Note: I have to say, it's quite difficult writing from the perspective of a character that looks down on robots. I mean, that won't always be the case with Quinn, but we've got a ways to go. I would've had this chapter out earlier, but I was stuck on part of it. Hopefully the length makes up for the wait.

To my guest reviewer: I'm glad you decided to give Fallout 4 a try and that you ended up liking it! I started with Fallout 3 (which was amazing, by the way. If you're not bothered by a regression in graphics, I highly suggest it!). I'm with you about Hancock. I don't care much for the drug usage, but he's such a good guy that it makes up for it. Also, thank you for all the compliments about my writing! I'm blushing!

Disclaimer: Bethesda owns everything but Quinn.

Chapter 2: Long Time Gone

Quinn wishes she was in a daze on her walk down the hill… wishes things weren't so clear and vibrant. Then maybe she could ignore the bones beneath her feet that crunch with each step. She can't help but wonder if these are the remnants of her neighbors. But they're half-buried in the dirt… and so brittle.

Dear God, how long has it been?

Quinn crosses the rickety bridge and pauses to take in the ruined remains of her former neighborhood. Images of what it used to be flash behind her eyes, overlaying the desolation. A large log lays in her path and she clambers over it, remembering a time when it was upright. A dog chased Mrs. Johnson's cat up the tree and Nate – sweet Nate – volunteered to climb it to retrieve the furball.

Quinn halts that line of thought in its tracks.

She keeps walking, gaze wandering. No house was spared, it seems, though some fared better than others. She wonders what hers looks like...

Quinn is two houses away from her own when something metallic, glinting in the sun, moves around the corner of the carport. She freezes, heart hammering, until she realizes what it is.

"C-Codsworth?" she tries to call, but it comes out as more of a whisper. The Mr. Handy continues to trim half-dead bushes. "Codsworth!" she tries again, and succeeds.

The robot halts, then swivels its eyestalks towards her. There's a pause before…

"Miss Quinn!"

Quinn's feet carry her closer without conscious thought.

"I-is that really you, mum?" Codsworth asks, sounding emotional.

"It's me," she replies quietly, not quite believing any of this herself.

"As I live and breathe!" Codsworth exclaims, arms whirling. "It's really you! Oh mum, you've no idea how happy I am to see you!"

"I'm happy to see you, too," Quinn admits, surprising herself at the truth behind the statement. She was never very fond of Codsworth. It is a robot, after all, but it's just so good to see a familiar face… eye stalk… whatever.

"Pardon me, mum, but where are Nate and young Shaun?" the robot asks, seeming to glance behind Quinn.

Whatever hint of a smile may have been on her face disappears at that. "Nate… Nate is…" dead, "gone. And somebody… somebody took my baby, Codsworth!" Quinn feels her eyes sting again and blinks away the tears.

The robot looks distressed, somehow. "Mum… these things you're saying… Well, they make no sense! Perhaps some water might help." Codsworth's arms spin and he presents her with a can. She recognizes it as the type of purified water Nate used to store away in case of emergency.

Quinn didn't think she was thirsty before, but at the suggestion of water, her throat turns drier than the Sahara desert. She grabs the can, cracks it open, and starts chugging. Some of the water dribbles down her chin but she can't bring herself to care, draining the can.

"Listen, Codsworth," Quinn insists, wiping her mouth on her sleeve. "Have you seen a guy and a woman in a cleanroom suit pass through here?"

The Mr. Handy seems to think for a moment. "No, mum, I'm afraid not. I'm sure your family will turn up soon, though!"

Is it not listening to a word I say?!

Quinn is suddenly so angry she could punch something. "Nate is dead, Codsworth!" she yells, fists clench, eyes watery. "And Shaun was kidnapped! I need to find him!"

"Miss Quinn, I'm afraid you're suffering from hunger-induced paranoia. Let me make you some food. After two hundred years, you must be famished!"

Quinn's legs feel like they're about to give out and everything spins for one dizzying second. "T-two… two… no, no, no…" She clasps her hands over her mouth and shakes her head. "That can't be right… You're malfunctioning!" she snaps.

"I am running at ninety-percent efficiency, mum," Codsworth retorts, sounding offended.

"Two hundred years…" Quinn breathes, leaning against the side of the house for support. She finds herself sliding to the ground anyway. This… this is just too much. She can't help but cry, though her eyes are already raw from before.

"Mum…?" Codsworth hovers anxiously. When she doesn't answer, he seems to droop. "They're really gone, aren't they? Oh, Miss Quinn, I am so very sorry…

Quinn just lays her head on her folded arms and sobs. Eventually, there's nothing left to shed and she stands on shaky legs.

"Come inside, mum. I'll make you something," Codsworth urges gently, herding her through the door of her old home.

The inside doesn't look much better than the outside. Some of the furniture remains, to her surprise, but it looks mildew-y and ready to crumble. Codsworth moves past her into the kitchen and her numb legs take her down the hallway, a sick sort of curiosity urging her forward.

There isn't much to see in her old room, so she turns right instead and halts in the doorway to Shaun's. The crib is still there, though the blue paint is faded and flaking and the mobile is bent beyond repair. Shaun's toys are broken and strewn across the floor. One crunches underfoot as she approaches the crib and lays a hand on the rail.

My baby boy…

Quinn's eyes sting, but she's all cried out. She grabs the crusty old teddy bear in the crib and sinks into the armchair in the corner, clutching the toy to her chest and staring at what's left of the wall.

She's unaware of time passing, but when Codsworth comes to get her, the sun is setting.

"Miss Quinn, dinner is ready." The robot sounds subdued.

Quinn rises, still holding the bear, and follows Codsworth to the ruined kitchen. There's a bowl of something sitting on the table and, despite everything, her stomach rumbles. She perches on the dilapidated chair and brings the spoon to her mouth. The first thing she registers is that it's hot. The second is that it's not very good.

Quinn grimaces. "What is this, Codsworth?"

"I'm sorry, mum. There's not much to work with in the way of food nowadays," the robot apologizes.

Oh.

"Right," she mumbles, looking back down at the bowl. "Sorry."

"It's quite all right, mum."

Quinn eats the rest of the food without complaint. Codsworth clears away the dishes once she's done.

"Codsworth, do you know if there are any people nearby?" she asks, rubbing the ear of the teddy bear between her thumb and forefinger.

"There might still be people in Concord," Codsworth suggests. "Last time I visited, they only hit me with sticks a few times."

Quinn wonders why people would hit a robot like Codsworth, but doesn't say anything. "It's worth a try, I suppose," she sighs.

"I suggest waiting 'til morning. All manner of creepy crawlies come out at night. And maybe, after a good night's rest, things will look brighter." Quinn can tell he's trying to cheer her up. It's not really working.

"Where am I supposed to sleep? My mattress is gone."

"I do apologize for that, mum. Some scavengers came through a few years back and ransacked the house." Codsworth sighs mechanically. "Perhaps we might find one in another house."

"Okay." Quinn sets the bear down and heads for the door.

"Mum, wait!" Codsworth zooms over. "Allow me to accompany you. Mutant flies keep nesting in the empty houses."

Quinn freezes. "Mutant flies…?" she breathes, eyes wide. A thought suddenly occurs to her. "Where did I leave my weapons?" Quinn asks aloud, glancing around frantically.

"I set them on the sofa," Codsowth supplies. "You dropped them outside."

Quinn rushes over to the couch and picks up the baton and the pistol. The baton gets strapped to the belt of her jumpsuit but the gun remains in her hands.

She follows Codsworth as they check each house. Twice they encounter the mutant flies, which are even bigger and more disgusting than she was expecting. They shoot some sort of liquid out of their hind ends, too, which is almost more than Quinn can handle. Codsworth takes them out quickly, while Quinn gets off only a few poorly aimed shots. They find a tiny, horribly stained mattress in the fifth house and Codsworth carries it back for her.

Sometime later, as she lays on the gross mattress and stares up at the gross ceiling, Quinn wonders where she went wrong. There must be something she did to deserve this. Why else would God have abandoned her and her family?

Tears leak out of the corners of her eyes and she wipes them away briskly, then rolls onto her side. She curls into a tight ball, shivering slightly, and tries to fall asleep.

Hours later, Quinn falls into a fitful sleep… only to wake soon after due to nightmares.

Quinn wanders into the living room where Codsworth is attempting to dust. Quinn wonders what the point is anymore, but supposes it must just be his programming.

She clears her throat.

"Mum! You're up?" Codsworth asks, confusion coloring his tone.

"Can't sleep," she mumbles. "Could you… could you maybe just… hover in the room until I fall asleep?" Quinn feels weak for asking, but she's so tired.

"Of course," Codsworth says sincerely, following her back into the bathroom where the mattress is.

Quinn curls back up on the mattress and closes her eyes again. "Thank you," she whispers.

"Any time, Miss Quinn," Codsworth says quietly back.

She thinks maybe Codsworth's propulsion system is warming up the room because she isn't shivering as much this time. And having another… presence helps too.

The trip to Concord is a short one, but Codsworth insisted on coming along. Quinn isn't about to complain.

As they pass the old Red Rocket truck stop, Quinn detects movement out of the corner of her eye and freezes. Then gasps when the source becomes clear.

"It's a dog!" she exclaims, moving cautiously towards the German shepherd. It looks fairly healthy, considering its surroundings. "Hey little one," she coaxes gently, holding out a hand. The dog gives a soft woof and wags its tail, trotting closer and sniffing her hand. Then it gives her fingers a lick and that's that.

"Are you all alone?" she asks and the dog cocks its head. "Wanna come with us?" It woofs again.

So Quinn continues down the road, a dog and a robot butler in tow. She's thankful for the company, though, especially when they encounter giant mosquitos.

"Are all the bugs bigger now?" she wonders aloud with horror.

"Yes," Codsworth responds honestly. "Those that survived, anyway."

Quinn shudders with revulsion at the thought. Please don't let there be giant spiders!

The town is eerily quiet. It raises the hairs on Quinn's neck. She checks her gun and keeps it ready in both hands as they walk – or float, in Codsworth's case.

The dog is the first to hear something, hackles raising and a low growl emanating from its throat. Quinn ducks into an alcove and peeks around the corner, heart hammering. She sees a few people milling about, but they don't look quite right. For one, they're wearing a lot of armor. Very spikey armor. There's also just something about their mannerisms that strikes her as off.

"Are those the people you were talking about?" she whispers to Codsworth.

"No, mum. Those are raiders."

"Raiders?" Quinn doesn't like the sound of that.

"Very bad news, mum."

Quinn growls in frustration and moves further into the alcove. "What do we do?"

"They don't seem to have noticed us yet. We might be able to surprise them," Codsworth suggests.

She thinks about it for a moment. "Okay. You try going around and attacking them from the other side. Distract them. I'll take shots at them from here." It's a coward's move, Quinn knows, but she's scared out of her wits right now.

"Excellent plan, Miss Quinn," Codsworth praises and zips around the corner of the building and out of sight. Quinn doesn't feel like it's a very good plan. The dog sticks by her side, as if sensing that she needs the support.

A minute or so later, Codsworth comes into view again at the far end of the street. He charges into battle, saw buzzing as he hacks into the raiders. Quinn pops out and shoots at the ones that are too distracted to shoot back. Her hands are shaking so much that she misses most of the time.

The first time a red beam strikes one of the raiders down, Quinn is so shocked and distracted that she almost doesn't duck back into the alcove in time. A bullet strikes the stone half a second after she moves.

After a minute, Quinn chances another peek, only to see another streak of red drop the person who was shooting at her. Quinn follows its trajectory up to the balcony of the museum. A person in a coat and hat is crouched up there, taking aim at the raiders. She wonders if this is one of the people Codsworth mentioned.

They can't be that bad if they're helping us, right?

Even after the last raider falls, Quinn stays in hiding. It isn't until Codsworth comes to check on her that she creeps out into the open.

"Hey, you!" a man's voice calls from the balcony of the museum.

Quinn dives behind a burnt out car.

"I'm not gonna hurt you!" he calls again. "We need your help!"

"Am I supposed to believe that?" she shouts back.

"I helped you take out those raiders, didn't I? And I didn't take a shot at you or your robot."

Okay, she'll give him that… and really, what choice does she have?

Quinn slowly emerges, gun pointed at the man. She moves closer so they don't have to shout so much. "You said you need help…?" She really doesn't want to help, but she needs to talk to him.

"Yeah, raiders are inside the building. They're about to overrun us."

Quinn wonders what about her, exactly, says she's capable of helping. "I'm, uh, not-"

"Grab that laser musket and get in here!" the man interrupts and disappears inside, leaving Quinn with her mouth open, mid-sentence.

"… good at fighting…"

What am I even doing? she thinks as she reaches for the strange gun laying on the pavement.

The next while is a bit of a blur. All Quinn knows is that there are people shooting at her, so she shoots back. Once again, Codsworth does most of the work and Quinn hides. She's running on pure adrenaline now, heart pumping, unaware of anything but the next danger.

It's luck that has Quinn finally stumbling into the room where the man waits. She plasters herself against the inside wall, chest heaving and eyes darting around. The dog trots over to an old woman and plops down next to her.

"Whoa! Hey there," the man says, taking a tentative step towards her. "You okay?"

Do I look like I'm okay? her brain snarks.

"Y-yeah," is her quavering reply.

"Well, glad you're here, stranger." The man tilts his hat, like an old-time gentleman. "Preston Garvey, Commonwealth Minutemen."

"Quinn," she replies softly.

"Nice to meet you, Quinn."

She nods faintly in return.

"Like I said earlier, we need your help. I spotted more raiders headed this way. We need to get out of here, but they need to be dealt with first. Sturges here has an idea for that." He gestures to a man in overalls messing with a computer.

Quinn is really in no state to think rationally or comprehend anything. Everything is fuzzy around the edges, but also so sharp that it hurts. The man in overalls – Quinn didn't catch his name – drones on about his plan. She hears something about power armor, but not much else.

"… There's one downstairs, but it's locked up and none of us are much good with computers. D'you think you could give it a try?"

You want me to go back out there?!

Apparently she said that out loud, because both men look at each other then back at her. "We really don't know how to hack a terminal," the other guy – Preston? – says.

What makes you think I do? This thought stays in her head. She also casts a questioning glance at the terminal on the desk. And what was he doing with that?

"I-I'll try," Quinn tells them hesitantly and Preston smiles.

"Thank you. Please hurry."

Still in a daze, Quinn turns and walks back out the door. She's fairly sure all of the raiders are dead, but what if…?

She shakes her head vigorously, trying to focus and not panic.

"Miss Quinn…" Codsworth starts, sounding worried as he floats behind her.

"What?"

"All of my sensors indicate that you are on the edge of a panic attack."

Just hearing those words has her breathing harder. She presses her hands over her ears and keeps walking. "Shut up, Codsworth! Not now!"

"Sorry, mum."

Quinn finds the terminal downstairs and taps at one of the keys to turn it on. Then she just stares at it, feeling the panic flash through her mind.

"I have no idea what to do…" she mutters, on the verge of tears.

"Allow me," Codsworth says, moving closer and making contact with something on the back.

A few moments later, the door to her left clicks. Quinn gives it a tug and it swings open. She sighs with relief and walks through. Then tenses again.

"What was I supposed to get?"

"That there, mum," Codsworth points one of his arms at a glowing circle in the generator.

"Oh."

After some tugging and twisting, the core pops free. Quinn isn't sure how safe it is to touch, so she holds it with only her thumb and first finger.

Preston smiles brightly at her when she returns with the thing, and both he and the other guy explain what she's to do next.

These people are crazy. Why me?

But she's not given much choice, so she heads for the roof. On her way, the old lady grabs her arm, forcing her to stop.

"Be careful," she insists in a frail voice. "Something angry is on its way." And then she lets go. That's all. Quinn narrows her eyes in confusion.

Okay…

The forced pause makes her take in her surroundings though, and she immediately notices a little statue sitting on the desk nearby. It stands out like a beacon from the past, inordinately bright against the dust and grime. Quinn picks it up gently and the oversized head bobs, as if Vault Boy is greeting her with a nod.

"Do you have somewhere to keep this?" she asks Codsworth. The robot tells her he does and tucks the bobblehead away in a compartment in his shell.

Quinn focuses again on the task at hand. She goes up on the roof, shoves the fusion core into the power armor, twists the wheel, and climbs in.

The armor is surprisingly easy to move in, but it doesn't stop her from feeling claustrophobic. And yet she feels safer than before. It's an odd combination.

Quinn climbs into the aircraft and rips the minigun free. She actually uses too much of the suit's strength and stumbles back a little. She starts examining the gun, trying to figure out how it works, but something dings loudly against the armor. Quinn glances up in time to see a raider duck behind a chimney on the building across the street.

Feeling invincible now, Quinn hefts the minigun onto her hip and fires. The bullets tear into the brick of the chimney, but not the raider. She lays off the trigger and waits. Sure enough, they pop out of hiding and she fires again. The gun is slow, so she only clips his shoulder, but it's enough.

More of them are firing from below so she sweeps the gun back and forth while holding down the trigger. They fall quickly under her wrath and she can feel her mouth stretched in a manic grin. She can see Codsworth and the dog tearing their own path through the raiders below.

Soon, the only ones left are hiding behind stuff further down the street.

"Jump down," Preston calls to her from the balcony. "The power armor can take the impact."

"Are you kidding me?" she mutters, glancing down. Her stomach churns at the distance and the vertigo it causes. But Preston is right. Quinn remembers the stories Nate used to tell her about his time in the military. She remembers one story in particular about a contest with the other men concerning who had fallen the farthest in their power armor without any damage.

Knowing the suit will keep her safe doesn't help as much as it should, but Quinn jumps anyway, screaming the whole way down. Her landing cracks the pavement even more, leaving a small crater.

She makes her way down the street, spraying the remaining raiders with bullets. As she reaches the end, the ground rumbles and the metal plates covering a hole straight ahead fly off. What climbs out has her freezing in terror.

No thoughts cross her mind. There's only fear, raw and animalistic, until continuous shouting breaks through.

"Shoot it, Quinn!" Preston cries. "Shoot it!" A red beam flies past her head and strikes the creature between the eyes. Instead of going down, the monster gives a hellish roar and starts running at her.

The dog zips by her and lunges at the thing, but the creature just knocks it aside and keeps coming. She hears pained whimpers from the pile of fur and it's finally enough to get her moving.

Quinn raises the minigun again and starts unloading into the demon's chest. Unfazed, it bares down on her and grabs her by the shoulders.

Quinn screams as it flings her around and smashes her into the ground. The armor on her arms crunches and something in her chest pops but she can't feel it right now.

The creature roars in her face, splattering saliva on her helmet, and all Quinn can think is that this is the end. She survived two hundred plus years in cryo to die alone in the arms of a demon. A demon that crawled straight up from hell to punish her for letting her husband die and her son be stolen.

Quinn would give up right now if it weren't for her self-preservation. As it is, since flight is off the table, her body chooses to fight. Armor clad hands land on either side of the thing's head and thumbs dig into its eyes until they pop and ooze.

The hellspawn gives a pained roar and releases her, reeling back. On autopilot, Quinn charges the beast, knocking it back and grabbing its open jaws. She pulls them in opposite directions until they crack. Even then, the creature still lives, so Quinn picks up the minigun and brings it down, over and over, until only bloody pulp remains.

Quinn drops the gun but stays kneeling, staring at the carnage with wide eyes. Someone whistles behind her and she whirls around.

"Holy hell," Sturges murmurs as they all creep closer. "I think it's dead." He chuckles.

"You okay?" Preston asks her, rifle still held at the ready.

Suddenly, the suit becomes overwhelming and Quinn feels like she's suffocating. She stands and stumbles away from the mutilated carcass. Panicking, she searches for a way to get the armor to open.

"Open, open, oh God get me out," she pleads raggedly. Preston is the only one paying attention to her, the others examining the body with morbid curiosity, and he hurries over to crank the wheel on the back.

Quinn practically falls out, but Preston stabilizes her, helping her sit against the wall. He kneels next to her.

"Hey, focus on me," he instructs gently. "Breathe with me."

Quinn tries, but her eyes keep darting around. The creatures lies motionless a few feet away, the power armor is covered in blood and gore, there are human bodies strewn everywhere, and the stench of death fills the air.

I did that. Her stomach churns. I killed people… I killed a lot of people.

Quinn proceeds to throw up all over Preston's uniform.