"Your friend was… different," Robert said as he sat down next to Madelyn on the bench facing the playground. Sanctuary had put up a few streetlamps to provide nighttime light here so that people could visit it at any hour, and right now that was perfect because Duncan was anything but tired.

"Reagan?" Madelyn glanced over at him and smiled a little, he nodded. "Yeah, she's… a lot."

"She cares about you," he said and held her hand. She looked at the contact, smiling.

"I know. I don't think I've ever seen her so… emotionally compromised," she decided were the right words. "But Danse was important to her," she sighed. "I think she'll be better now, I know her well enough to know that she needed this."

"I would have shot her," he said softly and Madelyn looked at him, frowning. "If she wouldn't have ducked her head would have painted Nate's wall…." He looked down in shame. "I can't even imagine how much pain that would have caused you."

She touched his face, getting him to meet her gaze. "You didn't hurt her. You helped her, Robert," she shimmied closer to him, her arm wrapping around him, comfortingly. "Reagan's not going out that easy, even if you would have hit her, she would have found a way to live."

He forced himself to smile and she ran her thumb over his lips. "She asked if I loved you."

Madelyn's eyebrows perked and she felt something bubble up in her chest. "Want did you tell her?"

"What do you think I told her?" he leaned closer to her, his arm around her shoulders, pulling her to him.

"That you can't stand me," she whispered, looking at his lips, watching them part with his breath.

"Close," he smirked and she looked into his eyes.

"I don't know if I'm ready," Madelyn said softly, feeling herself tremble lightly from her core.

He nodded, and pressed his forehead against hers. "I told you we wouldn't do anything you don't want to. This is going to go at your pace."

"Thank you," she closed her eyes and took in the feeling of him holding her. "I don't need much more time," she promised and felt him kiss her forehead.

"You have all the time you need."

"I don't know what I've done to deserve you," Madelyn whispered into his neck as she climbed onto him, getting closer. He pulled her into his lap and held her, watching his son, as he swung high into the air, challenging Shaun, who was winning because of the age gap.

"I was wondering the same thing," he told her honestly.

Shaun jumped out of the swing and hit the ground, but he wasn't able to balance and fell with a huff. MacCready watched closely, his brows pulling together as Duncan slowed his swing until he was lower, and then also jumped, but the distance was a fraction of Shaun's and he landed smoothly, wobbling only slightly with his low agility. Madelyn straightened up, frowning.

Shaun glared at the younger boy when Duncan cheered, "I won."

"No you didn't, I went farther."

"You fell," Duncan pointed out, and MacCready stood up, dropping Madelyn onto her feet when he saw Shaun's hands ball up into fists.

"You're just a baby, you weren't swinging high at all!"

"I'm not a baby!" Duncan stomped a foot and Shaun pushed him to the ground. "Oof!"

"Shaun!" Robert barked in warning. The boy ignored him and when Duncan tried to stand up he pushed him down again. "Leave him alone!"

"You're not my dad!"

"I'm his dad, and your dad's friend. I am also an adult, and you will listen to me," Robert informed him, taking the older boy by the arm to pull him away. "I'll be telling your father about this."

"Fine!"

He released him and Shaun shook his arm as if he'd ripped it from MacCready's hand. Madelyn rested a hand on his shoulder to try to calm him down, but he shook her off, stomping away. Robert knelt next to his son as he inspected a scuff on his elbow.

"I had it, daddy," he whispered and looked up at Robert with teary blue eyes.

"I know, pup, I'm just the back up," he rustled his hair and stood up, allowing the boy to pick himself up. Madelyn had to force herself not to run to him and kiss his owey and make sure he was good. The boy sniffed and wiped his nose with the back of his sleeve and looked at Shaun's retreating back.

"He's the baby." Madelyn smiled a little at the grumpy face Duncan used as a mask.

"Come on, pup, time for bed." MacCready scooped him up and she walked with a hand around his waist to the bunkhouse.

"I wonder what having your own room feels like," Madelyn whispered to herself as she sat down on a bed beside the boys as they kicked off their boots, mirroring each other without seeming to realize it.

Robert looked at her, pausing with the bullet garter on his thigh. "It's really nice, actually, don't have to talk in hushed tones not to wake others up," he glanced around and she smiled.

"I guess that's a weird thought. I mean, Arthur and I shared a room when I was really little, but when he got to be… important, I moved in with the other squires, and he gradually moved up until he got his own quarters with the other Tops. I like spending time in there, I just wish he didn't drink so much," she added, remembering all the alcohol.

"Strikes me as a drinker," Robert said offhandedly and shrugged out of his duster, and under coat. He was left in an off white tank top that clung to him like it was just a smidge too small.

"I think it's getting worse," she commented, her eyes locked on the sniper's now bare arms as they stretched in the darkness. This showed off the dark hair toughed in his armpits, which clashed with his paleness in the starlight. "When I snuck into his room he had a lot of bottles sitting around…" she shook her head, looking away from MacCready so she could remove her bracers and then lied down on her back. Her eyes found a particularly uninteresting beam in the ceiling and glued themselves to it.

"I'm sure he's just stressed. He's what? Twenty? And runs the entire Brotherhood of Steel?" he frowned. He probably never thought he'd try to sympathize with Maxson.

"Just the East Coast, but he's a Maxson, so he'll probably get promoted to High Elder when the others think he's ready."

"What's the difference?"

"High Elder runs the entire Brotherhood," she looked over at him now.

"And he's basically your brother," MacCready let out a shaky breath.

"Hah, yeah," she smiled at him looking so uncomfortable. "Good night, Rob," she whispered, rolling over onto her side, her back turning to him.

"Oh, it's Rob now is it?" she heard him laugh and then the springs whined in protest as he crawled in behind Duncan.

Pain in her stomach woke Madelyn from her sleep. She felt sick, sicker than she'd ever felt before in her life. Weakness filled her arms and legs, making them feel heavy and sluggish as she tired to open her eyes and look around the bunkhouse. The sensation of vomiting pressed against her throat and she gagged, but bit down hard, clenching her jaw shut to keep it back.

When her eyes focused she was looking at the mouth of an old, prewar military caravan vehicle. Sitting on the open door were bright yellow barrels giving off a sickly smell as well as making the air around them blur with radiation. "Oh God…"

Madelyn stood up and looked around her. She had nothing but what she'd gone to sleep in, and there was nothing in the vehicle. The only way out was passed the barrels pressed up against each other to block the gaping mouth. She had been put here to die from radiation poisoning, and she was getting close to blacking out, she could feel it.

She had to get out of here, even though getting closer would speed up the process, she was going to die if she just stayed here. After a couple of deep breaths, Madelyn rushed forward, slamming into the barrels. It hurt, they were heavy, and she just barely was able to push one over, and fell passed it into the morning light. Coughing, she looked around, noticing now that there were more barrels out here, piled up and thrown around haphazardly. Her head drifted, and she felt herself lose her thoughts.

She had to hold on, but she couldn't think about anything other than how light her head felt and how heavy her arms and legs were.

Absently she realized, only after she'd done it, that she'd thrown up. She couldn't feel anything, but she forced herself to crawl toward the water passed the barrels.

Madelyn called out, but the sound didn't make it passed her teeth.

Her hands touched water, but she didn't feel it.

She kept crawling, not realizing the water made it up to her chin, which hung down so she could breathe through her mouth. Water splashed up onto her face but she kept her eyes locked on the other shore, though she couldn't see it. Everything was dark, a thick blur of nothingness. She just knew she had to get away from those rads.

A large rock in the water tripped her hand, and Madelyn fell, unable to summon the strength to lift herself back up. Her face would bruise from the impact on the rocky shore, but she didn't feel it now. She just stared, unseeingly, into the distance, drool and some foam spilled over her lips onto the rocks. She was only halfway out of the water, with her legs submerged behind her.

Her breathing slowed down, and so did her heart.

The pain in her stomach gave in to the numbness that settled over her.

She needed to swallow, but couldn't command herself to.

She couldn't make herself do anything. That should have alarmed her, but it didn't, she didn't think about it.

Instead she continued to stare and felt herself drift off, her might floating away.

"Nate!"

Nate jerked out of his bed and looked around. Someone had shouted his name, and it had sounded pretty bad. At his side, Hancock sat up more slowly, looking around.

"Nate!"

"R.J.?" Nate looked around and just as he was about to go to the front door the sniper leapt over the short fence around his porch and stopped in the open doorway. Nate opened his mouth to say something, but stopped when he saw Madelyn hanging limp in MacCready's arms. "What hap p–"

"I found her by the river! She's not breathing!"

"Lay her down!" Nate rolled off the bed and Hancock sprung up, going to their first aid kit. "Why didn't you take her to the doctor?"

"To Palmer? Really?" MacCready glared at him and then looked at the girl he gently sat down.

"I don't have medical training, R.J.," Nate protested and looked to Hancock who handed him the white box and then left to get the doctor.

"I panicked, Nate," he growled and knelt beside her, brushing her dirty green hair out of her face.

He sighed and pulled out a stimpak and handed it to R.J. while he checked her breathing and then her heart. "I don't…"

"She can't be dead, Nate," he looked up at the larger man desperately.

"What… what was she doing by the river?"

"I don't know, she went to sleep before me, I heard her breathing, and when I woke up… she was gone. I just thought she was with you, but then someone said they saw a body by the river and I got worried…" he touched her face with a trembling hand. "She looks so… sick."

"Where was she?"

"By that stalled army truck."

"With the radiation barrels?" Nate started digging for radaway.

"Yeah," the sniper breathed.

"Here, help me," the General prepared the bag and MacCready held the tube while Nate connected the pieces with steady hands.

"I…" R.J. looked at his hands in disgust.

"Come on, don't worry about her, she'll be fine if we can get the radiation out of her system." The sniper nodded and followed Nate's instructions, and helped him prepare a second radaway while they hung the first on a nail in the wall above the bed.

Dr. Palmer showed up then with Hancock and Shaun behind him. "Daddy?"

"Shaun, go outside and play with Duncan," Nate ordered and the boy frowned and stomped his foot, turning away. Anger pulsed through the Sentinel at the reaction and Hancock lifted his hands to calm the larger man, and went to follow the boy. "What was that?"

"He and Duncan got in a fight last night, I was going to tell you this morning, but…" MacCready frowned, looking at Madelyn again. Palmer was wordlessly checking her, touching her in places with light fingers.

"Fight over what?"

"They're boys, and Shaun is older –bigger– he got mad at something Duncan said and pushed him," R.J. glanced at the General. Nate was trying not to read too far into his words. There was no reason to think that the ex-merc was taking a jab at his parenting.

"I don't see why he'd push Duncan," Nate frowned.

"Do you have a stimpak?" Palmer asked and R.J. handed it over. "Thank you. And some purified water?"

"Here," Nate pulled one from the first aid kit. Then he turned his attention back to MacCready, but stopped what he was about to say. The ex-gunner was focused on Madelyn, his eyes only ever leaving her for more than a second. He could talk about their sons when her condition was stabilized.

"She'll live, you got to her just in time, her heart was nearly stopped." Palmer looked between the two men. "I wish you would have brought her to me first. But another stimpak and she should wake in a few hours on her own. She should remain here, don't move her, and keep her in bed until I have a chance to check on her again."

MacCready stood up and shook the doctor's hand. "I'm sorry, I… I didn't know what to do so I brought her here."

"Next time bring her to the doctor's office you passed on your way here," the doctor frowned.

MacCready's lips turned down but he nodded and knelt beside Madelyn. "Thank you, Palmer," Nate walked the doctor out. "R.J., explain, please."

"I told you," he looked up at the Sentinel. "I found her nearly dead by the water."

"No, the boys," Nate shook his head.

"Oh, they were swinging, and I guess Duncan upset Shaun when he said he swung better." MacCready sat down, holding Madelyn's hand, his eyes unable to stay on Nate for longer than a second.

"He doesn't understand the rules!" Shaun's voice echoed from the front room.

Nate stiffened and went into the living room. Hancock was sitting on the couch, leaning toward the boy so they were on a level playing field as they spoke, but Shaun was stomping his foot, making Hancock frown. "Shaun," the boy's father growled.

With wide, hazel-green eyes, he shifted his weight, "He's just a baby, and he thinks he's better than me."

"That implies you think the same," Nate came forward, standing over his son. "Where did you get the idea it was okay to push?"

There was a scratch at the door and Hancock got up to open it, letting in Dogmeat and Duncan. Shaun's eyes flicked over to the other boy and then he folded his arms over his chest, shutting everything out. Hancock rested a hand on the smaller boy's head and guided him into the bedroom to be with his dad and Madelyn.

"Shaun, look at me." He didn't, and Nate frowned deeper. "Shaun."

"What?" the boy snapped.

"Look. At. Me." The worlds were a growl, low in Nate's throat.

"Fine!" he turned on his father and glared heavily.

"Drop the attitude," the Sentinel ordered.

"I don't have an attitude!" he yelled. Anger flooded through Nate, and his hand whipped out, slapping the boy's mouth. It was a quick, short movement that provided more audio and shock than actual pain. But it was the first time he'd ever struck his son.

Shaun's hand touched his cheek and he stared up at Nate in horror, but the man continued to glare at his son in disappointment. "I should never have to do that again, do you understand me, Shaun?"

"Yes, father," he whispered, casting his eyes downward.

"Look at me," Nate ordered and the boy's hazel-green eyes slid up to meet his father's gaze. He was fighting tears, but it was a losing battle. "Why did you push Duncan?"

"He made me mad," he whispered, scared.

"Why did you think it was okay to push him?"

"I don't know–" he looked away.

"No, not 'I don't know.' Give me a reason, Shaun."

"I–I don't–I just was mad and I didn't think," he stumbled over his words, looking everywhere but at Nate's face save short flickers of eye contact to keep from getting yelled at again.

"You're going to learn that everyone makes you mad sometimes. But you cannot always hurt them," he knelt in front of him, his hand reaching out to his boy. Shaun flinched, but Nate took his shoulder gently and used his other hand to rub the sting out of his cheek. "Sometimes you can, and sometimes you have to. That's the world we live in, but you can't hurt your friends and allies just because they make you mad. That's how you lose them." Nate felt the sting of tears in his own eyes and he looked away from Shaun, standing up and pulling him into a hug. "I love you, Shaun, I'm just very disappointed that you hurt Duncan."

"I'm sorry, father…"

"I want you to apologize to both R.J. and Duncan for what you did, and then come back in here, I have to talk to John about your punishment." He heard a soft sniffle from his son and then felt him nod against his stomach.

"Okay, father…"

Nate let him go and watched him go into the bedroom to speak with the MacCready boys. John was standing by the doorway, and came forward when the boy left the room. "I never imagined you for the hitting kind of parent."

Nate frowned and looked at his hands, "Honestly… I thought I was going to do it more. Nora and I were both advocates for spanking if it worked on the child." He turned his eyes over to John and watched the ghoul lock his fingers with his. "It never worked on me when I was a child, I would just go back to whatever I was doing to get me whipped, but Nora just had to be threatened with it and she turned into an angel."

"Looks like he got more of Nora in him," the small smile he offered was honest. He meant the words, despite the thought that occurred to Nate of how that wasn't really possible. Nate squeezed the other man's hand and sighed.

"Do we ground him?"

"For pushing another kid?" one corner of John's mouth dropped and he gave Nate a half frown. "I don't know, Natie, I always thought of myself as the fun parent. Never put much thought into punishments."

Nate sat down, releasing the other man and rubbed his face, then ran his fingers through his hair. Hancock sat down next to him and rested a hand on his shoulder. "I went from an infant to a ten year old, John, I… I don't know how to…"

"Hey, hey," the ghoul's rough voice was quiet as he moved closer to his love and gently took his chin to make him look at him. "Parenting don't come with a manual, Nate. You'd've struggled if you would've raised him from birth anyway. It's just different kinds of problems."

Nate's hazy blue eyes closed as he thought. "I just don't want him to do it again. I don't want him to think it's okay to just do whatever you feel like in the moment. That'll get you killed out here."

"And it wouldn't have before the war?"

"It–" Nate forced a laugh and leaned back in the couch, looking at the ceiling. "This is a different world all together. I can't even compare the two." He met the ghoul's black eyes and touched his cheek, feeling the uneven skin beneath his thumb. "I don't want to think about that life."

"Okay," John took Nate's hand, kissed it, then held it in his lap. "I think Shaun's been punished enough this time 'round. If he does it again, then we should punish him more because he obviously didn't get the point. But I don't think he'll hurt Duncan again," the ghoul's hands squeezed Nate's.

"Yeah, I don't want to make it worse than it is now."

"I'm sorry, father," Shaun's voice came from the doorway. Nate looked up at him and opened his arm to call the boy to him. Shaun ran up and climbed into his lap, crying. "I don't like seeing you mad."

"I don't like being mad at you," Nate kissed his head and held him against his chest. John rubbed the boy's back and leaned into Nate's side.

"Just express your feelings in your words, or when you're with friends and family," Hancock advised. "Never bottle it up, but you can't let the reason you're upset control you."

"Okay, John," Shaun nodded. "I'll tell you when I get mad next time."

"Good job, kid," John rustled his hair, smiling. "What'd Duncan and MacCready say when you apologized?"

"Duncan said he was fine, and Mr. MacCready said he was proud of me," Shaun sat up so he could better see Nate.

"We should get breakfast, and bring something for them to eat, I doubt they'll leave Madelyn," Hancock said, standing.

"Yeah, we'll go get something," the Sentinel stood, holding his boy against him. It seemed to make him feel better, even though he'd previously mentioned his being too old to be carried. "Maybe we'll find Mama and see if she wants to eat with us."

"I wonder if she's seen anything in my destiny," Shaun wondered while they headed out. Dogmeat was in the bedroom, probably lying at the foot of the bed.

"R.J. do you want anything?"

"Um, just bring me whatever," the young man sighed.

Duncan shouted, "Sugar bombs, please!"

"Got it," and the General left with the Mayor of Goodneighbor to find breakfast.