The Return

October 23, 2287

With the enemy dispatched I dismounted from the power armor and made my way back inside the museum, finding Preston and his people waiting in the lobby. All of them seemed to be relieved for the moment—probably the first time any of them had felt thus in a long while. After what Garvey had told me it didn't surprise me much. They had been through a bad couple of months, so I was happy to help them get some reprieve from their bad turn of fortune.

When I arrived, Preston was looking at me as if I was some conquering hero. "That was... a pretty amazing display. I'm just glad you're on our side."

A woman in the group who was less happy with me being around—or possibly with everything in general. Saying "For now." condescendingly. Her husband sighed dissapointedly as he tried to get her to back off. I got the feeling she was the worst among them.

Preston tried to calm things, "Easy, Marcy." but that seemed to just annoy her more.

"Easy? EASY?!" he became very apoplectic. "We've had nothing but bad luck—everything going from bad to worse—and you just want me to relax?" Pointing at him accusingly. "Because of you we lost—!"

"Marcey!" her husband tried to calm her more directly. It seemed to work.

"Whatever." he relented.

"You have to excuse her." Preston said. "As I told you earlier: it's been a tough couple of days." Though he didn't really need to. After all the people they had likely lost, I could imagine that things had worn down their nerves and patience.

As we returned to our conversation, I asked him "So what happens now?"

"Now, we'll be headed for a spot Mama Murphy told us about," he explained as I watched the dog approach Mamma Murphy who proceeded to pet him. "Hopefully we'll be safe there. Or safer than we were last time."

Preston noticed my gaze on the dog and old woman "Speakig of which…" then he turned his attention to the elderly woman. "Mama Murphy, do you know this dog?"

"Dogmeat? No, Preston." she told us. "Not really. I may have seen him once or twice in the past. Never expected to see him again."

"His name's Dogmeat?" I chuckled a little. "What kind of name is Dogmeat?"

"It's his, I guess." Prestin shrugged. "Not that we have much time dwell on it."

"Right." I sighed. "Mind if I join you guys?"

Preston had no argument, neither did much of his party, not even Marcey. So I followed them out into the streets, reequiped the T-45 power armor, rearmed myself with the minigun (which was less full than before) and escorted them back the way Dogmeat and I had just come from.

To my surprise we were headed for the place I had not expected to be there next stop: my hometown. Though it was night time by the time we made our way there.

The fuel of the armor thankfully was enough for me to get across the bridge before it shut down on me.

"Sir!" Codsworth greeted us with some enthusiasm, his usual enthusiasm. "I see Concord was a fruitful endeavor."

"Indeed." I was too tired to say much, but I still tried. "These people want to make Sanctuary their home."

"A handyman, huh?" Preston smiled, seemign to find somethin' appreciable' about the situation. "Nice to see one who isn't tryin' to kill us."

"Yeah, this is Codsworth, he won't attack…as long as you're not one of those oversized roaches and flies." I told 'em. "Now if you'll excuse me I think I'm gonna find me a place to rest." before wandering off back to my old house.

I wasn't exactly thrilled to be back in those ruins of my old life, but it was better with more people besides me and Codsworth in it—making the place feel less lonely. As selfish as it may sound, it made me feel less lonesome

Back in the house, what was left of my old abode, I rested the laser musket next to what was left of my old televesion and reclined back into the couch. It felt bitter to be back in that resting place. It was where I was sittin' when Nora and I were hit with the news of the bombs dropping. I probably should have rested myself in a bed but it was too damaged to use, and even if it wasn't I couldn't bring myself to now that Nora was dead.

As I rested there, my eyes gradually grew heavy; and darkness greeted me.

In the midst of the dark void which was my stay in Morpheus' domain, I heard a voice ask me "Why, Hal?" which was as pleading as it was indignatious. From the darkness a woman's face emerged—Nora's visage—with blood trickling out from a hold in her head and an accusing look to her. "Why was it me, Hal?"

She grabbed her by the throat. "Why couldn't it be you!?"

October 24, 2287

I awoke in a gasp, feeling a hand grab my shoulder.

Jerking up I found it was Preston, bent over me, looking concerned. "You okay, Stranger?"

I pulled myself up as he backed up, telling him as I rubbed my eyes "It's Hal. My name is Hal, Hal Rockitansky."

"Well, Mr. Rockitansky you were making a lot of noise." Preston persisted in his concern. "You okay?"

"Yeah." I told him. "Just had a bad nightmare." before gazing out the window to see the Minuteman's friends were busy building some things. Sturges having a decent looking turret nearly ready for usage. Pointing out at them as I walked toward my laser musket, I asked "What are you guys up to now?"

"Preparing some defenses." Preston told me. "We need some in case more raiders so up…or somethin' worse."

"Ah." I groaned at the thought. It was tedious to think about. It was all more than my mind could fathom. Hoping that the big monster I dealt with the day before—which they told me was called a Deathclas—was the worst of it. This new world I awoke into was more than dangerous. It was more of a nightmare than I could have imagined. Then I remembered the hill nearby and said as I checked my rifle "Well best of luck, I have some business to attend to up the mountain." looking back briefly to clarify "I'll be back to help in a moment."

"What sort of business?"

"I…it would be easier to show you." I told him.

He agreed so I led Preston out of Sanctuary and up the hill to the elevator platform. The whole way up and and we descended into the Vault my mind was rushing with thoughts of possibilities and how the Minuteman would respond.

He's gonna think I'm crazy, I thought.

I hadn't really brought up the matter of my son. I chose not to, not even sure how to bring it up. To tell of it would require recounting what happened leading up to the kidnapping. And how could I do that without sounding mad? Just say 'hey, by the way, I was alive before all of this'? It sounded like somethin' from a pulp comic I would read.

We activated the elevator and once we were inside, I showed Preston to the cryo-boxes. Every step of the way filled me with more trepedation than the previous. In hindsight I'm not sure what made me more anxious–-Preston learning the truth or seeing my beloved wife's corpse—but regardless I forced myself to press forward.

"Oh my God…" Preston gasped. "Who are these people?"

"My neighbors." I informed the last minuteman, admittedly somewhat coldly, then pointed toward Nora with some mighty reluctance "And my wife."

"Your…"

I think that was when some the reality of what I had endured dawned on him. I figured screw it, what else have I got to lose, and decided to come clean. "They froze me, my family, and a bunch of my neighbors not long after the bombs fell."

"Froze you?" I still expected him to think I was crazy, a piece of me was expecting him to accuse me of something insidious, but he didn't. "In that case, I'm very sorry to hear that, Hal." His expression metamorphed into a sympathetic one.

I nodded in acceptance, relieved he seemed to understand my predicament. So I decided to see if he was willing to hear more by telling him "And that wasn't even the worst part."

"What was?"

"One of them killed my wife, all while I was powerless and could do nothing but watch, and then took my son."

"Jesus…" Preston seemed to really be disturbed by that admission. "And you're looking for the bastards that did this?"

"Yes."

"I know a place where you could start lookin'."

"Where?"

"A place south of here, we call it Diamond City." he told me. I was intrigued. But failed to see how this could help. "Maybe someone there could help."

"Perhaps I could start there." I told him. "But first…" I then looked to Nora, then back to Preston. "Could you help me with her real quick?"

He nodded. "Of course."

He helped me bring Nora to the elevator. We made our way back to the surface, then carried her all the way back to Sanctuary. Much to the shock of Garvey's people.

They were asking questions. A lot of questions. So many I stopped trying to answer them all eventually. We buried Nora behind our old house. Then, after putting the last of the dirt over her fresh grave, I stood there in silence. Lost in thoughts. I remembered my nightmare, remembering the specter's question of why it was her and not me, and could only think I don't know.

She never stopped haunting me, she never would. Even to this day I still feel that I failed her.

"I'll find Shaun," I whispered. "I'll find the bastards who did all this."

Preston watched me, resting his shovel against the wall of my house, resting a hand upon my shoulder to ask "You good, Hal?"

I didn't even try to conceal it, he helped me so I thought he deserved the truth. "No." Sighing in a despairing manner. "No, I don't think I ever will be."

"Listen, I know you'll be needin' to go so…"

"You need more help?" I guessed, with some reluctance.

He nodded "Somewhat."

Pinching the bridge of my nose, I told him "Let's hear it."