. "Besides, we'll be living closer to Nick!" She giggled mischievously and ran off towards the stream.

Maxson's jaw dropped as it felt like a block of ice fell in to the pit of his stomach. Closer to Nick… Sacrifices must be made for safety. He told himself as he grit his teeth and joined his family.

"Daddy…" Danae's warm breath tickled Maxson's ear as she whispered to him. "It's time to get uuupp" Her voice was sing-songy as she gently pushed on his shoulder.

"Wake your mother." Arthur rolled over, his back to his daughter.

"She's already awake!" Danae pouted. "Come on, Daddy!" Arthur opened one eye and saw that Tatum wasn't in bed. He sighed as he sat up, Danae instantly crawling in to his lap.

"What time is it?" He asked as he rubbed the sleep from his eyes.

"Ten o'clock." She said happily as she snuggled against his chest.

"Ten?" Maxson looked at his daughter, his brow furrowed. "Really?" He hadn't slept in that late in a long time. Not since Danae was a baby and needed almost constant watching.

"Mmm Hmm." Danae nodded and wrapped her arms around her father's neck. Her forehead rubbing against his beard. "Momma said that we shouldn't wake you. She said that you were really tired."

"I guess I was." He said as he scooped his daughter up and got out of bed. He carried her through the house as she giggled wildly. "Where is your mom?"

"She's with Nick."

"Of course." Maxson sighed. Ever since moving to Diamond City, which had been easier than either one of them had anticipated, Tatum spent most of her time with the synth. It irritated Maxson to no end. "Did she go to work today?" Doc Sun had taken Tatum back once her name was cleared.

"I don't know." Danae looked up at her dad, his face was stern and his brows furrowed. Deep wrinkle lines were etched in to his face and she reached up to poke at them. "You're doing it again, Daddy." She giggled as he relaxed his face, a smile spreading across his lips. Tatum had been trying to break him of his "mean facial expressions" for years, and now she even had her daughter doing it.

"Did you eat breakfast?" He asked as he set her down on the floor. She shook her head and he kissed her forehead. "Ok." He took a deep breath and pulled open the fridge door. "Let's see." After staring at the contents inside, he pulled out several ingredients and set them on the counter.

Danae watched as her father whipped up breakfast. He didn't spill a drop of food on his white t-shirt or gray pajama bottoms. He chopped a carrot quickly and thinly with a knife, like he had been preparing food his entire life. Tatum was alright at cooking but she had nothing on Maxson.

"Smells good!" They both looked over to see Tatum walking through the door. "Daddy must be cooking." Tatum kissed Arthur on the lips as she approached.

"Someone has to feed our daughter." He playfully scolded and Danae giggled. Her personality was very similar to her mother's, happy and caring. However, she also inherited several of her father's traits. She had a poker face like no one else.

"Someone has to feed your wife." Tatum teased as she hugged Arthur from behind. Danae jumped to her feet and pushed her way in between her parents, stealing her mom's spot. "Hey!" Tatum pouted at her daughter and Danae squealed with delight. Arthur chuckled as he twisted around to put an arm across his daughter's shoulders. He glanced at Tatum who was trying to hide the smile on her face.

A warmth spread through Arthur as he cooked breakfast for the two women he loved the most. As long as they were together, he knew he wouldn't need anything else, and the only thing that could ruin his happiness would be if Nick came over for lunch again.