Reagan threw her last punch, sending Rhys to the ground with a heavy thud. Madelyn and Merrin smiled, cheering and clapping. "Yeah! You got him, Reagan!"

The knight smiled and helped her opponent up. "You have to see that left hook coming, I swear I use it every time."

"Shut up," Rhys groaned, rubbing his jaw. "If I saw it, I would have dodged it."

"Just too good, then, huh, Logan?" Reagan elbowed him lightly, smiling wide. He rolled his eyes and threw an arm around her shoulders to pull her into his side. She growled in his face like an animal, but her smile told them it was a joke.

"Knight, Rhys," a scribe ran up to them. His name always slipped Madelyn's mind, but she knew him well enough to associate him with his crippling awkwardness. "Paladin Danse has asked for you two."

Reagan immediately pulled out of Rhys's grip and was gone without a second glance at her friends. "Bye…?" Merrin whispered and looked over at Madelyn who shrugged and glanced at a rather frustrated looking Knight Rhys.

"You should probably go," the squire suggested and he turned a glare on her. She lifted her hands in surrender, and he departed.

"So, just you, me, and Briars, then," Merrin smiled, looking at the other scribe.

"Oh, I–uh– can't stay, Quinlan needs me to–uh, go on a research patrol," he explained and pulled at his collar. "I mean, not that I don't want to hang out with you guys, I'd love to –as long as you wanted me to, of course. I wouldn't just barge in and demand you let me spend time–"

"Briars," Merrin lifted a hand to get him to stop.

"Sorry," he breathed and left.

"He's an odd one," Madelyn commented and then shifted one of her belts on her stomach to a more comfortable position.

"He's okay, just needs a backbone," Merrin shrugged and stood up. "What do you want to do?"

"Go on a real mission," the squire sighed and the scribe smiled back at her.

"You'll get promoted soon, I just know it. Maxson's not that dense."

"I don't know, for some reason I get the feeling that he's punishing me for something I haven't done yet?" Madelyn followed her as she led the way toward the mess hall.

"I'm sure he has a plan, he's that kinda guy," Merrin waved a hand and Madelyn nodded her agreement.

"Maybe I'll swing by and check on him before I check in with Lancer-Captain Kells?" she looked at her friend as they stopped outside the double doors, smelling the mix of flavors from the food.

"Give him my best then, and Reagan's, or just tell him to shave again, she likes to remind him to do that," the scribe smiled and Madelyn laughed a little.

"Always thought it was weird she didn't ever… try to get with him?" Madelyn commented. Reagan may have loved Danse, but she had a sex drive that needed more maintenance than the Prydwen, which meant she was easily frustrated. Hence her arrangement with Rhys, and… others.

"I think it links back to when we were squires," Merrin's brows frowned in thought. "He, uh, did something a bit embarrassing, but anyway," she waved her hands at her. "Either go or stay, make up your mind, I need to eat something."

"Hey there, virgins."

Merrin and Madelyn both sighed in frustration and their shoulders slumped. The Lancer that approached was smiling widely, looking accomplished. "What do you want, Glass?" Madelyn frowned at him.

"Guess who just got promoted?"

"Oh, congratulations, Michael," Merrin smiled and offered him a handshake. He laughed and scooped her into a hug and she stiffened, shocked by the movement. "Michael, stahp!"

"Oh, calm down, virgin," he laughed and looked over at Madelyn.

"No," she lifted a finger to warn him off. "I have a knife."

"Squires aren't supposed to have weapons."

"Well this one has the Elder's permission," she snapped. He frowned.

"How'd you get so chummy with him anyway?" his eyes narrowed. He knew that Maxson had found her, but over time she and he had publicly downplayed their relationship. "Oh god, you didn't fuck him did you?"

Madelyn gagged, and turned away, "Christ."

"Hah, virgin," the Lancer chuckled and looked back at Merrin. "So, you gonna help me celebrate?" His wink made Merrin roll her eyes.

"No, I'm not."

"Fine," he rustled her hood and passed her. "Maybe I'll just find Reagan."

"She's with Danse, good luck."

"Damn," he frowned and looked back at her with narrow eyes as if to determine if she was just saying it to get him to leave her allow. Then he shrugged and pushed both doors to the mess hall open. "Jennifer! I got some news!"

"Ugh, Jennifer," Merrin's eyes rolled so far back they disappeared.

"What's wrong with Jennifer?"

"She's a ho," the scribe huffed and Madelyn's eyebrows jumped in surprise. Merrin never spoke that way. "Anyway, give Arthur my best, I need to eat something."

"Okay, Merr, see you," Madelyn gave her friend a quick hug and went off to talk to Maxson.

Madelyn opened her eyes and looked at the darkness that was Nate's bedroom. She didn't know how she'd gotten here, and she was too tired to think of an explanation, or care. When she looked around she noticed MacCready was lying beside her in the bed, asleep on his side so that he was facing her. She studied his face for a moment, taking in his features.

She had never imagined she would end up with anyone like him. The men she'd liked back at the Citadel and on the Prydwen had all been big and mean looking. Well, for the most part. Robert was different. He was lean, and didn't look like he could take too many punches before he'd be down and out for the count. But that didn't bother her, because he was quick, and smart, and he was a damn good shot. She'd know that since she met him. And honestly, she felt like she liked that more than someone who went in, guns blazing, and punching things with their power armored fists.

She wished he would join the Brotherhood. It would be so nice to see him with her on the Prydwen. And she could probably talk Maxson into letting them be in the same unit like he had Reagan and Danse.

Madelyn tried to move and touch MacCready's face, but her limbs were heavy. Instead she was stuck just watching him as he slept. "Hey," she whispered softly, her voice cracking. She wanted to see his eyes.

He woke up immediately, looing completely well rested. "You're awake," he smiled and was shifting so that he was able to look at her better. She smiled at him. "How are you feeling, Maddy?" he whispered and came closer to her, and arm draped over her so that his chest was against her side.

"I'm… just tired," she admitted and watched his face. "What… happened?"

"I was hoping you could tell me," he frowned and leaned in close to her. She closed her eyes when his forehead rested against hers. "I was… so worried, I thought…" he couldn't say the words.

"What?" she was very confused.

"You don't remember?" he pulled away to look at her and she looked up at him.

"I remember going to sleep in the bunkhouse," she shook her head. He frowned and she realized something very bad had happened. "What is it?"

"You almost died," he whispered, pain filling his face. "I found you by the water, and you weren't breathing… I brought you here." He held her face in a gentle hand and touched his forehead to hers again; she saw the tears in his closed eyes through the darkness. "I thought I'd lost you."

"I'm here," she whispered and forced herself to lift her arms and touch his bicep. It was so hard to move, and it exhausted her. "I'm alive, Robert."

"Madelyn, I love you," he whispered and kissed her cheek. It stole her breath, and she felt tears come to her eyes.

"I…" she closed her eyes and then tilted her head to get a better look at his face. "I love you, too."

He smiled at her and gently kissed her lips. It only lasted a moment, but it meant the world to her. "I don't know how you got down to the water, but I swear, I will find out who did this."

"It… could have been Rick," she breathed and he narrowed his eyes, looking angry. She didn't like that. "Please, can… we talk about something else?" She tried to touch his face, but her arm only made it to his jaw. "We… we love each other," she smiled and he refocused, nodding.

"Yeah," he smiled and kissed her cheek lightly. "You look so tired."

"I am…" she breathed and closed her eyes. "Will you hold me while I sleep?"

"I'm never letting you go," he promised and she smiled faintly. Robert tucked an arm under her pillow and settled in so that his other arm was draped across her stomach and his face rested next to hers. She tilted her head so she could kiss him. He adjusted so that she had easier access to his lips and kissed her back. "Go to sleep, love."

"Okay," she smiled, her cheeks flushing at the name. She closed her eyes and let out a long, quiet sigh, listening to him hum quietly.

Madelyn was lying in the bunkhouse, and opened her eyes to see Rick standing over her, his killer smile spread over his scarred lips. "Hey there, Maddy."

"I…" she shook her head. "No, you… you can't be here."

"Oh? Why's that?" he gave her a quizzical look, but smirked all the same.

"Robert!" she rolled out of the bed and looked to see the bunks around her were empty.

"Oh… can't find your mercenary?"

She glared at Rick and stood up. "What did you do to him?"

"The same thing I tried to do to you," he admitted, looking annoyed that someone had foiled the plan. "It was smart… not drinking that beer. Tell me, did you know I put something on the lip? You saw my thumb, didn't you?" He frowned a little, standing up when she did.

"I–yes, I saw it," she looked up at him.

He shook his head and put his hands on his hips. "Damn, I'm losing my touch. It's a good thing you're such a heavy sleeper though. I just had to sneak in here and pick you right up off that bed." He looked at the mattress.

She gaped at him and looked at the bed, then around at all the others. "Where are they?!" she shouted.

"Just… look, Madelyn."

She ran away from him, running down stairs to the outside. As soon as she was outside the sun turned on and she saw Sanctuary, but there was no one walking around. No one on guard duty. No one at the cooking station. No one anywhere. She ran through the streets. "Nate?!" tears filled her eyes. "Robert?! Duncan?!" the tears fell down her cheeks. "Hancock?! Anyone?!"

"Oh, Duncan? Who's this?" Rick's voice came from right over her shoulder and she turned to see him standing here. Dressed in his blue coat, with his black scarf around his throat, and the fedora on his head.

"I'm not telling you if you don't already know," she growled, feeling her face flush in anger.

"Oh, it's Mac's boy, isn't it?" She clenched her jaw and her fists balled up. "Ah, yes, that's right, tell me everything." He leaned down, putting them on the same level. She glared into his glowing blue eyes.

"This is a nightmare."

"Oh," he looked hurt, but then he smiled. "No, don't think like that. I prefer… dream," he nodded and she looked passed him, seeing something in the water.

"Oh my God…" she pushed passed him and started running again. Instantly she was at the water looking at the whole population of Sanctuary floating face down in all directions. Her jaw dropped and her lip trembled. "Robert…? Duncan…?"

They were the closest to the shore with Nate and Hancock nearby. Then she saw the back of Maxson's coat. She gasped, seeing her friends and comrades in the water as well. "Oh, no this isn't right," Rick said behind her, over her right shoulder. "No… this isn't what you fear most, is it, Maddy? This is bad… but there's something worse in your eyes than death."

The scene around them changed and they were back in the Capital Wasteland. No… no, they were still in the Commonwealth, they were in Sanctuary… and Sanctuary was gone, leveled in favor of a slave camp. "No…" she breathed and noticed the corals and cages that sprung up filled with faces she'd seen. "No… no," she felt the tears stream down her cheeks when Duncan's face came into view. He was being dragged away from Robert who was held by three large slavers.

"No! Stop! I'll do anything!" he yelled at the woman pulling away his son. Madelyn saw the red light of his slave collar flash, and a sob broke through her lips.

"Let him go!" she screamed and ran for the woman who held Duncan as he cried.

A man knelt down in front of them and clasped a collar around the five-year-old's neck. "No!" Robert cried out, his voice breaking. She saw the tears run down his face and he threw punches at the men holding him. Then one of them held him down and pressed a button on his collar.

"Shouldn't have done that," the faceless man growled and then kicked MacCready away from them so that he stumbled down toward Madelyn. She stopped her run and realized she had made no progress closer to the scene. She'd been running in place.

When Robert came to a stop in front of her she saw how weak he was, thin, starved, and sickly. She bent to touch him, but the beeping from his collar stole her breath, and he looked at her right when it blew, popping his head like she'd seen so many other slaves' when they tried to escape or the slavers grew bored. Her heart shattered, and she fell to her knees by his lifeless body. "NO!" she screamed so loud she woke up from the nightmare, hearing Rick's wicked laughter echo in her ears.

"Maddy!" Robert's voice was calming, and his touch was cool against her burning flesh. She tried to slow her breathing and realized now that her abdomen hurt. She'd sat up too fast. "Madelyn, you're okay," he pressed his forehead into her temple and she trembled, sobbing with fierce tears dripping down her cheeks.

"I–you were…" she shook her head to clear it and looked at him. She touched his face, a renewed energy in her limbs. She needed to feel him, his neck, to know there was no collar. Her fingers brushed smooth skin and soft stubble that tried to grow.

"What is it?" he whispered. She noticed it was daytime, but he had remained in bed with her, holding her just like she had asked.

"You were… dead, you had a collar," she shook her head, closing her eyes, but the image was there, so she opened them again and met his blue eyes. "A slave collar. And they blew your head off," she sobbed, and held his face, feeling his skin under her fingertips. "And they put one on Duncan and you attacked them and that's why they killed you–" she coughed and he held her, tightly against his chest. She touched it, feeling his muscles and how strong he was. He wasn't like he was in the dream. It was just a nightmare.

"Shh," he whispered and stroked her hair, brushing it from her face. "We're safe here. Nate's house is probably the safest place in the Commonwealth."

She shook her head. "No… the Prydwen is," she breathed and closed her eyes. She was so thankful Maxson hadn't been in her dream. It had hurt so bad to see just Robert and Duncan in the collars.

Robert frowned a little, "Do you want to go to the Prydwen?"

"I can't… not yet," she breathed and opened her eyes. "You'd take me?"

"Of course I would, Madelyn," he breathed and tilted his head at her. "If you wanted to go back I'd go with you."

"With me? Like, onto the ship?" she whispered.

"Well, I'm not going to let Maxson tear you a new one without making him go through me first," he smirked. She smiled at him, wide, and wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him, more tears spilling down her cheeks. He held her, pulling her into his lap. "I love you, Madelyn. I'm not letting you out of my sight again."

"I wish you'd join up," she whispered and he frowned a little. She didn't look at him then, knowing she'd ruined the mood. "I love you, too, Robert, I just want to be with you." She rested her forehead against his jaw and closed her eyes. Again the image of him standing in a flight suit with his sniper rifle over his shoulder, flashed into her mind's eye.

"Maybe… maybe I will," he said suddenly.

Madelyn's eyes snapped open and she stared at him, "Wha… really?" She blinked.

"Yeah… I mean," he shrugged, "There's obviously a reason you love them so much. Maybe they've changed."

"Robert…" she breathed, gazing at him.

"I said… maybe," he whispered. "I… don't know for sure."

"I… I can't," she held him tightly, burying her face in his neck. "That means the world to me, Robert!"

He held her and she felt him tangle his fingers in her green hair. "Love is about compromise, and the Brotherhood is your family. I can't expect to be with you without having to deal with them."

"I don't know what to say."

"Just love me back, Madelyn," he whispered. She nodded.

"Yes, always and forever."

"Just, give me some time to think about it, and… bare with me," he sighed, sounding uncomfortable.

She held his face in her hands, feeling his cool skin under her fingertips. "I'm with you." She leaned in and kissed him. He kissed her back and she pulled in closer, adjusting so she was facing him in his lap. His hands slid down her sides and she kept her arms around his neck.

Fatigue seeped into her limbs, and Madelyn sighed against his mouth, pulling away a little. He sat up straighter, holding her. "Tired?"

"I don't want to sleep… I'm afraid of what I'll dream."

"Dream of something nice," he said, his lips in her hair as he spoke. She rested her head against his chest and closed her eyes.

"Like what?"

"Like this," he rubbed her back. "Dream of me holding you. In your own room, on the Prydwen," he added. She smiled.

"You in a flight suit…" she breathed and felt him sigh. "I think you'd look nice in orange."

"Oh God," he huffed, but laughed and she smiled, letting herself relax against him. "Sleep well, love."

"Mmm." She listened to the music float in from the living room. Robert hummed along to Atom Bomb Baby, and she drifted off smiling.

Arthur held Madelyn's hand as they walked through the maze of tables. "I have a couple friends, they'll like you," he promised and she stumbled behind him, holding onto his hand tightly so that she wouldn't lose him. He didn't seem to notice he was walking too fast for her little legs.

"Thank you," she breathed and tripped over herself.

"Hey, guys!" Arthur stopped in front of a table with some very large kids around his age. "This is Madelyn Dangerfield, Lyons kinda adopted her," he informed them. There were four of them, two girls and two boys, sitting across from each other with their same gender. Madelyn looked at the boys first, as the one closest to her was very large and seemed to be the eldest of them all.

He had a head of brown hair shaved short on the sides, and long on top, as many soldiers seemed to have. His eyes were dark and cast into shadow from his heavy brow. His nose was thick down the center of his face with the appearance that it had already been broken at least twice, and he had downward turned lips. He only looked at her for a moment before picking up his tray and leaving.

This left an orange haired boy who sat much taller than the others, alone on his side of the bench. His green eyes followed the older boy, before flickering to Madelyn, and he smirked at her, wrinkling the freckles of his face. He looked nice, and his smile was kind.

The girls were very different from each other. The one across from the ginger boy sort of looked like a boy, but Madelyn was currently in the same state she was, with a shaved head and spare clothes, so she was able to tell the difference. She was nice enough looking, though, very shy and with downcast eyes, though. The other girl was pretty, very pretty, with big amber eyes and a mess of freckles littering her face with a focus around her nose and cheekbones. Her hair fell down to her shoulder in full brown curls.

"That was Logan Rhys," Arthur was saying, pointing at the boy that left. "This is Michael Glass, and Reagan Knight, and Merrin Debris," he pointed them out and she gave a tiny wave.

"That's a cool name," Reagan said with a smile while Arthur helped Madelyn climb into the bench next to Michael, where the other boy had been.

"Th-thank you…"

"Lyons and I came up with it," Maxson said with a puff of pride in his chest.

"So you didn't have a name before?" Reagan asked, her dark brows knitting together.

She shook her head, and Michael placed a hand on her shoulder. "Don't think you could have gotten a cooler name."

"Thank you," she breathed, and swallowed, looking at his green eyes. He was cute, and he knew it. He tilted his head at her and then placed a large hand on the top of her and rustled her shaved head.

Maxson placed some food in front of Madelyn, and she slowly took a bite. Michael removed his hand from her. When the taste of the food slide down her throat she breathed a gratitude before shoveling more food into her mouth, quickly.

"Gonna give Merr a run for her money," he commented, and Madelyn looked at the other girl confused. "So far you look and act alike. Gonna have to see who makes the cuter Brahmin."

Reagan giggled, and Merrin's eyebrows shifted in a mix of jealousy and confusion as if she didn't know if she should be offended or not. Arthur frowned. "Don't call her that, she's been practically starved, of course she's not going to have table manners."

Reagan breathed through her lips, making a funny noise. "He's just messing."

"Thank you," Madelyn whispered, unable to say anything else. She didn't think she'd ever stop saying those two little words. After everything the Brotherhood had done for her, she'd never be able to repay them.