[Disclaimer; I don't think this needs saying, but just in case Bathesda gets a stick up their ass, I do not own Fallout or affiliated materials in any way shape or form. I am merely borrowing them for my own amusement.]

After my usual morning screaming fit Danse, a little more prepared for it then he had been the day before, sat down to a light breakfast with me, which devolved into a screaming match. "They're scared of you!" I yelled across the table, pointing at him with my fork.

The Paladin was naked form the waist up, once again, and I'd given up on fighting him about it. At least for the moment. "They have nothing to fear if they aren't my enemy!" he yelled back, after using some water to swallow down the food threatening to lodge in his throat.

This all began when I brought up needing to buy supplies, and his refusal to just wait for me here while I took care of the purchases. I don't know if he was worried I was gonna bolt at the first opportunity, but this need he had to watch me all the time was starting to fray my nerves. I was just getting over my issue with his eyes for pities sake and the man couldn't leave me to piss in peace.

"No one knows who your enemy is, Danse! That's the problem!"

He glared death at me over his meal, and as best as I was able I glared back. He would win the staring contest, I knew that, but pride wouldn't allow me to back down just yet.

"Well, Winifred," oh I hated it when he called me that, "any enemy of the Brotherhood is an enemy of mine. As long as they don't get in the way, they're fine."

I groaned loudly, pulling out a few strands of my red hair as I ran my fingers threw it. "You are impossible! How are the people supposed to know who the Brotherhood wants dead, or what they want to acomplish if your leaders don't bother TALKING to people?"

"Elder Maxom shouldn't have to explain his actions or reasons to..."

"To who, Paladin? The people who's land he's invaded? The residents of the commonwealth he's now sending his men out into?" Oh I was furious now. And while I was fairly certain the Paladin could kill me, if the urge ever took him, this was not combat. This was a verbal debate. And I ruled at those. One doesn't become a layer not knowing how to argue.

"Woman," he growled in a low tone. I was either pushing his buttons, or winning this fight.

"No, don't you dare "woman" me soldier! I'm in charge of this operation and you will either fall in line, or get left behind!"

Danse snapped his mouth shut, but the tight line he was making with his lips, and the crease in his brow told me he was not pleased. Those eyes of his, I could just see the rage under the surface, but knew he wouldn't push this any further. It was that unhappily defeated look I knew from the few times Nate and I had fought.

"Now you will stay here while I head out and pick up the last few things we'll need before we set out."

"No," he replied flatly, causing me to practically throw my fork down on the table. "I'll leave my armor if you're so worried about the civilians, but you're not leaving me behind."

With a loud, "ARUGH!" I pushed up from my chair and stomped up the wood steps that led to the sleeping area. How he managed to win this fight was beyond me. I was normally really good at this kind of thing, but that strict, "following orders" thing he had going seemed to trump my rage. And his offer to leave the power armor seemed to be the only concession he was about to make. I had wanted to escape the hulking man candy that taunted me with his naked chest, but it seemed God had no pity to offer me, and was going to taunt me with Danse.

Storming back down the steps, caps in hand, I threw a shirt into the Paladin's face, before picking up my vest and saying, "At least wear a fucking shirt. God damned barbarian."

To his credit, Danse said nothing as I threw open the front door and stepped out into the fresh morning, pulling my vest on. As I waited for the walking libido tease, I stared up at the sky, trying to remember what morning looked like before the war in an attempt to distract myself from my anger. I used to know. I remember almost chocking on the air when I first came out of the vault. I remember staring up at the sky and wondering why it was a different color, but for the life of me I couldn't see those differences now. They sky was still blue, the clouds still white, and the sun was still yellow.

All those little things that told me I was in the wrong world where fading from my mind day by day. I had forgotten what a real tomato tasted like, having been eating tatos for to long. I forgot the feel of grass, and couldn't remember which trees used to shed their leaves in the fall, considering there where no more living trees at all. Even the water. It took me months to learn to drink the purified stuff they call water without gagging. I remembered being picky about my water, able to taste the difference between what came from the city and what came from a fresh stream. Now, in this world, I was simply glad if what I was drinking wouldn't kill me with exposure to radiation.

I knew this world was the wrong one. But for the life of me, all those little things that bugged me where starting to vanish. I found myself more grateful for an uneventful day then angry it was another day without my family. I stopped counting the number of blisters I had and instead counted the number of days I continued to survive. I stopped worrying about my dirty hair, or smudged face, and just enjoyed the rare bath I got to have. So much of what used to feel so wrong stopped feeling like anything at all. It was just another day. Another chance to find Shaun.

Danse silently fell in behind me, signaling his approach with the closing of the door. I cast him a quick glance, before stepping out into the early morning market. Everything was fresh now, the crops from fields just coming in, water just finishing its run threw the purifier the night before, still cool to the tongue. After a lot of quick talking and bartering, I managed to secure some shells for my shotgun, a few clips for my pistol, and even some energy cells for the Paladin. A quick visit to the doctor, and clever use of my tongue saw to a few extra bags of rad-away, and more then a few bottles of rad-x. In addition to my hazmat suite I was fairly certain I would survive my trudge threw the glow once everything was said and done.

Just as we made a last minuet pass threw the market stalls, making sure we had all we would need, Piper emerged from her building and spotted me at once, "BLUE!"

While the girl could be very amusing, and helpful when the urge struck her, Piper was very nosy. She'd smell Brotherhood all over Danse, and in an instant she'd rattle of questions like it was some kind of competition. I knew reporters back in my day with half this girl's drive, and quadruple the notoriety.

"BLUE!" she yelled again, forcing me to a stop. I could feign ignorance for her first shout, but by the second even the venders where pointing her out, trying to get my attention.

With the biggest smile I could manage, I spun on my heel, "Piper! I didn't hear you."

"Don't lie Blue, you're bad at it," laughed the young woman, coming to a stop just before me and Danse. "You're trying to keep the biggest story since you walked in the door away from me. Did you really think I wouldn't hear about this?"

I honestly wasn't sure if the brunette was talking about the Paladin, my search for my son, or the sudden interest the Brotherhood had in helping me on my quest. "Uh..."

"So when did you find a man?" Piper asked, bouncing on the heels of her feet like an excited school girl.

"What?" I asked, certain I couldn't have heard that right.

"The new man, here. Big and sexy following you around like a shadow. I thought you where to hung up on your dead husband to get back out there, but when you pick one Blue, do you pick one."

I refused to look at the Paladin. Refused to do it. I was blushing from my ears to my color bone, and there was no way I was going to show him, "Where the hell did you get that idea?"

"Please," scoffed the young reporter, waving one hand in a dismissive manor. "It's so obvious. The two of you show up in the dead of night, sneak into your place, and emerge the next morning to do a little shopping. Other then Garvey, I haven't seen you alone with one guy. Well, not counting Nick, but he's a synth, so I just chalked that up to your search for your son."

My eyes had to be the size of saucers. Of all the crazy ideas Piper could have come up with, this was the most shocking I had ever heard. My mind was as jumbled as my face was red, and couldn't form one complete sentence, "What? No… We… I mean… the Paladin..."

"Leave it alone Piper!" called Nick, emerging from the ally his agency sat just off of. I could have kissed the synth just then. "Fred's business is Fred's business, and not your papers."

"You're spoiling my fun Valentine," pouted the reporter. With a growl, and the blush instantly fading from my face, I punched my female friend in the arm. "Oww, Blue."

"How dare you tease me Piper!" I practically yelled. I kinda wanted to punch her again, but held myself back.

"I couldn't help it Blue," argued the young brunette, "It's been 200 years since you've been laid, this man is fine as all hell, and you need something to make your horrible life worth living."

"I told you, running around fucking all the men you find hot is not my idea of moving on with my life," I groaned, running my pale, dirty fingers threw my greasy hair. A small thought about just how bad I probably looked springing to life, before I shoved it away and focused on the problem in front of me. "You go out and get laid for me Piper. I've got things to do."

"You can't keep putting yourself on hold, Blue!" she called to my retreating back.

I didn't even bother to check if Danse was following me. I just made a bee line for my house, threw open the door, and went right for my pack. My morning had been crazy enough without that loud mouth sticking her two cents in. With a speed I hadn't used since the last raider attack, I had my armor in place, my arms looped threw my pack, my guns in their places, and I was back out the door.

I was several yards outside the city by the time I heard the Paladin sprinting up behind me in his power armor. I hopped Danse had shut and locked my door on his way out, but wasn't about to speak to him. Not just yet. That damn Piper's voice was still running threw my head, and I did not want to think about just what my companion thought about the display.

I dumped the last shell of my shotgun into the super mutant's torso, just to be sure. What evil mind ever concocted such a creature deserved whatever cold hell they where living in. Big, green, and mean. Next to a deathclaw, it was probably one of the worst things I had ever come across in the wasteland. Creature wise, and not counting that Mierlurk queen I had to kill to retake the castle. At least I had back up on that one. Lots of back up.

At the thought of back up, I glanced over at Danse, a few paces to my left, tossing some intestines that where spewed at him from the suicidal super mutant that came running at us with an armed mini-nuke. We had spent the first half of the day dodging raiders, running from super mutants, and blowing a hole in a few ferrals as we picked our way south. I was convinced, at this point, the world was planning the tedious day I was having. I'd expended far more ammo then I had wanted to the first day out of Diamond city, and I was only half finished with it. At the rate we where going, running into a deathclaw nest didn't seem to far a stretch.

"You shouldn't have done that," commented the Paladin, blessedly wearing his helmet so I couldn't be tormented by those eyes of his.

"Done what?"

"Shot the bomb," he replied, like it was the most obvious thing in the world.

"I killed, like, a dozen of the green bastards with that one shot," I said, not really in the mood to argue about my methods of killing things.

"And destroyed a perfectly viable weapon in the process," added the Paladin. Apparently his own nerves where as frayed as my own.

"Apologies, sir," I said, adding an over acted salute to my snarky remark, "next time I will allow you to wrestle the large creature with an explosive to the ground, so you may arrest it from him, sir."

"I don't need your lip, Winifred," he growled out, using my full name, once again. Why he had taken to doing that was beyond me, and annoying me.

"Aww, is the poor wittle Paladin a wittle gwumpy?" Oh he was glaring at me, and I knew it, despite the large metal bucket on his head. I couldn't help it. When I was in a bad mood, I lost control of my tongue. And sarcasm, well that was my copping mechanism. Danse would either learn to love it, or he'd kill me for it one day. I really wasn't sure which by the way that beast, clad in metal, just stood there.

I was about to open my mouth and say even more things that where likely to get me shot, when the snap of a dead branch caught my ear, and my head snapped to the side. To small to be another mutant, but to large to be a mongrel dog come to feed on the fresh corpses we made for them.

"Raiders," I heard the Paladin murmur, shoving a fresh cell into his rifle.

Nodding, I began walking backwards until I was hidden from the angle I had heard the sounds from. Once I was out of sight, I began to climb. Up the side of the caved in house we had made a stand by, and over to the dead tree that still stood proud, trying to shade the home that used to be here. I was getting really good at sneaking up into places I shouldn't be. Especially when such a large figure like the Paladin provided a nice distraction.

Danse, for his part, just stood his ground, watching the tree line as a dozen gunners leisurely emerged. Some carried rifles, while others held bats, circling like jackals around their prey. One of them kicked the corpse I had blown an extra hole in before fixing the man in power armor with his gaze.

"So you caused the big bang," called the man that seemed to be leading the little raiding party. "What's a member of the Brotherhood doing so far west. And all alone?"

The Paladin made no move, or reply. He merely watched the dozen gunners surround him, letting them think they had the advantage they believed they did. He was a very good distraction as I climbed down behind the leader of the group, silently dropping to the ground and pulling my pistol into my hands.

"Tell you what, big guy," called the leader again, a smug grin apparent in the sound of his voice, "get out of the armor, walk away, and we'll let you live."

"How kind," replied Danse, turning his head from one side to the other, checking the positions of the gunners spread out around him.

"I'm in a good mood today," the loud mouth said, shrugging slightly.

"I'm not," was all I said, cold metal of my gun to the back of his head as his fellows suddenly realized the Paladin was not alone.

One pull of the trigger latter, and the leader's head was nothing but a smattering a red, and I was running around the large tree I had come down from, just missed by a few stray shots. I could hear Danse's laser rifle in rapid succession as I rounded the tree and quickly squeezed out a few more shots. I wasn't as accurate as I would have liked, but one gunner took a hit to her knee, dropping her, while another lost three fingers. The paladin already killed four gunners and was rounding on his fifth when two of the cowards broke from their fellows and where vanishing back into the tree line at a full sprint.

Killing off the remaining mercenaries was a few more seconds of fire, and then utter silence. While I was panting from sprinting from cover to cover, Danse just leveled his weapon and scanned the area, like he hadn't even put in any effort into the fight. Not for the first time, his ability in battle impressed the shit out of me. It made me wonder how Nate would have done in this world. If his training would have made him a killing machine like Danse, or if he would simply end up a dedicated corpse on the forest floor like so many others.

Once he was certain it was clear, the Paladin pulled his helmet from his head and looked me up one side and down the other. After a few moments of a brutal raking by his eyes, he let out a deep breath, "You're fighting style is clumsy and dangerous."

"What?" I asked, more shocked he was picking this second to comment on my killing style then what he said.

"I understand you wanting to be light and quick on your feet, but you shouldn't have given yourself away before killing the gunner. It was reckless." I was honestly to shocked to say a damn thing. I just watched as the Paladin began pulling usable item's from the dead men and woman, crouching over one corpse before moving to the next. "And your aim could use some work."

Okay, now I was mad again. Killing things did have a calming affect, but his nitpicking undid all the zen I had found once the blood bath was over, "Excuse me and my lack of professional training in fire arms. Housewives really didn't learn to use a gun, so just be glad I hit anything, Paladin."

Danse stopped dead in his tracks and stared at me for a few seconds, "What's a housewife?"

I had forgotten the little fact that I am far older then any other living human and the housewife profession died out after the war. No one could afford to just stay home and play mom in this world. "Oh… well… It's a woman that gets married, has kids, and doesn't really go out into the world to make a living. She relies on her husband for everything her family needs."

"No woman dose that," commented the Paladin, staring at me like I had suddenly grown a second head. "Why would anyone want to?"

I suppose it did make no sense in this world. The closest anyone got to being a housewife was a clever raider's kid, whom just inherited caps and men. The kid would likely, latter, be killed because he was too weak to keep his parents power in check. You either fought, or you died out here. There where no other rules, no other way to live. It was a lesson I was still learning in a way.

With sigh, and an admission I would deny if he ever told anyone about it, I said, "You're right. I'm sorry. I'll… get better."

My words seemed to shock Danse because he dropped the rifle he had been emptying for ammo and just stared at me. Those eyes of his forced me to look away, so I missed it when he got to his feet and crossed the distance between us. "How old are you?" he asked suddenly.

My head snapped up to find him within arms reach, should I have had the urge to reach out and touch him. Glancing down, I rubbed the back of my head, "I'm not… really sure. At least 240."

"How?"

I couldn't look at him, "I was born… before the war. When the bombs fell, my family and I… we thought the vault would keep us safe. In a way, it did. But, not in the way I expected." The paladin was patient. He didn't fidget or push me to speak more. He just listened. Almost like he knew that's what I needed. "We were frozen, in cryo pods, until one day a man named Kellog showed up and took my son. Killing my husband to do it. Then he froze me again. I'm not really sure how long it's been since then… but at least a good 10 years passed before I woke up again. And I've been out here… in the Commonwealth for a little over a year."

I wanted to look up. To see what Danse thought of my story, but couldn't bring myself to do it. Flashes of Nate, and Shaun, and that man firing his gun just played over and over again in my head. I wanted to cry, but dug my nails into my palm instead. The pain was the only thing that could keep them from spilling, and I knew it.

"You look good," the Paladin said at last, having walked a few paces away and picking threw another body when my head snapped up. "For being 240 years old I mean."

Dusk was settling over the former Boston country side when Somerville Place came into view. It was one of my smaller, and more recent settlements, but it's location, just on the border of the glow, made it the most convenient place to rest for the night before heading out into that hell. The guards they had posted called out to us the moment we came into view, and the man I had placed in charge of the place came running out of his home to greet me.

"General, we… weren't expecting you."

"Relax friend," I said with a smile, trying to put the jittery man, I couldn't remember the name of, at ease. "We just need a place to hole up for the night before heading south."

"South?" he asked, trying to mask his unease at the sight of Danse in full armor. "There isn't anything but radiation to the south, General."

"I know, but I have things I need to do down in the glow. Would you be willing to put us up so we can rest before heading out?"

"Of course," the man said, I swear jumping like an excited child. "Anything for the General of the Minutemen." He ushered us towards his home with an excited wave of his hand, while babbling on about how the farm was doing. He talked about his son, something I tried not to look so sad about hearing, and then about some new people that had heard the beacon I put up. He talked about the new additions they where making to the house, as well as several other small matters that, truthfully, I really wasn't paying any attention to, "...and just the other day, we managed to bag ourselves a few Radsags, so we have plenty of meat to eat for a change..."

I nodded and smiled lightly, pretending to hear every word, but truth be told, I was still in a bit of a foul mood from the day's travel. Danse had made me feel a little better, with his kind words about how good I looked for my age, but it really didn't help in the grand scheme of things. It had just been one of those days, and I was still a little angry that these kinds of days happened. Mind you, a bad day before the war was my hair not sitting right, and my make-up refusing to go on properly. Where as in this world a bad day was, pick a fight with the escort, get teased by a friend, pick super mutant guts from your hair as you baked in the sun, all while drawing ever closer to a massive death field, filled with radiation, rad-scorpions, and deathclaws. The only consultation I had was that this whole thing would, eventually, bring Shaun back to me.

"Here's the main house," the leader of the small settlement continued, pushing aside his front door for us to pass. "We haven't had much of a chance to fix it up as much as we would have liked, but the work is progressing slowly but surely. I have a spare room just down this way," he added, flipping on a home-made light switch and allowing the darkness that was their added hallway to fade, "I'm afraid it's not much, in the way of comfort, but there is a large bed, and some freshly purified water. If you two get hungry, just mossy on back out here to the main sitting room and my wife'll fix you up somthin' to fill your bellies."

Pushing aside a make-shift door, badly put on its hinges, revealed to us just what the man promised. A small room, with two mattresses shoved together on an old wood frame that was starting to rot, but still holding its own. On the dresser someone scavenged where several canisters of purified water, clearly labeled so one wouldn't get confused. It was certainly not the prettiest space I had ever seen, but it had everything I needed, and I learned to be okay with that. Whining about the decay of the world wouldn't do me, or the poor man who talked to much, any good.

"Thank you," I said to the man, after giving the room a quick once over.

"Yes," agreed Danse, helmet no longer on his head but in his hands. "Much appreciated."

"Anytime General, anytime!" the excited man repeated, bowing like we where some kind of royalty. "Just remember if you get hungry to come on out and join us for dinner." And with that, the Paladin and I where left to ourselves.

With that pop and hiss that told me Danse was getting out of his armor, I placed my pack on the dresser, running my pale fingers threw the mess that was my red hair. There was still dried blood and bits of super mutant in it, I was sure. And compared to the Paladin, whom always looked so clean once out of his walking tank armor, I probably looked like hell, warmed over. I debated heading out into the main house and asking if anyone would be willing to draw me a bath, but thought better of it. Heating that much water over a cooking fire took far more time then etiquette would allow me to ask for.

When I turned to look at the bed, technically two pushed together, a crease formed in my brow. Sure, I didn't hate Danse, but sleeping with him, even in such an honest manor, wasn't really what I wanted to do. He still reminded far to much of Nate when I looked into those beautiful eyes of his, and if I rolled over, half asleep in the night, I was sure my body would do something I would regret. Even if it was only a cuddle, I didn't think Paladin's cuddled. And it would be awkward.

He didn't seem to mind in the least though, having taken a seat on the bed to begin tinkering with his armor. He was pulling bits of guts from the joints, and rubbing a cloth he kept tucked away along the Brotherhood paint so one would be able to see it. Say what you would for the organization, but it seemed to breed loyalty.

Again, I was rubbing the back of my head, trying to figure out how to say what I was thinking without sounding… like a whinny girl really. I was dirty, I was tired, and I wanted a bed to myself. But these where all just minor issues. I was in a safe place, relativity dry, with a perimeter guard posted on watch to warn me should any nasties show up, and hot food just down the hall to fill my belly. In the Commonwealth, this was luxury.

I had been lost in thought when I realized the Paladin had been talking to me, "Sorry, what did you say?"

"Getting distracted will get you killed, Winifred," he said instead, not bothering to repeat himself.

"Sorry, sorry," I apologized, still glaring at the bed like it had offended me. "I'm just… preoccupied."

Following my line of sight, which I hadn't bothered to hide, Danse looked down at the bed he was sitting on and then back at me, "Worried it wont hold our weight?"

"What? No, that's not… Just don't worry about it, okay." I really didn't feel like explaining my, rather foolish concerns, to the man.

That only seemed to confuse the Paladin more as he would glance at me, then at the bed, and then back at me, trying to figure out why I was glaring at the structure. A thought seemed to strike the man then, coloring his cheeks with the lightest of blushes. I honestly didn't think he could blush, "I won't… force myself on you."

"Whoa there!" I practically yelled out, now blushing myself, "That was not what I was thinking. I'm not worried you'll rape me Paladin."

"Then why the concern?" he asked, quickly recovering from his own embarrassment.

Oh boy, I did not not want to talk about this. I was digging threw my brain, trying to figure out what to say when the wife of the settlement leader called out to us, lightly knocking on the door, "Supper's ready, if you two are hungry."

"Thank you," I breathed out. Both excited at the prospect of food, and grateful to escape this line of questioning. I was out the door an instant latter, and down the hall. I didn't even bother to check if Danse was following me.

"General!" a nine year old boy called out the moment he saw me come into the main room, instantly causing my heart to clench. "Remember me? I'm Lawrence! You saved me from that super mutant!"

"I remember," I managed to force myself to say, using all manor of will power to plaster a smile on my face. It wasn't that I didn't like kids, they just reminded me of Shaun, and how he wasn't here. I avoided all manor of small humans, if I could, and had completely forgotten about his boy, until now. Had I remembered, I never would have left the room I was sharing with Danse. Awkward conversation or not.

"My arm is better," the small boy continued, having run up to me to show the scar off, "and the doctor you sent down here said there wasn't going to be any problems! A few more months and I'll be able to help out in the field again."

"That's..." I had to choke down the sob that threatened to overtake me at the thought of Shaun being hurt like that, "that's great."

I hadn't noticed the Paladin walking up behind me, and jumped slightly when his hand came down on my shoulder, "I'm sorry, young man, but the General needs her rest. Would you mind bringing me a couple plates and we'll eat in our room?"

"Sure!" the young boy said, flashing Danse a bright smile. He ran over to his mom and then returned with two steaming bowls in his hands, "It's stew! With chunks of tato, and radstag! It's really good!"

"Thank you," added the Paladin, balancing both bowls in one hand and pushing me slightly back down the hall with the other.

I sank onto the bed the moment we where back inside our room, my eyes just blankly regarding the floor. I was doing everything I could to keep from crying, while Danse set both bowls down on the scavenged dresser. He said nothing, until I suddenly punched myself in the leg hard enough to bruise it.

"Injuring yourself wont bring your boy back," he uttered, sinking into the bed next to me.

"No," I replied, thinking about the physical pain and not about Shaun, "but neither will crying like a child." Danse said nothing else, for which I was grateful, as I pinched myself in the arm, just to be sure I wouldn't start bawling.

"Here," he called, offering me the stew.

"Thanks," I murmured, taking the warm bowl in my hands and just absorbing the heat for a few moments. Memories swarmed behind my eyes, infant Shaun, loving Nate. Holding him when he was born, cuddling him long into the night before Nate got home. Just listening to his soft breathing as he slept. Falling asleep with Nate while we both held him between us.

I shook my head violently to banish the images, before pushing the bowl to my lips and sipping at the broth. It was rather tasty. You know, for mutated deer. I never really had a taste for venison, even before the bombs, but one learned to not be picky when the alternative was starvation.

When I finished eating, Danse took the bowl from me and stacked it with his own on the dresser, "Feeling better?"

"Yeah," I half laughed. I would likely never, truly, feel better. But for the moment, I wasn't about to crumble into a pile of sniveling female. I learned to be content with that. "Thanks."

I felt the Paladin sink back into place next to me. "Do you mind if I ask you something."

"I think you just did, but go ahead."

"What has you so worried? About the bed, I mean."

"Oh," I said, turning my head to the side to hide my blush.

"I promise I wont..."

"No! Danse, you're… not what I'm worried about," I cut in quickly, snapping my head back around. "Look… In my sleep, I'm… I don't really have any control. I scream, and trash and… I'm worried I might… cuddle you." The Paladin laughed at me. Actually laughed. I'd yet to see him do more then crack a half smile, so I was shocked speechless.

"Sorry," he managed to force out eventually, "I didn't mean to just, burst out like that. I've just never had anyone tell me they where scared to cuddle is all."

"Well I am, alright!" I said, half shouting due to embarrassment. My cheeks had lightly colored themselves pink at my admission, and his laughing at me did nothing to make the color fade. "You have Nate's eyes, so I'm worried I'll roll over, half asleep, take one look at you, and just throw my arm over you! Do Paladin's even cuddle?"

"Not normally," he said chuckling slightly, "but it has happened. I swear I won't flog you for insubordination."

"Well thank you," I replied mockingly, grateful he was at least making light of this. "It's nice to know I'll at least not get whipped for sleepy time cuddling."

"Get some rest, Winifred, we have a long journey in the morning."

I nodded my agreement as Danse pushed up from his place next to me to cross to the other side. I stretched at length before laying back into my own mattress.

It took less time then normal to banish all the depressing thoughts from my mind. I focused on the warm feeling in my belly from the stew, and the sensation of another body so close to my own, even if it was Danse. I drifted to sleep much faster then usual that night, sinking into different dreams then normal. Dreams of playing bored games with Nate, nursing Shaun, and laughing as Codsworth figured out how to operate a diaper.