*I do so much apologize for how long this update has taken and thank you for your reviews, because they definitly helped motivate me to finish this next chapter.
*i.love.an.idiot you're just awesome and I totally appreciate you. I am totally a fast reader and tend to jump over things like that. If there is anything else I missed, please let me know if you have the time.
*I do not have any plans on putting this story on hold, so I promise that updates will still come, no matter what. My plot bunnies are just for later down the line and not 'current' time hahaha
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Arthur had been pacing his room in the Command Deck for at least a half an hour trying to decide on his next move. Vivian wasn't going to stop trying to leave him, that much was certain, and he just simply wouldn't allow that.
But that look in her eyes kept haunting him, kept reminding him that this wasn't anything real. The disgust, the loathing, the contempt- it did nothing but get under his skin and swirl his mind in doubt. He wanted her, but not like this.
While the need for her came alive the moment she sauntered onto his deck, Maxson had wanted her to come to him. Locking her up was far from his ideal scenario; such a proud warrior shouldn't be in chains but at his side.
But he could bet that even now Vivian was trying to get out and would keep trying to get away. And he didn't doubt for a second that she would, it just mattered on when she could. So he needed to be prepared.
That Pip-Boy had a lot of information on it Maxson needed if he wanted to be ahead of Vivian, but hacking into unknown technology wasn't his strong suit. He needed someone trusting enough to get it off the little personal computer.
Proctor Ingram could do it but if anything in the Pip-Boy incriminated Paladin Vaduva, she'd find it suspicious to keep it a secret, especially with how harshly he reacted towards Danse. Someone so by the book couldn't be expected to follow orders that went against that.
A slow smirk spread across his face as he thought. Dr. Li trusted Vivian and wasn't so heavily tied to Brotherhood values. She wouldn't catch infractions like Ingram would and even if she did, Li always had followed her own code. She wouldn't out someone just because their code obliged them to. Not if she needed them or was close to them in any way. Her history has already proven that.
He called for her immediately, already knowing exactly what he was going to say.
Of course the Doctor took her time getting up to the ship, another thirty or so minutes had passed before he heard her voice striking out at him.
"Elder. You know I am very busy woman right? Liberty Prime still has a lot of malfunctions and only so many of your 'scientists' know what they're doing."
"Dr. Li. Always pleasant." Maxson said reserved and her impatient expression tightened. He gestured for them to step further as he spoke. "This is a private assignment. Anything we discuss stays between us, understood?"
The Doctor seemed slightly off put. "Yes, I suppose."
Arthur spoke lower, making sure he kept an eye on who was passing the doorway. "Paladin Vaduva has been more or less working under cover for me and has been inscribing what she could in her Pip-Boy. You're the only on with an outside influence enough for us to trust to get any information you can get off of her device without exposing her."
Dr. Li paused for a moment, arms crossed with a serious look as if she were contemplating his words. "Very well." She finally said nodding. "This should be simple enough. But please try to keep my work to more… important things. A scribe could do this."
Maxson assessed her for a second before turning and unlocking a table in the corner, pulling the Pip-Boy out of a drawer. "Remember, keep this between us. No one else in the Brotherhood needs to know about any of this information. It comes directly back to me."
"Yes, yes. I understand. Now can I get back to work? This will get done before the day is out but I have pressing matters to get to." Li was more than done with the conversation and made it more than known.
With a sigh, the Elder waved her off in a dismissal. "That was all I had for you, Doctor. Don't think I don't value your work with us. The Brotherhood has learned to expect great things from you."
Dr. Li huffed, a taut-lipped frown on her face. "I've learned to expect certain things from the Brotherhood. I hope you'll prove me wrong, Elder. You were a good kid." She quickly stepped away with a tight grip on the Pip-Boy.
Maxson waited until after she was out of the Command Deck before he started pacing again. He was too restless to wait for answers; there was just something about Vivian that managed to constantly do that to him.
He was about to go to her when Lancer Captain Kells strolled into his command room with a slightly concerned expression. "Elder. I apologize to report that no one has seen Paladin Vaduva for about an hour."
Arthur stopped for half of a second before casually responding. "That's my fault, Captain. I forgot to tell you that Paladin Vaduva is currently handcuffed to my latrine for attempting to take my master key. I was actually about to check on her."
Kells awkwardly paused, adjusting his hat. "Well, alright then, Sir. Uh, I'll let someone know to watch the door."
"Very well."
Without a further response from the Elder, Captain Kells nodded and made his way back to his level of the Command Deck.
Alone again and already anxious enough to return to his feisty ward, Arthur hurried to descend to the ladder that led to the rest of the ship. He had the feeling that she was already out the damn handcuffs and was ready to strike back the moment he opened the door.
He paused as he put the key in door, keeping a mental note of the power armored guard standing between his room and the Paladin's before turning the knob. Maxson stepped in and closed the door in one fluid motion, taking a quick glance around the still disarrayed room for Vivian when his eyes fell on her small form still locked to his bed.
She was asleep, still naked and huddled almost in a fetal position at the foot of his bed, one arm still cuffed to the railing with the other draped over her legs. Her head had appeared to have fallen back against the mattress, letting him fully see the black and blue imprints that meshed with blotchy red to form a patchwork necklace across her throat and shoulders.
Shame hit Arthur hard and he had to look away. For everything that had stuck in his mind, he didn't recall leaving her in such a state. Reminding himself of her treachery didn't salve the wretched feeling he had seeing Vivian like that, knowing that it was his own selfishness that did it.
He walked up to her with a somber gaze, softly grabbing her wrist to unlock it but ended up startling the sleeping woman.
Almost instantaneously, Vivian flinched away from him with a short gasp, her pale blue eyes flickering up in fear before hardening to contempt. They stared at one another for a few seconds in silence before she locked her jaw and shut her eyes.
Maxson's expression tightened as he unlocked the cuff that was latched to the bed and lightly tugged on the metal to make her stand. Part of him hated himself for how she tensed and clenched her fists before stretching out her legs and rising, gaze firmly on the ground. The other part was fiercely telling himself that she was traitor that only wanted to fight him at every turn.
But even still, he pulled her to the shower, making sure they avoided the shattered glass on the floor. He clipped the handcuff to the bar along the wall under the showerhead. She still didn't look at him, body rigid and shivering. "Clean yourself up, Vivian." Arthur said while offering a bar of soap. When she didn't move he sighed and grabbed her hand, making her take it. "Dammit, Vivian, I didn't want it to be like this. You're actions brought this on."
Fire came alive once again as she spat back, glaring into the Elder's darker eyes. "'My actions'? I have been trying to save everyone from the goddamn start! I could have let them all burn this fucking ship to the fucking ground but I didn't! I should have but I didn't because I had some stupid fucking idea to help everyone in this godforsaken wasteland and you just want to fuck it all up."
He turned to her aggressively. "I'm not letting you jeopardized everything I have done for the Brotherhood! Aiding the enemy will never be bringing the Brotherhood to victory! I don't care about the lies the Institute have fed you." Arthur grabbed her roughly by the chin and stared her down. "I will do whatever it takes to make you loyal to me alone." And then he was crushing her mouth with his, tasting her lips before she could rile him up further.
She struggled against him for a second before exhaling a defeated sigh and simply became unresponsive.
Maxson let her go as abruptly as he grabbed her, turning to stand one of his center chairs within her reach and tossed a towel on it. "Just shower, Paladin. Don't fight me." He turned away from her harsh glare, despising what it meant. "I'll be back with another uniform. Listen for once. It'll benefit you."
Without a final glance he walked out and locked the door behind him, needing to pause outside to take a deep breath to calm himself. That woman got to him when she shouldn't have. He was the damn Elder and she made him lose his control in an instant.
But that was going to get him nothing but grief if he didn't get it contained soon.