The trip back to Diamond City for Piper, Nick, and I was relatively uneventful. The usual small to medium sized scuffles with various wasteland assholes, as well as the better experience of meeting other travelers or traders along the way. After an entire day's sleep once we were back in the city, I was ready to face Piper's interview. This was sure to be mighty uncomfortable.
"So what can you tell the good people of the Commonwealth about your world? Let's start with your age." she asked, genuinely curious and skeptical at once.
"I'm 307." I quipped.
Piper groaned and asked for the year of my birth instead.
I heaved a sigh. "I was born in Bristol, Connecticut in 1981. I lived there with my husband and our three children. We were building a life and a future together. Up until a little over three months ago, that is." I said quietly.
"But what was it like? You know, back then? I get that you think you're stuck in some whacked out alternate universe, but give me more to work with." Piper asked.
"It was normal. My kinda normal. I was going to college, and working. Jay stayed home and raised the kids. We had pets. I'll tell you one thing we definitely did not have. Fucking nuclear war. I'd love to know what dipshit over here thought that pressing the big red 'nuke them all to hell' button was a good idea." I grumbled, my annoyance at the interview coming through.
"So what else didn't you have? C'mon, Zombie. Expound for me." she said.
I took a moment to think before answering.
"There were no household robots. No nuclear powered cars. Certainly no Vaults. We had smartphones, and great coffee. Our war was with the Middle East. Radio stations were quickly becoming obsolete. Most people lived unbelievably average lives. We had…home." My words trailed off.
The next hour was occupied by Piper asking all manner of personal questions, and my halting answers. I didn't know what to say that wouldn't come across as completely insane. If she was going to publish this nonsense, did I truly want all those strangers thinking I was having a hardcore hallucination?
"Alright, I give up. We can always try again if you ever decide to let that cat drop your tongue." Piper said.
"Good. I don't have it in me to be informative right now. Too many memories at the moment." I said as I made my way to the door.
I had just enough time to catch Nick if I hurried up. We still hadn't had much of a chance to discuss what he saw in my trip through the Memory Den privately. The not knowing was beginning to eat away at me, and I didn't want to go back home to Sanctuary without addressing it. I nearly crashed into him as I turned the corner into the little hallway leading to his office.
"Nick! Just the synth I was hoping to see." I said, glad to have made it in time.
"What's on your mind, Brenna? I'm on my way out of town for a bit." he said.
Nick looked and sounded angry and sad at the same time. While I wondered why, it didn't seem to be the time to bug him.
"Using my given name? How unlike you. I was just popping by to find out the rest of what you saw at the Memory Den, that's all." I said.
"Another time. I've got to get a move on. When you get back to Sanctuary, check in with Preston. He's had a lead on the medics. I'll catch up with you when I can." he said, brushing past me.
I didn't try to follow him. It was painfully obvious that whatever was bothering him was none of my business. I didn't understand why, but it hurt a bit to have him treat me so differently than his typically flirtatious and helpful self. Oh well. It's not as though his whole life revolved around me, nor should it.
The next morning, I met with the three guards Nick had hired to escort me back to Sanctuary. They seemed nice enough, but more importantly, they were competent. We left that afternoon for home. It was a welcome change of pace to not have to do any fighting. Or in my case, cowering behind my partner.
Arriving back home in Sanctuary was…wonderful. Familiar faces, familiar sights. I guess I was definitely starting to believe I'd be here for the long haul. And that maybe it wouldn't be that bad if I did. I hated to admit it, but that had changed my outlook on a bunch of things. Piper had mentioned me going for unconventional men, and she was right. If I was stuck here forever, maybe moving on would be ok. Or hell, maybe not. I was mired in all the 'what ifs', and figured I'd have things sorted out better in the morning light. I spent the night in my own bed, and was grateful for it.
The next day, I rose early and went to check in with Preston. Passing by the trading and cooking area, I heard my name being called out.
"Heeeey! Brenna's back!"
Goddammit.
It was Leo, and he was blitzed already.
"Hey yourself, Leo. How's it hanging?" I said, humoring him in the hopes that he'd leave me be.
"They're hanging great now." he snickered before going on in a singsong voice, "Someone wants to see yooouuuu!"
"Yeah, I know. Preston, right?" I answered dryly.
He just laughed liked it was the funniest thing he'd ever heard. Whatever. Leo was a weird one, even when sober. I continued heading towards the Complex, near where I suspected Preston was patrolling. Lost in my own thoughts, I bumped into someone and nearly fell flat on my ass until the mystery roadblock caught me.
"Whoa! Are you ok?" came the familiar gravelly voice.
"Dan! I'm so sorry I knocked into you! Thanks for the save though." I said, thoroughly embarrassed but glad to see him.
He held me as if I were made of glass that would shatter should I continue my fall to the ground. I steadied myself on his arms which were firmly wrapped around my waist. His inky eyes roamed from my own brown ones to my lips and back. Dan pulled me closer to him, and I made no effort to stop him. He slowly leaned in, closing the remaining distance between us. I knew he wanted to kiss me, and I had every intention of letting him.
"Brenna, there you are! I'm glad Nick got my message to you. I'm sending you out with…oh! Oh sorry. I'll just…" Preston said, interrupting our moment.
Dan and I jumped away from each other as if we were on fire. Both of us looked like kids caught with their hands in the cookie jar. Preston looked embarrassed, and abruptly turned on his heels.
"Well, that was awkward." I said to Dan.
"Yeah, little bit. Preston needs to borrow you, so I'll let you get to it." he said.
I caught his arm before he could leave.
"Please don't head out before I can see you again. I mean it." I told him, hoping he would stay.
"Alright. Anything for you." he said with a smile.
Dan gently caressed my cheek before returning to whatever it was he had intended before I crashed into him. The touch of his scarred fingers sent a shiver down my spine. Remembering Leo's childish words, I wondered if Dan had been on his way to see me. And then I promptly felt guilty. Yeah, I was trapped in what had definitely turned out to be an alternate universe in my not so humble opinion, but I had still found myself pleased at being in another man's arms. Suddenly my wedding ring felt like it weighed a hundred pounds.
I ran to catch Preston, and find out what errand he had set for me. Maybe the work would get the thoughts of kissing a ghoul out of my mind. As I caught up with the resident Minuteman, I saw the same guy Nate had yelled at from the Castle waiting by the entrance bridge to Sanctuary. MacCready had a sniper rifle slung casually over his shoulder while he talked with Preston.
"Hey Garvey! You had wanted to speak with me?" I asked, praying he wouldn't comment about the situation he'd found me in.
"Ah… yes. Brenna, this is MacCready. He's going to escort you to a place that may hold some answers to your predicament. He's been to Med-Tek Research before, and tells me it's been cleared out. All you have to do is look around for any of those emblems Nick had mentioned." Preston told me.
"Before Nate went full dickhe- jerkface, we'd been out there together. Definitely saw some of those Vita-whatever man symbols on the old lab coats laying around. Hope you've got some caps though, guys. My services don't come cheap." MacCready told us.
"I've got some at my house. I'll be right back!" I said, taking off at a run towards home.
I made it into my living room, and quickly threw on my armor over the jeans and blouse combo I was wearing. I grabbed Helga, and strapped my rucksack across my back after snatching my caps pouch out of it. As I began to head back to the men, I took the Jet from my pouch and tucked it into my pocket.
No need for them to see this side of me. I thought.
As I was stepping from my home, I saw Dan waiting patiently near the fallen tree in my yard. I waved to him, directing him to come over. He smiled and heeded my request. I set my bag and gun down on the kitchen table. Once my front door was closed behind us, the privacy caused all sense of propriety to fly out of my head. I stepped lightly into his arms. His hands were warm on my back. We stood like that a moment, just caught up in each other's touch.
"I've got to leave for a few days. There's a place where I might…" I began.
Dan stopped my words with a kiss, soft and sensual. A moan involuntarily escaped me. I deepened the kiss, trailing my tongue along his. I felt his hands glide over my waist to my hips and pull me in firmly against him. I slowly reached up and let my fingers delicately trace the old radiation burns along his cheeks and down his neck. Dan pulled back, breathless and grinning broadly. His hat had been knocked from his head, revealing the sandy brown hair that remained. I couldn't help but laugh as I bent to pick up his fedora. Standing on tiptoes, I put it back in its accustomed place as I kissed his cheek.
"You've got an amazing way of saying goodbye." I said, smiling.
"I do my best. You didn't mind? I mean, I'm not usually so forward…" he said, suddenly shy.
"If I minded, I'd have never invited you in. Sometimes attraction just takes over a person's intentions. But what I was starting to say was true. With any luck, I'll be back in a few days, a week tops. Be here for me?" I asked.
He looked down at me, and nodded. I gave him a tight hug before gathering my things and opening my door again. We walked out together, and parted ways with a tender touch of our hands.
MacCready and Preston were waiting right where I'd left them. Hopefully, they wouldn't notice the flush on my cheeks. Shaking my caps pouch, I asked MacCready how many he needed for the round trip fare. Before he could give me a number, Preston eased the leather bag from my hands.
"Just how many caps do you have in here? This thing is heavier than it looks." he asked, just a tad suspiciously.
"I dunno, Preston. I don't really total them up. I just pay what I need to when I need to." I shrugged.
Frowning, Preston began counting my caps. I'd been a careful spender in recent weeks, and found many more caps along the way back to Sanctuary. After fifteen minutes or so of MacCready complaining over hanging around while Preston played banker, the caps were finally tallied.
"3,500 caps? Seriously? This trip suddenly became worth it!" MacCready practically sighed with anticipation.
Even I was astonished at how many caps I had accrued.
"You're not getting all of them, MacCready. Wanna say 500 for the whole trip?" Preston said in a tone that suggested the younger man should take the 500 and be happy about it.
"Argh. Fine, Garvey. Come on, moneybags. Let's go find the clues you're hoping for." MacCready said.