Note: *cough* LadyAvon *cough* This one's on you ;)

Took some liberties with MacCready's story, here, hoping it works.

Always.

MacCready had his hands shoved into the pockets of his coat, leaning against a tree north of the Hills. Danse had stomped off a while back, after he'd realized that MacCready wasn't going to show him his back and risk getting shot. The only response that prompted was a chuckle and a swift about-face as the former Paladin left him alone in the woods, still dripping from being thrown into the water.

He'd been staring at a rock for the past half-hour, doing nothing―no. Not nothing. Thinking. Trying not to lose his temper. Imagining himself staring at that asshole's face through a scope.

Yeah. Thinking.

Because he was angry. Because he didn't know if he could keep his temper inside the settlement. Because Danse had just given him some kind of ultimatum and he didn't know if he could face her, right now―

Thinking he was a coward because of that, even if he hadn't stood down from Danse's challenge. At least Ruby hadn't ever threatened to shoot him. If she'd tried... he smiled. She'd gotten better at shooting. Not by enough, though.

As funny as the thought was, he still couldn't put away the anger. Tried to think about something else, something nice―something like―

Ruby said she wanted to be something more. They hadn't had the time to really... MacCready blinked as the sunlight grew stronger. To get more comfortable. There weren't many safe places out in the wastes, for them to...

Ruby barely slept. He'd asked her about that, but she said it was an old habit. Muttered something about legal papers needing filing. Pre-War stuff. Stuff he'd never be able to figure out, anyway, and by the time she'd put her head to a mattress, he was already asleep. The chances of them being able to find a moment truly alone―

Like that time up at the Vault. Without... well, everything that'd been the reason why she went there. He wanted...

Just her and him, sitting somewhere, holding onto each other and never letting go. That was what he wanted. He still remembered how tightly she'd held on, and how badly she'd been shaken. How much he wanted to hold her and just... make everything better.

He'd felt comfortable enough inside the Vault, to try to make things better. Hadn't told her the truth, back then. Told her the truth about herself, that she wasn't okay. But hadn't been able to really tell her everything, about―

MacCready pushed off the thought and tried to focus himself. He'd been comfortable enough to touch Ruby, up at the Vault. To hug her, without wondering if she was going to pull away or elbow him off, unlike...

He scoffed, crossing his legs. After the synth attack, he'd tried to hold her―and it didn't pan out, of course. Couldn't get a moment alone in the Hills. Just like that time up in the Vault. Danse coming back and finding her clinging to him, treating the situation like he was in charge. Telling him he didn't trust him, not for a moment.

Wouldn't surprise him if Danse had his own idea for getting Ruby, back then. Now that he thought about it, it made that comment about "not being the right fit" all the more unsettling.

Danse thinking he had a right to tell her when she was allowed to hug him? Bullshit. That stupid comment about affection made sense, if he thought about it like that. He was jealous, plain and simple. All his talk about being better, and Danse couldn't even admit to himself he was jealous.

MacCready glared at the rock so hard he felt like he could break it through sheer willpower. Well, the asshole didn't stand a chance, anymore―

And Danse's stupid pep talk? Just like all the other times they'd had a conversation, it'd ended up with MacCready put out and Danse thinking he'd won. MacCready knew he didn't stand a chance against the freak in that power armor, but―

Could've gone a lot worse. Danse was right about Ruby being forgiving. She was almost too forgiving. Brought to mind some things he needed to get off his chest, and... if he didn't make good again on his promise to Duncan, to do better...

He would lose everything. Wouldn't admit that the synth was right about what he'd said. Couldn't argue he was in the wrong, either. His pride wouldn't let him, and... hell, that pride was what got him into this scrape to begin with. Dammit―

He really had gotten her hurt. More times than he'd wanted, he knew. Danse was holding him accountable for the times he'd fucked up, because he should have known better than to lob a Molotov into a room with a leaking fuel tank―

Maybe she'd told him she broke her arm because she fell into the Gullet, and he'd put two and two together. MacCready had been out with her at the time. Wasn't like he didn't have a reputation for making mistakes and causing accidents.

Even if Danse didn't know... it really was his own fault. MacCready sighed, tilted his head down, and stared at his feet. She'd picked him, right? She wanted him. Not that fre―

"Did anyone find out where the synths relayed in, from?"

It startled him, her voice cutting through the trees. He turned his head to see Ruby coming over the creek and toward him. Watched her moving down the hill, only pushing himself into a stand when she got closer. She still looked unhappy. Join the club, he thought, crossing his arms over his chest.

He shrugged. "Don't think so," he said, successfully keeping the anger out of his voice.

Ruby pursed her mouth and put her hands on her hips. Standing like that, she reminded him of when Lucy would get irritated at him―

He felt the ache, but ignored it. Watched her looking up at the rocks that led up to the Vault entrance, saw her shaking her head. "We've got to end this, now," she said, firmly. "I won't have Shaun's miscreations coming down on innocent people. Need to ask Sturges if he's done with―"

"You forget something?" MacCready interrupted, staring at her. He knew how important dealing with the Institute was, but... she'd promised. That day off.

Ruby's head swiveled back to him with a sharp look, her eyebrows drawn together over darkened eyes. "I can't remember everything, MacCready," she said, grumpily. "What did I forget, this time?"

He leaned back onto the tree and went back to staring at the rock. "Never mind," he grumbled. The anger had slipped back into his voice. Dammit, and he'd been trying to let that go―

She frowned, staring at him. "...What's gotten into you?" she asked. "I know I'm not in the best of moods, but―"

"Nothing," he muttered, staring at the rock. Could see her out of the corner of his eye, see her growing frustrated.

"Okay..." Ruby lowered her hands from her hips, holding them at her waist. "Look, I know we've not really had time to..." She stared at her hands, looking nervous. "Well, we haven't had time for...for this." She motioned at the both of them, with one finger. "What with everything going on." She sighed. "I'm sorry. For elbowing you, too." She made a face.

"It's nothing, Ruby," MacCready repeated. "Nothing to do with you, anyway." He shifted his weight and clenched his fists. Still angry. Didn't wanna take it out on her.

She moved closer, reaching out a hand to touch his shoulder. "Hey," she said, a little softer. "Whatever it is, you can tell me, you know."

"I know," he strained out, but left it at that. Wasn't about to let her get in the middle of this―thing―that Danse was on about. Knowing her, she'd place herself firmly in between them and verbally thrash the both of them.

MacCready opened his mouth to say something, but was interrupted by a blonde head suddenly thrusting itself under his chin. Ruby was leaning onto his chest, her arms wrapped around his hips, drawing him into her. He closed his eyes and held her, feeling her slow breathing, as she pressed him backward into the tree.

"You wanted to have a nice day, right?" she said, her voice muffled by his coat. "Before it all goes to hell, you said."

"Yeah," he said, opening his eyes to stare off into the Hills. Didn't know what he'd expected. Of course Danse was standing there, watching him. MacCready narrowed his eyes at the synth freak. For the love of―

"I don't know if we can, MacCready." Ruby rubbed her forehead on his shoulder and sighed. "There's―all these attacks. The Institute is sending synths to attack us, now. ...Maybe it would be better to wait until after―"

MacCready didn't hear what she was saying. Danse was staring pretty hard at them, flicking his eyes from Ruby's head to MacCready's face. Had a look on his that wasn't pleasant. MacCready knew he'd probably like to shoot him, right this moment. He glared right back at him, unfraid.

Who cared what he thought. This was what was happening―

But if Danse was gonna keep score like that, watching them like―well, MacCready had his own secret weapon. Wasn't anything keeping him from taking Ruby out somewhere, away from here. That freak couldn't even leave the Hills without the Brotherhood trying to kill him―

"How about now," he asked her, suddenly. "Let's go somewhere."

"What?" she muffled.

"These guys got the attacks under control, right now," he said, looking down at her hair. "Got that fre―got Danse, watching out for them. Garvey, too. They'll be okay."

Ruby turned her head and he felt her nose brushing against his collarbone. "But what about―"

"If we don't get out of here now, we'll never have that day off." Danse was still staring at him. "Right now is the best time to go."

"Maybe," she said, slowly. "Well, I..." Her hands tightened on his back. "Where would we go?"

MacCready laid his head down on top of hers, and sought out an ear through the curls. "That's my secret," he said. "Remember?"

Ruby sighed, and let go of him, pushing herself away. "MacCready―"

"Just trust me." He gave her the best smooth look he could, watching her face.

She leaned back on her heels, and closed her eyes. "I do trust you," she said. "I..."

He watched her for a moment as she tried to collect her thoughts. "You're a mess, Ruby," he said, crossing his arms again. "You can't even think straight, with everything going on. How are we supposed to take down the Institute, if―" He made a frustrated noise.

"I always manage something," she muttered, opening her eyes and staring at the ground. Rubbed her shoulder and glanced back at the Hills. She must have seen Danse standing there, seen the look on his face.

" 'Everyone needs a chance to let it out.' " MacCready shifted his weight again.

She looked back at him, frowning. "What―" she started. "That―oh."

"You said, no matter what's going on, if I wanted to talk to you..." he let his voice trail off. "Well, I do."

"Yeah," she said. She hiked up a corner of her mouth and gave him a tired smile. "Okay."

"Let's get out of here," he told her. "Just go away for a day and―" he snapped his mouth shut. Danse was moving toward them, over the ground. Christ, could he make it any more obvious that he was spying―

"Okay," Ruby said again. She started walking toward the east, away from the footbridge area. "Let's go."

MacCready threw a triumphant look at Danse before keeping pace with Ruby. The freak made a face, stopping himself short to watch them leaving. Ruby kept walking. Whether she saw him or―didn't matter. MacCready'd won this one.

"I was serious about not shooting people, though," Ruby reminded him, as they walked away.

"I don't know whether to throttle you or throw you off this thing," she growled, staring at MacCready through the murky light of the predawn.

He shot her faint smile and shrugged, leaning against the overpass support. "You said no shooting people," he answered, the smile fading. "Didn't say no overpasses."

She let her face fall, grumpily. "I didn't think you'd bring me up on one," she muttered. "Seriously, after all the times I've fallen from―"

"I got you, Ruby," he said, seriously. Gave her one of those heart-melting intense looks he pulled off so well. She couldn't help it but to let the feelings get to her. But... his body language said he was defensive, and she wasn't sure what was up―

"Alright―" she threw her hands out, in confusion. "But why here? Of all the overpasses to pick from―" she gestured out at the land below them, then at the ruins of Quincy. "Why this one?"

"To be honest..." he said, sadly. "This is the first part of the Commonwealth I saw, when I came north."

She blinked at him. Wasn't sure of the significance of that. She turned to look out over Quincy, at what had been left after the Massacre.

There was the church where Sturges had lived. Mama Murphy's little stash had been squirreled away on a balcony somewhere in the tangles of lights that hung through the town. She'd read Jun's terminal entries talking about Kyle, even though it hurt her to know what would come for the boy. She hadn't found Shaun, yet, and the pain was sharp for her―

All the people who'd been chased out of the town―the Minutemen who'd died protecting the settlers―Mama Murphy, Sturges, Jun and Marcy, they'd lost so much. She'd been to Quincy, she'd taken out the Gunners that clung to the place. Took revenge for the settlers who'd come to her home and made a new life there. Quincy wouldn't be the same, ever again, but...

Danse had been with her, that day. He didn't seem to like the Gunners any more than anyone else in the Commonwealth did, and was happy to mow them down. Her exploration of the place was cut short by a call from the Minutemen, to aid―

Ruby shook her head and cleared it of those thoughts. Didn't need to be thinking about work, right now. This was... the day off. She'd told MacCready she would go with him. Owed him to put her mind to this, not...

"When I was here, before," he said, staring off into the distance. "There was a town here. Not just this Gunner crap, but an actual town. All those people in the Hills were here." He looked down at his feet. "Me and Lucy..." He sighed.

"I thought you came here by yourself?" she asked, slightly concerned. If he'd―if he brought his family up here... where could they have lived? There were too many raiders, too many Super Mutants, and―wait, he'd said something about that. What was it...?

He open and closed his mouth, sighing through his nose. "Me and Lucy came here after we left D.C. Was a mistake." He rubbed his eye, coughing. "I―look, I haven't told you everything. I didn't expect you'd want to―" He crossed his arms and tilted his head down, hiding his face. "That you wanted more than friendship. You deserve the truth."

"I..." she answered, watching him. "Well, if you'd wanted me to know, you'd have told me, MacCready."

Her own problems had been aired. Had been spread around the Commonwealth. It'd never occurred to her to ask any of the others for more information, because, well...

It wasn't her place to ask that sort of thing. Anyone who'd needed help―she'd offered it, and hadn't asked many questions. Did a poor job of cross-examining the witnesses, she told herself. Shame on me.

"You never said anything about what Vadim said," he went on. "When we were in Diamond City."

Ruby bit her lip. "...I think we've established that I've got memory problems," she muttered, sorely.

MacCready nodded, and coughed, wiping his nose. "Aren't many options down there, but up here―" he gestured at Quincy again. "Up here, there's money. More money than you'd want. Maybe more than you'd ever need."

"The Gunners," she said, staring out at the ruins.

"Already knew the job," he said, bitterly. "Worked for Talon Company, down in the Capital." He shook his head. "Shouldn't have. Lucy probably knew, but―"

"It's okay, MacCready," Ruby said, shutting down the line of thought. "When did you come back to the Commonwealth?"

"...Uh," he coughed, rubbing his nose again. "That's the thing."

"You..." She looked at him over her shoulder. He's nervous? she thought. More than he'd been, before.

"I never left," he said abruptly, shooting her a glance. "Couldn't. The contract with the Gunners―I couldn't break it. Not with my family still here. We couldn't leave."

Ruby frowned, turned back to him. "But you―"

"Said I left them behind," he finished. "Old habits die hard. I told you I was a liar." He slumped down against the overpass support, looking miserable.

She sighed. "Alright," she said, crossing her arms and staring at him. MacCready tilted his head down and hid his eyes again. "Why tell me now? It's not like it..." She shook her head. "It doesn't change anything, does it?"

"I thought... well, you..." he grimaced and made a frustrated noise. "If you want me to go, I'll go. Don't need... me, making things difficult―or lying like I have―"

"What?" Ruby scoffed, dropping her arms and moving closer to him. "Why would I want you to go? I―"

"All that―with Daisy," he mumbled, interrupting her. "Was a show. Just to be careful. I couldn't trust... that you would be able to get the cure. Duncan isn't on any homestead."

She drew in a sharp breath. "MacCready―"

"I... If we're doing―" he motioned between them with one finger. "This, then―" he sighed, and looked up at her from the slump. "I have to trust you with the truth. The whole truth." His eyes were shining in the dim light. If he started crying again...

"And the truth is?" she asked, narrowing her eyes at him and pressing her mouth together. She could guess where he was going with this. Didn't like the lying, but... really didn't want to see him getting upset.

"He's here, in the Commonwealth." MacCready dropped his gaze and blew out a puff of air, as if he were relieved. "I―Look, I had good reason―"

"I understand, MacCready," she said, softly. "I do. It's... okay."

"If you say so," he said, awkwardly. "I get it, if you don't want... me, around."

Ruby stared at him, crossing her arms again. Would have to do some hard thinking, but really, this revelation only made him more... MacCready. Didn't change anything beyond―

"Well, you're definitely not going into the Institute with me, now," she said, looking away.

He glanced up, sharply, lowering his hands and slumping even more. "Don't blame you," he muttered.

"But that's only because of Duncan," she added, bringing her eyes back to him. "Not because I want you to go away." She blew a piece of hair out of her face. "He needs you. I need you, too, but―I'm not going to take a parent away from a child, for any reason. You know that."

MacCready straightened up a little. She watched him, swallowing a dry lump in her throat. "I want you to stay, MacCready. I'm doing what I can to make things work. You are, too, I know."

"We're only human," he muttered. An angry look passed over his face, briefly.

"Doesn't matter what we are," she said, pointedly. "Whether we're synth, or ghoul, or human beings―" She stood straighter herself, glancing to the northeast where she knew Diamond City was. "We are who we are."

She moved even closer to him, staring at his face. "And that's the way it should be," she added, softly.

MacCready stared at her, blinking furiously, before standing up and wrapping his arms around her. He shuddered, moving to put his head on her shoulder. She grabbed the back of his head and interrupted the motion with a kiss, pushing him backward into the concrete.

He grunted as his back hit the support, moving one of his hands to the back of her head and threading it through her hair. She only pulled away when he broke off the kiss, reluctantly.

"For once in my life, everything's going right... and I have you to thank for it," he said, looking her in the eyes. "I don't think anyone in the world could ask for a greater gift than that."

Ruby smiled, laid her head on his shoulder, and closed her eyes. "I'm still going to throttle you, though," she muttered, patting his chest. "For the overpass thing."

He laughed, roughly. "Yeah, I figured as much."