Silver Lining

Timeless Value

Nora had a feeling she'd find him in his backroom. After their little chat with Hancock, Kent didn't seem to be up for anymore conversation. She decided to give him a few days to recuperate, not just from the leg injury, but from everything in particular. She and Piper had returned after about a week, and Nora's heart sank when her Pip-Boy didn't pick up on the Silver Shroud radio station. She checked multiple times but nothing buzzed.

"Poor Kent." Nora said, as she and Piper approached the Goodneighbor gates. She finally stopped checking for a signal and looked over at her companion. "He must really be taking it hard. Though, I guess I shouldn't expect someone to go through what he did and come out with a sunny disposition."

"Poor schmuck was just trying to make the world a better place." Piper replied. "Too bad the world didn't want what he had in mind." Piper didn't sound as heartbroken about it as Nora was. But then again, Piper knew what the world actually was. Though it was Piper that urged Nora to give Kent a week to recover, she didn't seem to have much faith in the idea of checking on him.

Nora just sighed and walked into Goodneighbor with Piper following right behind. Piper didn't like Goodneighbor and Nora didn't blame her. Despite its rough looking exterior, Goodneighbor was a pretty decent place. Considering the rest of downtown Boston tried to kill them less than a few minutes ago, it still wasn't saying much.

"I just want to check on him, make sure his leg has healed. He had the right idea, just not the right way to implement it. You read the comic books, you listen to the radio shows, and back in my time, you watched television. But most people don't see the real work that goes into being a hero. It's not all flashy costumes, damsels in distress, and shaking hands with the police chief." Nora tapped her Pip-Boy a few more times and then stopped. She looked up at the sky when a raindrop landed on her Pip-Boy screen. "Is it ever NOT raining or overcast in Goodneighbor?"

Piper only shrugged. The two women walked past the two shops by the entrance and took the alleyway toward the Memory Den. They didn't look too surprised to see Hancock up on his balcony overlooking the small court area with the two benches. He normally perched himself there to think. Nora was wondering if he was thinking about the Sinjin Incident, too. But knowing Hancock, he was probably just winding down from a jet high and needed the fresh air. If one could truly call the air in the Commonwealth Wasteland fresh, that is.

"You think Hancock already checked on him?" Piper asked, hoping it was an excuse to go.

"I'm pretty sure Hancock meant to, but then the chems wore off." Nora teased, looking up at the ghoul mayor in his three-cornered hat just watching the clouds go by. Nora liked Hancock and had to admit he was pretty handy in a fight, but she wasn't a big fan of his chem use. At least he had a steady system. Their friend, Cait, just seemed to take whatever she found whenever she had it.

They made their way to the Memory Den and walked inside. They were surprised to see Irma, the proprietor, standing outside Kent's shut door. Despite first impressions, Irma was actually a caring woman and always made sure Kent ate and got plenty of sleep. She was almost motherly when she wanted to be. "Kent, darling, a trader dropped off a pretty decent looking box of Sugar Bombs at Daisy's and I know how much you like Sugar Bombs. I had one of those drifters that stand outside her shop drop it off. It's waiting out here whenever you get hungry."

Irma looked over and smiled, seeing Nora and Piper. "I take it he's still recovering?" asked Nora, as she and Piper followed Irma to the chaise lounge on the small stage.

"You can call it recovering all you want, sweety." said Irma, a slight hint of venom in her statement. "I call it moping. Ever since he got back from Hancock's place, he's done nothing but lay on that bed. He won't eat, he won't work on the loungers, and three have already broken down. I had to stop Amari from breaking down his door to get him out. The door is locked tight and I lost the keys to the spare rooms long ago. Normally, I wouldn't care if he wants to spend all day in that lounger of his, but we had a deal that we let him stay here and keep that collection and his lounger as long as he fixes the machines when they break down."

Nora knew Irma often put on a Devil-May-Care attitude, but deep down she and Piper knew Irma cared deeply about Kent's wellbeing. "Besides Doctor Amari nearly breaking in, has anyone else tried to get him out of that room?" Piper asked.

Irma nodded. "A few. Hancock came by a few days ago to check on him. Daisy came by this morning, said she was worried because he hadn't come by to see if any ratty old comic books popped up in the trader shipments. Even MacCready uprooted himself from that bar and came to see if Kent was alright. Says he needed his gun repaired and didn't want to waste caps buying a new one. But I think he just misses the Silver Shroud broadcasts."

"Wow, the support is just flowing." Piper murmured with obvious sarcasm.

Irma rolled her eyes and picked at the feathers on her right sleeve. "I love Kent…in a professional way, mind you. I let him have that room, his own personal lounger, and I let him do that radio show, but locking himself in that room is where I draw the line. If he wants to drown his sorrows in a memory, that's his business, but I can't stand to see that door shut, knowing I can't do anything to help him. He just lays in there and moans all day and all night. It's more heartbreaking than it is annoying. You ladies wouldn't happen to know anyone named Hannah, would you?"

Nora thought for a moment. "I had a niece named Hannah before the war. I'm not sure what happened to her after the bombs fell."

Irma remembered that Nora had been in some kind of stasis in the Vault she used to be in. "He keeps moaning, 'Hannah, I'm sorry I let you down. Hannah Howard, please forgive me'."

Nora's eyes widened. "Hannah Howard?"

Piper looked at Nora. "Howard? Isn't that your last name, Blue?" she asked.

Nodding, Nora suddenly remembered something. She'd be kicking herself for not remembering it earlier, it would have saved them the upcoming trip. She told Irma to keep trying to get Kent out of that room, but stall anyone who decides to take drastic measures to get in. She said she had to go do something and would be back before night time. Irma said she'd do her best, but also noted that Amari promised to come back with an axe from KL-E-0's store before sundown. Nora promised to hurry and ran out with Piper in tow.

True to her word, Nora and Piper returned by sundown. They returned with a beat up suitcase. Irma stood there, with Amari looking on as well. Hancock was also there, though he only came by as back-up in case Amari decided to stay true to her word of tearing down the door. He wasn't surprised to see the door still closed tight when he walked up. He was surprised to see Nora and Piper come in not long after him with a suitcase.

"Alright, I'll bite." said Hancock, after a long silence. "What's in the case? An axe to tear down the door?"

Hancock laughed, but Nora didn't. "We had to fight a horde of ferals for this, so if this doesn't work, you're welcome to break the door down." Nora knocked on the door softly. She could hear movement, and was comforted to know that Kent wasn't dead. "Kent!" she shouted. "It's Nora. I know about Hannah."

The little crowd hushed at that moment. "Who the hell is Hannah?" Hancock whispered to Irma. Irma only shrugged.

A few minutes seemed like an eternity. The doorknob clicked and turned, the door opening slightly. Kent peered one eye out the door and a soft sigh could be heard. Nora tightened her grip on the beat up luggage handle. The door opened more and Nora stepped in with Piper not far behind. Hancock stopped Irma from following.

When Piper walked in, she shut the door behind them. Kent went back to his bed, but only sat on the edge. "How do you know about Hannah?" he asked. He sounded like he was getting defensive. "I n-never told you about her."

Piper answered this one. She crossed her arms and leaned against the wall. "Irma said she could hear you moaning the name Hannah Howard over and over for the last few days."

"She's worried about you, and so are we." Nora wanted to take Kent's hands, but felt the action might not be appropriate given the situation.

"So, Kenny, you want to enlighten us before Blue shows you what we nearly blew up an old comic book store for?" Piper asked, scooting closer to the bed.

Kent sighed. "While I was trapped in that hospital, I tried to keep myself calm by thinking of all the trouble I'd caused and ordering each event in my head. I ended up thinking about my life up until then, and almost instantly, I thought about the only person other than my brother that truly cared about me. Her name was Hannah Howard and besides the Silver Shroud and my brother, she was the only other person that understood me. When we met, our time together, the last time I saw her..."

Nora looked close to tears, but she only nodded. "Please, continue…" she said, as if she knew the story already.

Kent nodded and tried not to look them in the eye. "She worked at Hubris Comics before the b-bombs fell. She had the prettiest blue eyes and her smile lit up a room. When I was w-with her, it felt like we were the only two people in the world. The day the b-bombs fell, we were on our way to Fenway, to see the big game. She invited me to come with her to see her uncle give a speech at the Veteran's Hall in Concord and I was so nervous. When the announcement came that the big ones were falling, we ran for the shelter. We were separated from Hannah in the crowd. I wanted to go b-back for her, but there wasn't enough time. The last time I saw her, it was like she was being carried out to sea by a big wave. She was r-reaching for me and calling my name…"

Kent reached under his mattress and pulled out a dirty framed photo. He handed it to Nora. The picture was of two young men, one taller than the other. The taller one had shaggy looking hair and wore a hat just like Kent's. It appeared to be taken at some sort of party. This photograph was among the things Kent found when the searched the Boston Bugle building the first few years. It somehow survived on Buster's desk, barely damaged. Kent chuckled, knowing he'd finally be able to tell his story to someone who was legitimately listening.

"My older brother, Buster, worked as a reporter for the Boston Bugle. He and some coworkers made up a shelter in the Bugle's unused basement when we didn't get accepted into one of those Vaults. After hearing about what happened to you, I'm kind of glad we didn't, now. He d-died making sure I was safe. I think about him every day, just like Hannah. I spent y-years in that shelter before I had to leave. The building was starting to collapse. I took what I could and left. By then, I knew I was sick. My hair started falling out, and my skin started looking weird. I covered myself in bandages for a while to keep people from thinking I was some kind of m-m-monster. Eventually, I stopped trying to hide it. I found a traveling group of Ghouls and stayed with them for a few decades. Made my way as a handyman whenever we stopped at different settlements. Trading, salvaging, you know how it is. We were salvaging around in the old Galaxy News building before the G-Gunners took it over. That's where I found those Silver Shroud holotapes. I was only able to grab the last few episodes before the Gunners tried to kill us. The rest I got from traders that scavenged affiliate radio stations, but they need to be repaired before I can air them. We tried to get into Diamond City to get some supplies for our long trip toward the Capitol, but by then, McDonough was mayor. My group made its way to Goodneighbor, just as Hancock was making his inarguable 'Of the People, for the People' speech. I stayed behind when the others in the group left. I guess they didn't see this place as home. I did. I found out about the Memory Den…"

Nora decided not to force Kent to continue. Nora sat beside Kent on the bed and opened the suitcase. Kent's eyes widened. He recognized these articles of clothing. His heart started pounding like a deathclaw on jet. He started to reach for the contents, but stopped halfway. The blue dress and orange shoes on top were a dead giveaway.

"Hannah Howard was my niece." Nora started, letting Kent have the suitcase. Nora cupped her hands in her lap and sighed. "She was the daughter of my husband's oldest brother. She used to babysit for us before the bombs fell. She was a bridesmaid at mine and Nate's wedding." Nora giggled, though it was obvious she was holding back tears. "Our entire family was going to be at that event in Concord where Nate was giving a speech. Even our nephew, her brother, had gotten leave just to come up from D.C. to watch the speech."

Nora looked over at Kent, who had placed his hands on the dress. She could feel his pain, because she felt it every day. Nora knew that, despite all the new friendships and relationships she's gained since waking up over 200 years in the future, she'd never truly get over Nate's death. In rare moments alone, Nora sometimes felt the weight of knowing her entire family was gone. She often thought this was why she sympathized with most Ghouls.

"The last time we spoke to her, she seemed so happy, calling the night before everything happened. Nate talked to her, said he could barely get a word out and told her to slow down and catch her breath before she fainted. She asked if it was okay if she brought her new boyfriend to the big speech the next night." Nora chuckled a bit when Kent sat up straight.

Kent didn't blink. He looked at Nora, not wanting to believe what he just heard. "B-boyfriend?" he asked, not believing it himself.

"For weeks, she went on and on about this guy she met, but she never told us his name. At first, we thought she was making him up, but after everything you just told me…" Nora smiled a bit. "It's comforting to know she was talking about you and not some rude, biker thug with a million tattoos."

Kent rummaged through the suitcase a little more. He saw a pocket on the lid and peered inside. He reached in and picked out two things he thought he'd never see again. The Silver Shroud action figure he gave her the night before the world ended and the photo-booth pictures they took the week before. Kent's heart was pounding, now. "How did you know where to f-find this?" He asked.

"I remember my niece saying she got a part-time job at a comic book store on Newbury Street. First time I went into Hubris for the costume, it didn't cross my mind that this was the store she worked at. The night before the bombs fell, she called to confirm the next day's plan with us. She also said was going to change into her favorite outfit before coming to Concord and she put her suitcase in the backroom of her work so she could change before the speech." Nora smiled, holding back the tears from the memories. "That girl, I swear, she loved that blue dress and loved wearing it. Then she asked if she could bring her new boyfriend so he could meet the family. Of course, Nate said yes." Nora giggled again, obviously holding back sniffles. "I remember Nate saying; 'We finally get to meet Hannah's mystery boyfriend. I hope he's a nice kid'. I'm glad to see you were. And still are, Kent. I don't know what happened to her after the bombs fell. Part of me hopes that she got somewhere safe and lived a full and productive life afterward. And even if she perished that day, I hope her last thoughts were of you and all the happy times you two had together."

Noticing a small bulge in the pocket, Kent reached in again. It was a holotape with the words Diary 10/22/77 written on it. Kent looked at Nora, who just shrugged. Kent handed it to her and Nora placed the holotape in her Pip-Boy's cassette deck. What came next made Nora tear up and Kent's mouth go dry.

"Audio diary for…October 22." It was Hannah's voice; soft and lyrical, though she sounded like she was winded from running up a few flights of stairs. Hearing her voice for the first time in over two hundred years was like hearing someone from across the gulf of death. There was a song playing in the background of the recording, which Nora recognized as "Strangers in Paradise" by the Ink Spots. "Tonight was amazing! I was so scared about taking Kent to that dance, but I knew he could do it! He just needed a little nudge. And if I can get him to dance with me at a silly university charity event, then I can introduce him to my family tomorrow with no problem. Kent is such a sweety. I can't believe he kissed me tonight. It was so wonderful. Seeing my roommate come in from bad dates, I didn't think guys like Kent existed. But they do. Kent has so much potential and I think we can have a good future together, no matter what happens. I called Uncle Nate a few minutes ago to confirm tomorrow's game plan and everything is set. I can't wait for the family to meet my boyfriend! I'll call Kent in the morning."

Kent held up the photo-booth pictures as the tape played, not sure how either item survived all these years. There she was, in black and white, with her head on his shoulder. Kent showed it to Nora, who almost started crying seeing her niece smiling in the picture. Listening to the recording and looking at the pictures made Kent feel like she was talking to him. When the tape ended, Kent sputtered a sad chuckle.

"Kent, the world is screwed up, I won't lie about that." Nora started, letting him have the suitcase with its contents. "And though it may not seem like it sometimes, there are good people out there trying to rebuild and keep hope alive. You had an idea to help people and you saw it through, which is more than most people do."

"Don't think you're the lone rider on this, Kenny." Piper chuckled. "Remember, it was me and Blue that went trudging all over the Commonwealth looking for you. Who else would have done that? People that care about you, that's who. When Irma told us you'd been kidnapped, we bee-lined it right to where they'd taken you. You've got friends, Kent. They have a funny way of showing it, but they love you and only want to see you safe and happy."

Kent nodded and held the blue dress close to his chest. "Th-Th-Thank you for this." Kent said, his voice warbling a bit. "You don't know what all this means to me. I never wanted to forget her face, and now I won't." Kent stood up and walked over to a small box. It seemed to contain thumbtacks. He took one out and thumbtacked the photo-booth pictures to the wall above his radio set up. He then put the picture of him and his brother on the same table that contained his makeshift radio station. "You can tell Irma and Doctor Amari I'll get started fixing their machines tomorrow morning, first thing. I have a lot of stuff to clean up, and I'll do it, but right now…I need to be alone a little while longer."

Nora and Piper nodded and started to leave. They gave Irma and Doctor Amari the good news and walked with Hancock out of the Memory Den.

Hancock seemed satisfied. Despite appearances, he liked order and the order had been somewhat restored. "Small world, ain't it?" he asked as he walked with Nora and Piper to Goodneighbor's gate.

"What do you mean?" Nora asked.

Hancock's voice was normally calm and melodious, with the signature ghoul rasp. And today was no different. By his tone, it was obvious he had been listening at the door. "How things seem to work out for you in the end, you know? You just happen to be the aunt of the girl Kenny-boy's been pining over for the last 200 years. What are the odds?"

Not liking his tone, Nora got defensive. "If you think I'd drag out sad memories just to get someone out of a room, you're wrong. Hannah Howard was my niece."

Hancock chuckled, stopping at the gate with the two women. "Alright, alright, don't get your Vault-issued panties in a knot. In the end, Kent's happy, Ol' Irma's happy to get her machines fixed, and Doc Amari is happy too, I guess. I don't think I've ever seen her smile. Things will return to what counts for normal around here and once again, it's all thanks to you."

Nora rolled her eyes and left with Piper. She wanted to get back to Diamond City before the super mutants that roamed the city regrouped and they had a long walk ahead of them. Piper couldn't wait to start writing about this for her next article. A Publick Occurrences exclusive interview with The Silver Shroud herself and the first-hand account of a daring rescue from the hands of the ruthless Sinjin! She can see the issues flying out of Nat's hands.

"Blue?" Piper looked up at Nora after a long silence. "Are you going to be okay?"

Nora shrugged. "I'll be fine, Piper." She murmured. "I guess it'd be silly of me to hope Hannah or any of my extended family survived."

Piper decided not to press that point. She knew the Pre-war days were a touchy subject for Nora. She decided to change the subject and thought about something. "Kent's a ghoul." Piper said, pointing to the gathering rainclouds above. "Do you think his brother might have become one, too? I mean, there might be a chance he's alive somewhere."

Again, Nora shrugged. "If he did become a ghoul, I doubt he had time to enjoy it. A direct contact blast would have vaporized him. The only reason most ghouls are ghouls is because they were exposed to the radiation after the bombs or were in a low lying area and didn't get a direct hit. That's the only way I can see it."

Time was a funny thing, indeed. One minute, Nora was a housewife getting her family ready for the day, the next she was a wasteland wanderer shooting mutated monsters and fighting for whatever was considered the greater good now. Before the bombs fell, Nora felt there weren't enough hours in the day. But she had all the time in the world now. The world wasn't going anywhere.

Nora looked at her Pip-Boy, looking for the map function to find a safe route through the densest part of the ruined downtown. Piper looked over at Nora and saw a smile creep across her face. Nora's eyes became watery as she switched the radio on.

"Blue, a little traveling music, if you please!" Piper joked. Nora laughed and the two walked around the rubble and damp destruction of Boston to a familiar broadcast.

"When evil walks the streets of Boston, one man lurks in the shadows. Shielding the innocent, judging the guilty. That guardian is…the Silver Shroud!"


Hi, hi again! For some reason, it's always raining when I go to Goodneighbor. I don't think it's a bug, I just think I always show up at the wrong time.

Who's been busy getting the last few chapters ready for you? This lady, right here! Luna Peachie here, with not quite the final chapter. I decided to go ahead and do the epilogue, which will probably be up by next week.

"But Luna Peachie!" I hear you cry. "How are you getting all these chapters out so fast when you literally went silent for about a month?"

Well, curious and oddly nosey individual, I'll tell you! Sometimes, I see the ending of the story before I see the beginning or even the middle. Why? I don't know. A lot of the stuff I've submitted to this site happen in this manner. When I see the ending, I usually write it out. Then, I write accordingly to get to that ending. Sometimes, the ending stays. Sometimes, if I have an idea for a story that I want to implement, I tweak it where appropriate. Endings I write are normally not final endings. It's mostly just a goal to get to.

I like writing fan fiction because it makes me feel like I can add to a story. Fallout has a lot of potential, but it's difficult to write about because it has deep-seated lore and the fans aren't bashful about reminding you about one slip. It's not a bad thing, but it's frustrating. Writing a mostly Pre-war setting is difficult because there isn't much lore to go on. You can only assume what life was like based on your surroundings. Billboards, holotapes, old advertisements on the side of some buildings, ghouls, etc. It's hard to have fun when you have such strict guidelines to follow. You'd think that'd be the exact opposite of fun, but if you're resourceful, you find a way to give it a little pizazz.

So, how did I do? Let me know in a review and I'll get the epilogue out much faster! We writers depend on reviews, that way we can give a better reading experience to the viewer. If you think it's good, let us know! Don't be bashful, we don't bite! Well, I don't, anyway. Sometimes, writers get discouraged without feedback because it makes them think their story isn't good enough, even if it has a ton of faves and follows. We want to know how we did! Don't just fav and follow, review as well!

Read, review, and be merry!

Kent Connolly and Fallout belong to Bethesda.