Diamond City Home Run

by colourfastred

Piper hasn't seen Alex since the night of the attack at the Starlight Drive-In. She didn't expect her to show up in Diamond City, and certainly not be standing on her doorstep. Now Piper wonders if they can pick up where they left off months ago. FemSoleSurvivor/Piper Wright couple.

14. Chapter 14

Nat skipped through the door, letting it shut behind her. Joanna was seated on the couch reading the book Nat had given her last night.

Joanna sat up, and set the book down next to her on the couch, "Is everything alright, Natalie?"

Nat gave her a big grin, "She took it well… sort of. She said she didn't care if I wanted to see a girl. So, I guess that's pretty good. She's not too happy finding out she has a fan club though."

Joanna's eyes went wide with surprise, "She has a… fan club? I don't know what that is."

"She has a group of people that admire her, and they get updates about her." Nat started laughing seeing the look on Joanna's face, "Crazy right? And…"

The knock on the door made them both jump. Joanna pulled Nat's ten-millimeter from between the couch cushions and threw it to her. Drawing her laser pistol from the same spot, she was on her feet and next to Nat within a couple of seconds.

Nat held her gun pointed at the door, "Who is it?"

"Nick Valentine, Natalie."

"He's good," She nodded to Joanna and pulled open the door. "Hey, Mister Valentine."

The synth stepped through the door, tipping his hat, "Morning, Natalie." He turned to Joanna and tipped his hat again, "Good Morning, Miss."

Nat hugged Nick after shutting the door, then stepped back, "That's Joanna, she's staying here while she does her internship with Doc Sun."

Nick smiled at her, "Pleasure to meet you, Doctor."

Joanna walked over to him, "You're sapient…"

"Have been for a while, Doc."

Joanna studied him, then reached out her hand toward his, "May I?"

Nick's glowing golden eyes flicked between Nat and Joanna, "Sure, why not." He put his metal hand in hers.

"Fascinating," Joanna turned his hand over and back again, "Do you do all of your repairs?"

"Had to, ever since the Institute threw me out like yesterday's trash." His face ticked up into a smile, "Al has given me a hand in the past. She even got a roboticist to make a few upgrades for me."

Joanna let his hand go, "Thank you for answering my questions, Mister Valentine."

"Call me Nick, Doc," His eyes flicked back over to Nat, "Say, Nat, is Piper around? I need her help with a case."

"Yeah, she's in the kitchen with Blue and Cait. I'll go get her." Nat started walking to the door.

"Oh good, tell Al I want to talk to her too. Thanks."

Nat grabbed the door handle and tugged at it. Piper was cutting up the coffee cake while Alex and Cait were talking on the couch. "Piper. Blue. Mister Valentine is here to see you."

Alex got up off the couch and walked past Piper, tapping her on the hip. "I'll bring Nick in here."

Cait stood with a stretch, "I'll be in the other room playin' with the jukebox and the kiddies."

Nat stepped aside while Alex and Cait left the kitchen. "Do you want help, Piper?"

Piper dropped the cake on to plates, "Give us some time with Nick, but take some cake to Joanna and Cait."

Nat grabbed the plates that Piper pushed toward her and left.

---

"Can I get you some coffee, Nick? We just brewed it." Alex held the door open letting the detective walk into the other room first.

"That'd be great. Thanks."

Piper gave Nick a hug, "Morning, Nicky. What brings you by? Got a hot scoop for me?"

"Not exactly, Piper." Nick took the coffee from Alex with a nod. "It good to see you up and about, Slick."

"Thanks, Nick." Alex poured coffee into her and Piper's cups. "So, how can we help?"

"More importantly, do I get the exclusive on whatever it is?" Piper put a fork on a plate and brought it over to Nick.

"Piper, I wouldn't know who else to tell." Nick took the plate from her, his eyes landing on Alex, "Who baked?"

Alex held her cup to her lips, "Nat did." She took a sip from the cup to cover her smile.

Nick set his cup on the table and sank his fork into the cake. "I stopped by for a couple of reasons." Piper handed a piece of coffee cake to Alex and sat down next to Nick. Nick waited until they were situated to continue, "Al, I found Monica Hamish's mother, Juanita Cortez. She's now safely at the Slog. Wiseman is going to look after her. Doc Bethany made a special trip with me to help get her there safely."

Piper listened quietly.

"Was she…?"

"She was pretty banged up, but the Doc got her patched up. The ghouls are helping her start her life over and they're taking care of her. It's going to take a while, but the Doc said she'll get there with their help."

"That's good news. Thanks, Nick. It's my turn to owe you one," Alex set her cup on the table next to her plate. "I'll make sure Monica gets word."

"Who's Monica?" Piper had never heard Alex talk about anyone with that name in the past.

Alex picked up her cup, avoiding Piper's gaze, "A former slave we rescued from Nuka World. I asked Nick to find her mother as a personal favor."

Nick turned to look at Piper, "Ghouls like Juanita were sold off after being separated from the humans. I'm just sorry it took so long to find her," Nick looked down at his cup and then back to Alex. "Al, there still are plenty of caps left over. I'll have Ellie…"

"Save them for a rainy day, Nick."

Nick gave her a long look that Alex didn't return. "You sure? That's a heck of a lot of caps."

Alex sat staring at the table, "Yeah, Nick. I'm sure. Just keep them. You earned them."

The quiet of Alex's voice carried a dark sadness in it. The seven months that Alex and Cait were gone, was a complete information blackout. Neither Cait nor Alex ever talked about it before, except for a few nights ago, when Alex opened up to Piper for the first time about it.

No one else did. The one time Piper had asked Cait about Nuka World, Cait's demeanor shifted, she became guarded, and she told Piper to never ask her about the place or her time there. Preston told Piper in the past, that Nuka World had redefined his definition of Hell. Desdemona called the place a living nightmare, and like Preston, she didn't say anything more about it. Piper knew Alex wouldn't say anything more about Nuka World, and Piper wasn't going to ask. "Blue, is there anything else we can do for Monica or her mother?"

Alex closed her eyes and took a breath, when she opened them, she set her fork on the plate. She gave her head a slight shake, "We've done everything we can do." Alex set the half-eaten cake on the table. "The rest the ghouls will help with."

Piper could tell Alex was upset. "Alright, but if something comes up, we'll do whatever it takes to help them. Okay?"

Alex sat staring at the table, "Yeah, of course."

Nick set his empty plate on the table next to Alex's and took a drink of coffee. "With that business out of the way, I do need your insight on one of your older cases, Piper."

"I'll leave you two to handle this." Alex took the plates to the trash to empty them. She placed them in the sink and walked out of the room in silence.

Nick watched her go before resuming his conversation, "I can't even imagine the Hell she went through."

"What do you mean?" Piper asked quietly.

Nick turned to her, his glowing eyes regarding her, "She doesn't talk about Nuka World or the Institute, does she?"

"She told me the other night about her son and the Institute for the first time," Piper heaved a heavy sigh, "It was real emotional for her, and she only told me a few things. She struggled the entire time." She looked down at the coffee and pack of cigarettes on the table, "And Nuka World… She was vague. She talked a little about the raiders there and some kind of gauntlet they had to complete. The only other things she told me were how long they were there, how she'd become someone else, and how strung-out Cait was on chems. Other than that, Preston told me they found a lot of people there and all of them were in a bad way. Said they'd lived through some real shit. A bunch of merchants and traders forced into slavery there." Piper leaned against the armrest of the couch and crossed her arms, drawing the blue and gray checkered flannel around her wishing it was Alex's arms instead. "Cait didn't talk about any of it. She told me not to ask, so I didn't. But before the other night, Blue wouldn't say a word about it. Always changed the subject."

"Can't say I blame them based on what I heard happened."

"Nicky, please, if you know something, tell me. I want to help them if I can."

Nick looked at the door, "The Minutemen and the Railroad sent people in to answer a call for help with raiders at Nuka World. Turned out to be a trap. Quite a few of them were murdered before they set foot through the front door. All good people from what my sources told me." Taking a drink of his coffee, Nick scanned the room. "The raiders were using the distress beacon to trick people into coming. They were raiding local settlements and trade routes. Had a real operation going on, Piper. Three gangs were running a massive ring out of there. Chems, slaves, you name it, they had it all. Al, Cait, and whoever else was with them shut them down. Permanently." He shook his head, adjusting his coat, "Thing is, based on all the bodies… it was bad business. Something like that… it leaves a mark."

Piper could feel the sinking weight in her stomach.

"I don't know all what they had to do to stay alive, but from what I've been told, they barely made it out of there. I talked to some of the people they rescued. They think the world of the Minutemen and the Railroad." Nick turned to face her, "Everyone called Nuka World, Hell on Earth."

Taking a deep breath and looking at door again, Piper lit a cigarette. "If they want to talk about it, I'll be here for them." She thought back several nights to when Alex told her a little about what they had found there. "I won't force either of them to talk about anything they don't want to. But, Blue… I get the feeling she's not telling me to protect me from something."

"Piper, just so you know, Monica is a human kid Natalie's age. She looks a lot like Nat too. Another young girl with dark hair, except with amber eyes, not hazel, you know… they could pass for sisters. I can see why Al took care of her." Nick took a drink from his coffee. "I talked to Monica before I left to go find her mother. Juanita is a ghoul who adopted her when she was a baby after raiders killed her family. She was one of a group of traveling merchant ghouls that fought against the raiders that were attacking Monica's settlement. The kid was one of the few survivors." Nick took a drink from his coffee, and set the cup on his knee, "Monica told me that Al saved her from being gang raped and tortured by a group of raiders. Al and the others protected her, kept her safe, and got her out. Monica told me that she got close to Al, Cait, and the six survivors in Al's gang that made it out. Everyone else from the original group was murdered."

Piper closed her eyes; a mix of emotions was flooding through her.

"The thing that stuck out was how she left out any details of her time there. Just like the rest of the survivors, none of them said anything specific. That's saying something and it ain't good."

Piper fiddled with the buttons on her open shirt, "Where's Monica now?"

"She's in with the Railroad somewhere. Al mentioned she's an infiltrator. Kind of hard to believe a girl that young doing something like that. But that's why I came to talk to Al. The kid told me a while back that Al would know how to find her. Lost track of her after our meeting a year ago."

Piper rubbed her forehead and took a drag from her smoke. Her insides felt like they were going through a blender. "Thanks, Nicky." Every thought going through her head, made her entire body hurt. She glanced at the door, wishing she could see Alex through it.

"Mind if I smoke?" Nick tapped a pack of cigarettes against his hand.

Piper took another hit from her cigarette, "You know you don't have to ask."

Looking around the room, Nick lit his cigarette, "I have to say, Al really pulled this place together. I'll admit, there were a few times I questioned some of her choices."

"Wait, you knew she was doing all this?" Piper waved her hand around, "And you didn't tell me?" She shook her head, "You are in so much trouble, mister…"

Nick chuckled, "I was sworn to secrecy with a very old bottle of scotch and a large box of pre-war cigarettes." He inhaled deeply from his cigarette.

Piper grinned, "So you can be bribed! That's good to know for future reference."

"It was more of a professional courtesy for an old friend. Even if I'm still not certain about these black rugs."

This time Piper laughed, "I think they look elegant."

"I don't know Piper, there's a reason lawyers hired professional decorators back in the day," He smiled at her.

"I think she did a great job." Piper looked around the room, appreciating everything in it. "I didn't get to see it until a few days ago. I was pretty stunned, to be honest."

"Well then, I'm glad you like it," He chuckled, inhaling the smoke only for it to come out of his neck and face where his skin was missing. "I have a case that I can't make heads or tails of. I thought you might be able to help since this one is right up your alley."

"Okay. What's going on?"

Reaching into his trench coat, Nick pulled out a notepad. "Listen, for now, you can't publish anything. But, once we figure this out, I'll give you the details you can use for a story."

"Deal," Piper answered quickly, knowing he'd make good on his promise. Nick opened the pad and Piper took another hit from her cigarette waiting for him.

"This is an odd one… because the people involved have just up and disappeared without a trace."

He handed it to her, and Piper read the list of names on it. "Who are they? I don't recognize any of these names."

Nick tapped the cigarette's ash into the ashtray Piper had put on the table in front of him, "Traders, merchants, farm owners… Most of them are from outside of the Commonwealth, but the thing is, these are people with means. Not the sort to just up and disappear." Nick took a drag from his cigarette, thinking. "They all vanished without a trace, in that order." He pointed a metal finger at the page, "All of them were home, with other people around. One minute they're there, the next minute they're gone."

"Is there a pattern to the disappearances?" She tried to hand the notepad back, but he held up his hand.

"That's the problem, I can't find one. Flip the page."

Piper flipped the page and there was another list of names, but she recognized one. "Alister Riley?" She quickly read through the rest of the names but didn't recognize any of the others. "The leader of that crooked trade caravan the paper took down. He was the first disappearance?"

"The one and same. That's why I came to talk to you." Nick turned the notebook slightly and tapped a name, "I was hired to find this fella here, Jim Mahoney. He's a mine owner, and the Minutemen and Railroad took down that ghoul raider gang that was holed up in that radioactive mine he owned."

Piper remembered them, "Name was Slough, he had ties to that L&L gang that has something against synths."

"Got dicey there for a bit."

"On that run, Blue led the Railroad heavies in. Cait ran the Minutemen team in sweeping up and providing cover. I was stuck behind all the folks in power armor. I couldn't see shit until they had that whole mine drained."

Nick's face ticked up into a grin, "Hope you complained to management."

Piper laughed, "She told me that if I tried to get out front with the heavies, she'd make me carry a minigun as punishment."

"I'm having a hard time picturing you trying to pick up a minigun let alone use one." He had a good chuckle at her expense, "Seems like it would be bad for our side."

Piper feigned being insulted, "This from the guy who won't carry anything bigger than a revolver."

"I know my limits, Piper." He was still chuckling, "Remember, Al had to rescue me from Skinny's vault like I was some kind of damsel in distress."

"She's really good at it," Piper fanned herself, laughing hard. She took a drag from her smoke trying to calm down.

"Anyways, I was hoping you'd still have your notes from the caravan case. It might help me figure out how all the rest are linked. My gut is telling me they are and it's not just mysterious circumstances. I just can't see the pattern."

"Yeah, of course I do. Let me run upstairs." Piper crushed out her cigarette and booked it up the stairs. She quickly crossed the bedroom and bound up the steps to her office. Pulling open the drawers of the file cabinet, she spent several minutes digging through the notebooks until she found the right one. She made a mental note to spend time organizing later.

Hopping down the office stairs, she could hear a conversation going on downstairs as crossed the room. By the time she made it to the top of the stairs, she knew who Alex was talking to. Every ounce of her being was filled with loathing as she descended the stairs.

"Piper," Alex smiled brightly at her with Geneva standing next to her. "I'm glad you came down, Geneva just stopped by and brought over these flowers." Alex held out her hand for Piper and Piper took it without hesitation. "Aren't they beautiful?" She waved her hand passed the flowers Geneva was holding.

"Uh, yeah. They are," Piper started to reach for the flowers Geneva held, but Geneva pulled the flowers away.

"Morning, Piper." It was a unique skill Geneva had that she could make a simple greeting sound flat and uninterested when combined with Piper's name.

Alex gave Piper a bright smile, "I hope you don't mind me intruding while you and Nick are working a case. I promise not to take up too much of your time. I just wanted to get them into some water."

"It's fine." Piper pondered how Alex could be so polite to Geneva. She motioned to Nick to wait. She studied Alex, gathering that she was genuine about her appreciation of Geneva's token.

"So, Geneva, you were saying… about the mayor," Alex gave Piper a deliberate look as if to say pay attention.

"Oh, yes, sorry, I just think it's odd. He never leaves town so suddenly. The last time he was gone a couple of days, but at least he gave us all advanced notice. But after the argument yesterday, he seemed off, and started acting odd. Then this morning, like I said, he stopped by my house and told me he was going to Goodneighbor. He went on about some business there he needed to attend to with Mayor Hancock. He also mentioned he had a special delivery to pick up from Daisy's Discounts."

"What argument?" Piper asked, wondering if Geneva would answer her.

For a second or two, it seemed like Geneva would ignore Piper's question. "The council members and the mayor got into a huge argument yesterday after Detective Valentine and the Minutemen left."

Alex glanced over the flowers she was arranging to Piper and Nick, "Did he seem to be in a hurry when he left this morning?"

"Yes, and it just struck me as odd. He was almost… nervous or excited. That's how I took it anyway. It just seems out of place for some reason," Geneva moved away from the kitchen and stood next to the stove. "It's very out of character for him. He's usually so damn arrogant. That's why I thought I'd mention it."

"How do you take your coffee, Geneva?" Alex walked to the shelf and took down a cup.

"A little milk please," She shifted nervously. When she did, several papers fell from the folder she was carrying. Fumbling, she tried to quickly recover the rest of the documents from falling, "I'm sorry, I'm really on edge today."

"Here let me," Piper bent down and started picking up all the papers when her eyes landed on one in particular. She handed the others to Geneva while reading the note. "Who wrote this?" She held it up for Geneva to see.

She frowned looking from the note to Piper, "Mayor Thomas did. It was the list of things he asked me to accomplish while he was out of town." She paused, watching Piper, before turning to Alex, "It's odd…"

"What is?" Alex handed Geneva the coffee and received a gracious smile in return.

Geneva took a drink before answering, "The mayor always emails me. But today was different. Not only did he mention Goodneighbor, but said he'd be gone for a few days. I can't help but wonder why."

Piper realized why the note was bothering her, she recognized the writing, "Nicky, does this handwriting look familiar to you?"

Nick stood up from the couch and walked over to the stove where they were. Taking the paper from her hand, he read the note quickly, "It's the same handwriting as the death threat from a couple of weeks ago."

The color drained from Alex's face as she looked at the note in Nick's hand.

Geneva scowled looking from Nick to Piper, "Are you saying…"

"Nick, you saw the note?" Alex growled.

"That can't be right," She whispered, but Geneva was looking more and more uncomfortable. "I watched him write that note." She looked at Alex nervously.

"Yeah, Al. I did. The penmanship is the same." He lifted the paper, turning it so Alex could see it, "The heaviness of the strokes and where the lines thin. It matches."

Alex tore her eyes from the page and looked at Piper, "What exactly did that note say?"

"You expect Piper to remember something from a couple of weeks ago?" Geneva scoffed.

"Piper is a mnemonist. Her ability to retain information rivals Nick's and is certainly better than the average person. So, yes, I do expect her to remember." Alex spun Piper around to look at her, "What did the note say?"

Piper swallowed staring into her worried, gray eyes. "Please don't make me repeat it," She barely got the words out. "I can't."

"Al, I'll run over to the Security office and get Danny and the note. That way we can compare them and make sure we have what we need to press charges."

Alex stuck her hand into her pocket and pulled out her house key, "Here. Just let yourself in." She stuffed the key into his hand.

"I'll be back in a few minutes," Nick made a quick exit out of the red door, the note safely tucked into his pocket.

Alex turned back to Geneva, "He's up to something and we're going to figure it out. Don't trust him at all, Geneva. If he comes back, don't be alone with him. Once I see the note, we'll give the evidence to the guards and city council. I promise we're going to keep you safe in the meantime."

"Thank you." Her voice trembled slightly.

Alex took Geneva's hand, "Can you take the day off?"

She nodded dumbly, "I-I think so. I can't believe another mayor is…" She looked at Piper and shook her head, "I just felt so off this morning. That's why I brought it up."

"You did the right thing. Now make your excuses and leave. Go home and wait there for me. Don't say a word about the mayor to anyone until you hear from me."

"Alright, Alex," Geneva took one last look at Piper, then turned to leave.

"Geneva?"

She turned back to Alex, "Yes?"

"Thank you for the flowers, it really means a lot that you thought of me like this. I haven't received flowers in a long time. So, thank you." Alex gave her a sincere smile, "And I hope in the very near future, you and Piper can move past your differences. Piper figured out what the Institute and McDonough were up to. Piper went to confront him and took us wither her. I tried to make a desperate person see reason, but it was Piper who saved your life. I'm hoping you'll consider what I'm saying and bury whatever grievance you have with her. Just preferably, not in my wife's head."

Pausing at the red door, Geneva looked from Alex to Piper, then nodded, "I hope we can too, Piper." She left without another word and didn't wait for Piper to respond.

"I can't believe you," Piper whispered wrapping her arms around Alex. Alex moved like she was going to pull away, but Piper held on to her tightly. "No one has ever stood up for me like that before."

Alex tipped her head back, looking down at her, "Of course, I'm going to stand up for you. But you also must let go of the past and move on." She ran her fingers through Piper's hair, and they were both quiet for a moment. "If the notes match, I'm taking them to the city council myself. That fucker isn't getting away with threatening either of you."

Piper held on tightly to Alex's shirt, "You aren't going anywhere. I'm not letting you get killed over him. We'll let Danny handle it."

"Fuck the Gunners, and fuck Roy Thomas. I'm not letting him get away with this. He's not threatening my family and walking away like nothing fucking happened."

"Christ, will you listen to me?" Piper balled her shirt tightly into her fist, unwilling to let go. Alex's anger was palpable. "You can't fight the entire Commonwealth's Gunners on your own. We're going to figure this out."

Alex closed her eyes, she ran her fingers through Piper's hair and took a deep breath, then tipped their foreheads together. "How about we just go back to bed and say fuck today?"

Piper let out a breath, "I wish." Letting go of Alex's shirt she ran her hand over Alex's chest up to her shoulder. Her fingers fiddled with Alex's collar as her thoughts hovered around the woman in her arms. Silently, she wished for a single, peaceful day together. Toying with Alex's collar, she brushed her fingers over Alex's neck.

Alex exhaled with the softest groan. "I love the way you feel."

"You better, 'cause you're stuck with me," Piper lifted herself on her tiptoes, wrapped her arms around Alex's neck, and kissed her tenderly.

Nat pushed and pulled opened the door between the two rooms, "Oh seriously? My eyes!" She quickly covered her eyes with her hand.

Piper let go almost immediately. She gave Alex an apologetic look, "What is it, Nat?" Alex only shook her head and gave a playful roll of her eyes.

"Curie is here. Is it safe to look?"

"Yes," Piper answered.

"No," Alex answered at the same time, she grabbed Piper and pulled her close again.

"Which is it?" Nat whined at them.

Piper started to laugh, "Gosh, I don't know. Could be both."

"It's definitely a no," Alex kissed her quickly, making Piper giggle harder. "Yup, still no," Alex kissed Piper loudly a few times before letting her go, the whole time Piper kept giggling.

"Gross!" Nat dropped her hand, "You guys aren't funny. I'm leaving."

She shut the door on them, and Alex laughed harder. "Sometimes that kid's got serious sass."

"I blame you for her mouth," Piper still giggled taking Alex's hand.

Alex chuckled, "Yeah, because you never smart off at anyone, ever, right?"

"Why General Wright, is that… sass I'm hearing?" Piper gave her a smug look.

"I would never dream of sassing you, Mrs. Jansen. I've seen you shoot."

Piper wrapped her arms around her neck again and kissed her quickly, "Good because it'll be real cold and lonely out here on this couch by yourself."

Alex started to laugh, "You're a terrible person, Piper Jansen."

"Hardly, Alexandra Wright. Someone needs to keep you in line."

Alex took her hand, then kissed her one more time as she threaded their fingers together. "I've been meaning to ask you; how do you feel about me turning that downstairs into a separate apartment?"

"For Joanna?"

"At first. But Bug is growing up. She'll want her own place at some point, not directly under the watchful eye of her older sister. I can give it a separate entrance out back in the alley. She'd still be able to come upstairs from the basement through the shop. We can turn the room she's in now into a dark room or whatever you want."

"You've really thought about this, huh? I don't mind, but you're not getting rid of my laundry." Piper mentally crossed her fingers. "I love having a working washer and dryer."

"I can make that a shared space along with the shop and storage. I can work on it while you're busy at Publick. I don't foresee any real messes that'll be an inconvenience, but something might come up. I think since everything will be downstairs, we'll be okay though. I don't think it will be much effort at all. Just a couple more walls for a bedroom and I'll need to make some changes for a new laundry area and stove. Plus, hang a few cabinets."

"Blue, I don't mind. I like the idea of Nat being able to move down there rather than someplace else. When she's ready to take that step, I'd feel better with her still being here with us." Thinking about it, Alex's idea was a big relief. Nat was growing up too fast for her. It was almost painful to think about.

"I kind of figured. Come on, let's go talk to Curie about Joanna." Walking hand in hand, Alex pushed open the door and kicked the stop down on it, leaving it open. The jukebox strummed an old Patsy Cline tune in the background.

Curie was sitting in the chair next to Cait, reading a tablet. Piper smiled as Curie looked up at them, "Bonjour mes amours." Alex and Piper walked right to her.

Alex kissed both of Curie's cheeks, "Bonjour."

Piper hugged her, "Bonjour, doll." Piper sat on the couch next to Nat.

Alex looked at everyone, standing next to Curie, "We have fruit and coffee in the kitchen, are you hungry?"

Curie's eyes lit up, "Oh, that sounds wonderful. Today has been a whirlwind of activity. Preston will come later, he wished for me to tell you this. He has brought the other doctors to Hangman's Alley this morning. He also said there was someone who came from the Castle that wished to meet you. But all this will wait until l later, this morning is very busy. We have much to discuss."

"Alright, good, because there are a few things I want to talk to you about too." Alex smiled at Piper, "I'll grab breakfast for Curie, can you fill them in, please?" Alex walked back to the kitchen.

"Fill us in on what?" Cait set her empty cup on the coffee table.

Piper took a deep breath, "Turns out the mayor wrote the death threat to me and Nat."

"No!" Curie inhaled sharply, "I knew I did not like him."

Cait's face went from shock to anger in a second, "You're fuckin' jokin'." When Piper shook her head, Cait angrily started to crack her knuckles. "How the fuck do you know that?"

Piper looked at her sister and Joanna, both were staring at her in shock, "Geneva dropped a note he'd written for her. I recognized the handwriting. So did Nick. He's up at the guard shack right now getting the letter and Danny."

Curie's angry expression matched Cait's, "You see, he was up to no good. Now we have the proof and can take it to the authorities." Her anger made her speak faster than she normally did.

Alex came strolling back with Curie's cake and fruit bowl on one arm, a coffee cup in her left hand, the whiskey bottle tucked into her left arm, and the Luxobrew in her right hand.

"Al, we crackin' that fucker's head open or what?"

"You should not look to bloodshed as an answer, mon ami."

Cait nodded her head at Curie, "We can make an exception for this twat, sweetheart."

"No, we must file the appropriate report with the guards," Curie pointed out.

Cait threw her an irritated scowl, "That motherfucker threatened them, we should be twattin' him." Alex gave her a single, shallow, nod and Cait tipped her chin up as an answer.

Piper caught their silent exchange, "Blue." The discreet, single-word appeal made a direct hit on its intended target. Alex cleared her throat, giving Cait one last, pointed look.

Curie chuckled, "You have such the way with words."

Curie's comment to Cait tickled Piper. "Doesn't she though," Piper snickered with her. Nat and Joanna giggled right along with them. While amused, Piper was still watching Alex and Cait. She didn't want them to go chasing after the mayor or anyone else right now. Alex at least could be reasoned with. Cait was always harder to convince unless Alex agreed with an idea.

Alex glanced at Piper as Curie took the plate and the bowl from her first, "Maybe Piper's article can help." Piper knew she was talking directly to Cait. Cait looked over at Alex. But Alex kept her attention on Curie. "We get that out and then take the note to the council to get him ousted from office. The council will see he's not just threatening Piper and Nat, but that he's been breaking multiple laws. They'll need to take action," Alex set the coffee pot on the table.

"The guards will have everything they need to arrest him. But the article will be just another thing to get public opinion on our side to make sure he stays gone," Piper poured coffee into Cait's cup. Alex splashed whisky in the moment Piper moved, then set the bottle down next to Cait. Alex took a seat next to Piper on the couch.

Curie sniffed the cake and Nat quietly pointed at herself. Curie flashed her a smile as a thankful reply, sinking her fork into a corner to cut it off. Joanna snickered quietly into her hand watching the exchange. She leaned into Nat and whispered, "You were serious about that rule." Nat gave her a wide-eyed expressive look in return while nodding her head. She mouthed the word 'very' at Joanna.

"I don't give a fuck about the council, or public opinion. That fucker is messin' 'round and we should be puttin' him in the ground. Not drinkin' coffee and havin' brekkie." Cait huffed, letting her hand drop after point at both Piper and Nat. Swiping the cup from the table, she took a drink. Piper gave Cait a look, to tell her to calm down. Cait only shook her head in return, taking another sip. Piper let out a puff of air in frustration.

"It doesn't make sense," Nat finally spoke. "Why make a threat? What's the point if you're mayor? The last one just arrested Piper anytime he didn't like something she did or wrote."

"Your family is important in the Commonwealth; Alex is the General of the Minutemen. You and your sister are both journalists. Conceivably, he has possibly decided your family is a danger to him somehow. Perhaps with his business dealings or other affairs?" Joanna shifted closer to Nat.

"It's bothering you?" Nat whispered and Joanna nodded back. Nat took her hand and saw Alex smile at her.

Pulling Alex's hand into her lap, Piper sat back against the couch, thinking, "I'm not sure. The paper can be…" She paused thinking of how to put it without sounding arrogant.

"A vehicle of change?" Alex offered casually.

Piper's fingers traced Alex's, "Exactly. But the mayor… how long has this been his plan and why?"

"Aww come on, Piper, it's obvious." Cait looked between Alex and Piper, "You tell her about the bounty yet?"

"I did," Nat replied. She glanced at Joanna, then put her arm around her after deciding that she looked upset. "It's going to be ok. Blue and Piper will figure this out." Joanna gave her a nod, but stayed quiet, instead she sank into Nat's open arm.

Piper frowned, "How is it obvious, Cait?"

"Right, can't believe I have to explain it. For a thousand caps anyone will pop Al. He's lookin' to scare you, get you to leave the city, and they can just snap you and Junior up. Did you forget that? He's lookin' to have you."

Piper held up her hand, "I get that, Cait. We're missing something important. Something else. What's his angle? Something important ties everything together. If we find the right thread and pull it, it will bring everything else together." She looked over at Alex, thinking. "It worries me we aren't going to figure this out in time. I've got this feeling something big is coming."

Alex tilted her head thinking, "I have the same feeling. Your story yesterday about what happened in that meeting… I want to talk to Preston but he's not going to be here until this afternoon." Alex looked at Curie who nodded in confirmation as she ate, "Nick will be back with Danny soon. We'll start there."

Cait snorted, "He's obviously gettin' a cut. Nothin' else matters, Al."

"Why though? Piper wasn't anywhere near as critical of this mayor as she was the last one." Nat twirled her hair absentmindedly around her finger.

"Welcome to the real world, Junior. Caps are yer only friend, it's the rule," Cait crossed her arms and let her elbows rest on her knees. "No one out there gives a shite 'bout you or me if they can fill their pockets."

Nat leaned against Joanna, "Well, that's depressing."

"Very much so," Joanna added curling into Nat more.

Piper glared at Cait, "I can't believe you just said that to her. Like there isn't enough to keep her up at night?"

"Oh shit," Nat whispered to Joanna.

Piper leaned forward, "Not everyone lives that way, Cait."

"Oh, well pardon me, for thinkin' someone will sell you out for a cut of a ten thousand cap bounty. How wrong of me for not wanting to drag me best friends back in pieces. Again."

Curie stuffed a piece of melon into her mouth, alternating between watching the two argue and reading her tablet.

Piper started to stand but Alex pulled Piper firmly into her lap and held her there. "Alright, that's enough. You two fighting isn't going to solve anything anyways," Alex looked pointedly at Cait, "Stop now, you've made your point, Cait. You and Piper have different points of view and it doesn't mean either of you are wrong."

"Fine." Piper crossed her arms irately.

"Must be nice livin' in that dream world of yours, Newsy," Cait muttered.

"Cait, damnit. That was uncalled for," Alex leaned around Piper, glaring at Cait, still holding onto Piper. "There's no need to keep swiping at her."

"I got caps on Piper. This is going to be a bloodbath. Piper hates that nickname." Nat whispered to Joanna.

Joanna looked between Cait's annoyed expression and Piper's shocked face. "I am not betting."

Curie poked her fork around in her bowl, trying to dig out more berries.

Piper narrowed her eyes at Cait, "No, Blue. Let's hear about this dream world I live in. Because I like to imagine people being decent toward one another? Maybe that's the problem, Cait hates when people are kind." Piper glowered at Cait, "Right, Cait?"

"You honestly think that anyone won't sell you out the second they hear there's a bounty on you?"

Alex held on to Piper, tightly and sighed. "Cait. She knows that. Just stop, please."

"Anyone, Cait?" Piper snapped back at her.

"Yeah Piper, anyone."

"Cait, stop," Alex said it a little louder. "Now you're missing her point…"

"So, what you're saying is that you would? Huh. Interesting." Piper tried squirming out of Alex's arms. "Then again, you've always been kind of shallow."

Alex took a deep breath and shook her head, "Nice job dropping yourself in the shit, I tried to warn you."

"Shallow?" Cait started to stand, "That's not what I bloody meant, Piper, and you know it."

Piper was trying hard to get out of Alex's grip, "That's what you said, Cait, so obviously you meant it." She gave up, Alex had a grip like a bear trap.

"Alec, I must discuss with you the medical report." Curie set her empty bowl on the table, clearly uninterested in their argument.

Alex adjusted her arms around Piper's waist, pulling her closer, "What's there to discuss?" It was clear she had moved on from Piper and Cait's tiff.

Piper and Cait were still scowling at each other, as Cait sat back down in her chair.

"You are not moving as if you are in pain this morning." Curie regarded her, glancing up and down for effect.

"I stopped hurting sometime last night. Those stims you gave me work well. But, whatever's in them made me crash just before midnight. I was exhausted."

"This is very interesting. But I must ask, when did you stop menstruating?"

Piper adjusted herself, still on Alex's lap, turning sideways to see everyone.

"It just stopped; it was my second month at the Institute that I didn't have one. I figured after stasis, radiation, and teleportation it was just too much stress on my body. Everyone told me I was healthy." Curie and Joanna shared a long look as Alex finished her explanation. "Not that I care. I'm never have another baby. So, it doesn't matter."

"And while you were in the Glowing Sea, your suit it was damaged, yes?"

"Oh, yeah, that's right, you were at the Castle. Yeah, I took a glowing Deathclaw to the face. Thankfully, he was tiny, or that shotgun would have been useless against him. Ruined the helmet on my suit and got its blood all over me, including in my eyes. Swallowed some too, it was rather disgusting."

Curie tapped notes into the tablet. "Any radiation poisoning?"

"Yes. But Brian helped me, he treated my radiation burns and sickness. Not that either lasted long under his care. After a couple of days, he showed me how to repair my helmet."

"How long did the burns and illness last?"

"Let's see, I got to where Brian was at around noon, I think, that day. The illness only lasted a few hours, mercifully. The burns were completely gone by the next morning when I woke up. I couldn't even tell I had been burnt."

Piper watched Curie's expression change from astonishment to understanding before she spoke to Alex. "Did you keep the records from your Pip-Boy?"

Alex nodded, "I have everything back up to holotapes. Why?"

Curie looked from Alex to Joanna, "I would like to analyze them, s'il vous plait."

"You can have all of them if you'd like. But you're not telling me something."

Curie nodded to Joanna, she stood, and then opened the hatch.

"They're in the desk drawers at the bottom of the ladder here, Jo. They're all labeled by timeframes and they're already in a box." Joanna bobbed her head at Alex and climbed down the ladder.

"You are correct, there are many things I must discuss with you. But I have more questions and they must be answered first."

Alex looked to Piper for a second, "Ok, sure. Fire away."

"Have you noticed anything… unusual, since your time at the Institute?"

Joanna reappeared with a box and closed the hatch. Alex cleared her throat, "You mean about me, don't you?" Curie nodded. "Then yeah, there are," Alex finished. Joanna walked to the equipment boxes and set the box of holotapes down.

Curie was focused on Alex, observing her, "For example?"

Joanna sat next to Nat on the couch. Alex exhaled hard, "Ok, well first, I've noticed that I can see underwater. I mean clearly, like I can in the air. The first time, I was so surprised I choked when I stuck my head under. But it's come in handy quite a few times."

Curie quickly tapped into the tablet, "When did you notice this change?"

Alex glanced at Cait, "My second month at the Institute. We were on a retrieval mission and the Coursers I was with didn't like to get wet." Alex smirked.

"Any other changes?" Curie crossed her legs and folded her arms.

"I… ok, this is weird… but in water, I'm pretty sure I can breathe because I don't feel like I'm running out of air. Does that make sense?"

Piper threaded her brows together, she glanced at Cait who was staring wide-eyed at Alex. "You're joking," Cait looked back at Piper who shrugged.

"You can breathe… underwater?" Nat's eyebrows were about to leave her head, "That's nuts."

"The plasticity of your skin is not like anything I have seen before," Curie tabbed quickly through the report, "Human skin has respiration and excretion functions, but yours exceeds this by orders of magnitude."

"Curie, the sample that was taken in surgery was analyzed, I included Doctor Garrett's analysis as an addendum to my report." Joanna took the tablet from Curie, and moved through various tabs, then handed it back to her.

"Ah yes, good. Thank you, Joanna." Curie read the report quickly. When she finished, she picked up where she left off with Alex, "Edna has documented what she believes is similar to amphibian dermal respiration in water. It is the closest example she could find in her references. Are there any other changes you have noticed?"

"This is, uh well, this is really gross. But my diet has changed. I know you know what I eat, but I didn't always eat meat." Alex took another deep breath, "I was raised a vegetarian; I never ate meat. The one time I tried it when I was fifteen, I got sick from eating it. So, I never let my curiosity get the better of me after that." She took a breath, watching Curie as she talked, "Then one day, I'm on a run with the Coursers, we're doing recon on the Brotherhood. It was a bunch of scribes and Paladins. They were close to a Railroad safehouse near the woods in the Southwest. Plenty of tech to keep them interested in the area and snooping. More importantly, I didn't know if there were escaped synths inside the safehouse. I was trying to keep the Coursers from finding the safehouse and the Brotherhood out at the same time."

She sat forward, loosening her arms around Piper, "Well, it went South the minute the Brotherhood ripped through a hidden door to the safe house. We went after them, under the guise of claiming the tech for the Institute. They didn't stand a chance, we cut them down before they knew we were even there or before they made it through the door. Afterward, we were going through the bodies, and from the woods, we heard this unbelievable noise."

Everyone in the group was hanging on to Alex's story.

"It's getting dark, so we don't know what it is. Even the Coursers with their night vision can't see through the dense brush. So, we think it's Brotherhood reinforcements and we regroup. It's not. It was a giant, glowing, radstag, and its super pissed at us. It comes charging out of the woods, into the parking lot we're all standing in and the Coursers start throwing grenades and shoot at it. But this thing now, really pissed about getting lit up, and it's running right at us. It's not giving up on kicking our asses. Finally, we have this thing glowing bright red, and it explodes everywhere… on us. We're covered in blood and guts. It's fucking everywhere; our hair, faces, coats, mouths, and all over our jumpsuits. Which is disgusting on its own… but… I can't tell you this."

Curie almost jumped at Alex, "No, you must tell me. I must understand and I do not." It was clear she was completely engrossed in the story.

Alex took a breath but stayed quiet. Piper nudged her, "Blue. Come on, we all want to know how the story ends. Don't leave us hanging." Piper was just as engrossed in the story as everyone else.

Alex gave a nod, "The smell of blood and singed hair was overwhelming… I was grossed out by the fact I wasn't absolutely grossed out coated in gore. What's worse was there was a scent under all that and… I wanted it. This scent… I could taste it already, but I wanted… ugh." Alex sighed, "I wanted to eat it. It was making me crazy."

"Yuck," Cait made a face like she was barfing. Nat covered her mouth with her hand.

"After that, we'd be on the road, and I started to have these… cravings. Something in me changed and I… I wanted that radstag. But not like, oh I'll order a pizza and wait thirty minutes for delivery. I mean like I need to fucking eat right now, or I'll kill someone and eat them." Alex chuckled at her own joke.

She quickly became more serious knowing everyone was watching, "I wanted, fresh, raw meat. But, not just the meat, I wanted whatever made that smell, no matter what it was. It was slightly sweet and smells so delicious. I had to have it… only radstag or brahmin have that smell, and it… I get so hungry when I smell it." She looked over at Curie, "It took hunting to figure out what made that smell, and it was the animal's liver. So, when we're on the road, that's what I eat first. Raw liver. After that, I feel sane again."

"When do you get these cravings?" Curie's hand hovered over the tablet as she observed Alex.

Alex draped her arm over Piper's thighs, "Mostly when we're on the road. But I wanted it yesterday. The brahmin Cait brought home helped me cope with the craving."

Curie let the table rest on her knee, "You can smell this scent from a living animal?"

"Yeah, but only when they're close," Alex answered, then she hesitated. "You all have a scent too, but it's not as strong and doesn't make me feel the same way. It's… pleasant. I don't know if this makes sense, but it's under your normal smell. Each of you have one. It was something I never noticed before and now I do."

"Mate. That's not even funny," Cait watched her carefully.

Alex chuckled, "Don't worry, I won't eat you, Salty. I'm not a cannibal."

"She'd be way too bitter," Piper whispered to Alex, making her laugh harder.

Joanna leaned away from Nat, "That would correlate to my findings, Curie. Her senses have changed significantly."

Curie typed quickly into the tablet, "Oui, with her body rebuilding itself when she is exerting herself. The immediate need for an influx of protein would drive the feelings of hunger. The liver is the most nutritious part of an animal."

Piper set her arm over Alex's shoulders, holding on to her, "Not that most of us are arguing, you're keeping all of us fed when you hunt. Those of us that eat meat, I mean."

"I'm not going to argue a good steak either," Nat chimed in. "It's tasty."

"Mmm, steak and kidney pie. Me mouth is already waterin'." Cait licked her lips.

"Are you always a vegetarian?" Nat whispered to Joanna and Joanna nodded. "Good, I get your steak, deal?"

Joanna grinned at her, "What do I get?"

"Rewarded." Nat wiggled her eyebrows at her, trying to stay as quiet as possible.

"I'll only deal if I can name my reward," Joanna whispered back.

Nat smiled mischievously, "You're on."

Curie read her tablet, grinning. She'd overheard their private discourse, "Any other changes you've noticed?"

"Hold on, is no one else curious what they smell like?" Nat looked around at them.

Alex snickered, "You kind of smell like cinnamon and maple leaves, sweet, woody, and like the smell of maple leaves in the fall." Alex smiled and closed her eyes, "Joanna's very different, but it's also sweet. When I was a kid, my whole family would go to down to Connecticut. You could smell sugar in the air, that's what she smells like." Alex opened her eyes and looked at Curie. "Yours is citrusy. Like a mix of lemon and kiwi. I know you don't know what those smell like but it's really good. Your scent reminds me of summer."

"And mine?" Piper couldn't help but be curious.

Alex inhaled deeply and closed her eyes, "Yours is amazing… orchids, tiger lilies, and apple blossom honey. Sweet, subtle, yet crisp almost like it's spiced with something I can't quite put my finger on. I'd know it anywhere." Alex smiled softly and Piper blushed, not knowing what those things smelled like. But she imagined it was good judging by the look on Alex's face. Alex took another breath, "It's better than anything I've ever smelled and so delicate." She paused thinking, "It's heavenly."

"What's an orchid?"

Alex looked over at Nat, "It's a flower that vanilla is extracted from. The flower smells more floral and sharper, it's wonderful. Maybe sometime we'll see if we can find one."

"You didn't tell us what Cait smells like."

Alex looked at Cait and smiled, "She smells like a skank."

Nat, Joanna, and Piper busted up laughing. Curie shook her head while chuckling.

"Oi, you fucker," Cait chuckled.

Curie took a deep breath, calming her giggles, "Was there anything else you noticed?"

Alex smiled, still looking at Cait. Piper thought it was peculiar like Alex was trying to communicate something with the look. She looked over at Cait and saw she was watching Alex.

"My whole life, while my mother was alive, she tended a garden in our backyard. Her prized flowers were her show piece, at the center of the garden. She used to grow a bunch of different flowers and that's how I know Cait's scent. Heather, lilacs, and fresh cut grass carried on a summer breeze from the ocean." Alex took a breath and exhaled, "It's comforting, the way you smell. You smell like home."

Cait looked away with a smile that she couldn't dampen. Piper was touched. Alex's love for her was unquestionable, but it was also undeniable she cared deeply for Cait. After their conversation from the morning, it didn't bother her anymore.

Alex looked over at Curie, "Just one other thing. I thought it was my Pip-Boy originally, but it's not." Alex adjusted Piper on her lap, "I know it's not because I traded my Pip-Boy for a different Mark IV at vault eighty-one. When I got the same readings, I asked Tinker Tom to go through the files. He didn't find anything wrong with them, but he rewrote the diagnostic program. I checked my Pip-Boy downstairs a little bit ago… I'm not taking rads. I noticed it in the past, but I thought it was a fluke. Until we were near that cabin before we went to the Starlight. Those barrels were leaking, and my Pip-Boy Giger counter was going crazy. So, Piper and I skirted it. I registered zero rads. But when I put it on Piper and calibrated it, she'd taken rads and had to take rad-away before we got to the Starlight. You remember Curie, we told you about it when we got in. I thought maybe after the Glowing Sea I was somehow more resilient to the rads after you checked us out and found nothing wrong with me."

Curie thought for a minute, then tapped into the pad before she continued, "And this is everything you must tell me?"

"Yes. I think so," Alex ran her hand over Piper's knee as she thought. "I can't think of anything else."

Curie tucked the tablet back under her arm, "Joanna, your report is superb. The findings are very detailed."

"Thank you, Curie."

"What findings?" The curiosity weighing Alex's question pulled both Curie's and Joanna's attention.

"Your body has gone through changes most significant," Curie took a drink of her coffee.

"Which is why I created a working model of your body, compiling all of your previous medical information with the current data," Joanna finished for her, seamlessly.

Alex looked between Curie and Joanna and gave Joanna an awkward smile, "I feel like I should be asking more questions, but I'm not sure where to start. So, why don't you just tell me what you found."

"It is interesting. Your nervous system has completely changed. In doing so, it has changed your corresponding physiology."

"I'm already lost," Cait sat back in her chair frustrated.

Alex looked panicky, "Whoa, wait a second. How does an entire nervous system change?"

Curie clapped her hands together, excited by the question, "I am so glad you asked. We are postulating that your exposure to a specific type of radiation has triggered the change to your physiology."

"You mean my trip to the Glowing Sea?" Alex's hand found Piper's.

"The same! Yes." Curie smiled brightly. "Normally, with exposure to ionizing radiation below ten picometers, a mutation occurs within human spinal cords, which stops neurotransmitters from degrading. The side effect is most interesting since this allows the cells to continue to regenerate. Yet, with the break down in the tissue, stemming from other wavelengths of radiation, the overall physiology is also affected by necrosis of tissue and organs." Curie set the tablet on the table and leaned forward, "In your case, you have not responded with necrosis like others to radiation, and I do not yet understand why. Nor is the process you endured the same, for example, your bone and muscles have increased in density by twelve percent rather than decreasing. In another example, your nails and hair are growing fifty percent faster. We have no other known cases like yours. Therefore, in your honor, we are calling this outcome the Sterling Effect."

"I feel like I should be either worried or thrilled, but I don't understand well enough to know what you're telling me."

"That makes two of us," Cait crossed her legs impatiently, watching Curie. "Just say it in English, love."

Curie nodded curtly toward Cait, "Very well, but I do not like the word. It has terrible connotations and is not correct. Especially in your case, Alec. But, to simplify, your body has undergone a form of ghoulification." Curie rolled her eyes and gave an exasperated sigh, "No, I simply do not like these words, they are not correct, but this is what you will know."

Alex just stared at her.

She turned to Joanna, "We must simply find another means of explaining this to people. The word ghoul is terrible. No one should be called this."

"Nevertheless, ghoul is currently the accepted term in use," Joanna replied. Her matter-of-fact tone struck Piper of course, even though she knew it wasn't her intent.

Alex raised her eyebrows, "Are you saying… did you just call me… Am I a ghoul?"

"Yes. No. Ugh, this is a terrible word, I do not like using it. We do not have a more correct term for what has happened to you."

Joanna looked between Curie who was struggling with terminology and Alex who was struggling with her answer, "In short, the answer is yes, Alex. You are a ghoul."

Alex inhaled sharply; her line of sight dropped to the table. "I'm a ghoul? You're sure?" Her voice was shaky and quiet.

"Blue? You, okay?" Piper ran her fingers through Alex's hair. "You're looking awfully pale."

When Alex looked back up, she was as white as a ghost, "How long until I change like the others?"

"Your change was completed over two years ago based on the information you provided," Joanna chimed in. "You will not change further, including in appearance."

Alex nodded and swallowed hard.

"Blue?" Piper ran both hands through Alex's hair, "We should talk about this."

"No." Alex shook her head, "Please, no." Alex looked away, trying to get off the couch, "I already know what you're going to say." She started to push Piper from her lap, "I'll just leave. Please don't say anything, Piper."

"Leave? What? No!" Piper pushed back, feeling Alex moving under her. She straddled Alex, holding her face, forcing her to look at her. "Do you think I didn't know?"

Cait yawned with a stretch, "We all know, mate. It's old news."

"You…" Alex looked between them. "You knew?"

Piper turned her head so that she could look into Alex's gray eyes, "It doesn't change anything, Blue. Do you hear me?"

Alex threaded her eyebrows together in confusion. "But… I'm," She took a deep breath, "A ghoul."

"Yes and no. You are not the same as other ghouls," Curie was trying to reassure her friend. "You are different in key ways. I can only assume there will be more we will find. This is all very exciting."

Cait waited until Alex looked at her, "No offense, but if you start growlin' and askin' for brains, we're shootin' you."

"If she's after brains, Cait, you're safe," Nat smirked at her.

"Oi, you bloody toddler. Mind your lip." Cait chuckled.

Piper glared at her sister and then at Cait, "Can you two please not do this right now?"

"Sorry," Nat mumbled back, pouting at Cait for getting her in trouble. Cait held out her hands and stuck out her tongue, pretending to be a zombie, making Nat giggle.

"Ghouls can't live in Diamond City," Alex whispered to Piper. "I have to leave."

Piper turned back to Alex after shooting daggers at Cait one last time. "You listen to me, no one outside of this group, James Sun, and Edna Garrett know that you're a ghoul. And they aren't going to know either because we aren't going to tell them," Piper put her hands on either side of Alex's face so that she wouldn't look away again.

Alex swallowed again, "And you knew…?" Piper nodded at her slowly, looking into her eyes the entire time. "For how long?" Alex's voice was so quiet Piper almost couldn't hear her.

"I've known since you were stabbed a few days ago. Edna told us after your surgery," Piper watched her carefully as she held her. She could see the wheels in Alex's head turning, spiraling, and dangerously close to losing the battle in her mind.

For the moment, Piper had control of the situation, but she needed to snap Alex out of her own head. Piper leaned down next to her ear, "Last night when we were fucking, I knew." She whispered as quietly as she could, knowing she needed a figurative slap to get Alex to pull out of the death spiral she was in.

Piper sat back on Alex's knees, observing her. "I love you, Blue. Nothing will ever change that." Watching Alex's eyes, she could see the change in them.

Finally, Alex pulled her into a hug, kissing her cheek. "You're mint," She whispered, holding Piper for a long while long before letting go.

She sat back, her hands still on Alex's strong shoulders. "Mint, huh? Not sure I've ever been called perfect before," glancing to her right Piper noticed how red Joanna's face was. "Shit, you heard me?" Joanna nodded. Looking over her shoulder, she could see Curie's red face. "I suppose you heard me too?" Curie also nodded.

"What did you say?" Nat looked between the group. Cait looked as clueless as she was.

Piper blushed, "Nothing you'll ever want to know."

"Okay, fair." Nat sat back against Joanna.

"I want to know!" Cait chuckled.

"That's not going to happen," Piper snapped, shaking her head dismissively. Cait was still on her shit list. She wasn't in the mood to play.

"Synths are enhanced, their senses, strength, and speed are better than… er… humans." Alex looked around Piper to Curie. "I suppose I'm not considered human anymore either?"

Curie thought for a long moment about the question, "Your body has mutated at the cellular level. The changes to your autonomic nervous system have changed your entire cardiopulmonary system. But, more so, these other changes you've noticed to your body mean that your DNA has also been altered significantly. Thus, you are not considered human. You have evolved but you are also different than other ghouls. Although, aquatic respiration has been noted in other ghouls by Doctor Bethany. This is not a shared trait that humans nor synths exhibit."

She uncrossed her legs and leaned forward slightly, "Yet, based on your appearance, you would pass for human. This could cause problems if you were treated by a doctor outside of our group because they would treat you medically like a human, not a ghoul. Oh! This reminds me…" Curie got up and walked to the door and picked up her bag. She walked back to the chair and sat down. Drawing a small case from the confines, she handed it to Alex, "Stimpaks will not work for you. Inside the case are three new medpaks that I have specifically engineered for ghouls. I must have more nuclear material to fabricate more since they were so successful. I have sent a ghoul courier to Doctor Bethany for the supplies I will need."

Piper shifted and took the case from Alex's hand, opening it. They were the same as the medpak that they had used after Alex's surgery.

"Those paks cannot be given to a human," Curie added, "Unless you wish for them to die terribly."

Piper picked out one of the Medpaks and handed it to Alex. On the gray cylinder was a radiation symbol. "The reason you felt exhausted, was because your body processed all the radiation and chems. With the healing process, your body still needs a period of rest after. It is most important to remember that you will feel exhausted after a few hours when you use this pak. It will entice you to sleep."

Alex took a deep breath, then exhaled. "That explains why the stimpaks weren't working."

"For the amount you used, if you would not have been a ghoul, you would have died. A ghoul's body processes chems several times faster than a human, which is why you didn't. For example, with Jet, your body will receive a slight, immediate reaction, but nothing more. In your case, your body simply absorbed the chems. The painkillers were also short-lived, yes?"

"Yeah," Alex looked at Piper, then looked away, "I only felt good outside in the sun. My shoulder was killing me, and I was exhausted. I even went over to see Polly and get some liver before I went to see Piper. But she was out."

Edna was right. Alex had come to see her exhausted mentally and physically.

Cait clapped her hands together and leaned forward in her chair, "Explains why all the ghouls in Goodneighbor are such arseholes, can't get a proper high."

"Your body is processing ionizing and non-ionizing radiation. Dirty water is an example of how your body can use radiation to heal," Joanna gestured at Curie as she took a drink of her coffee. "That would include other radiation-contaminated foods, if you needed them."

Cait scratched her chin thinking, "What if she got hit by a mini nuke?"

"I suspect it would not affect her," Joanna curled her hand under her chin in thought. "Unless she was injured, then her body would use the radiation to heal."

"It doesn't affect me," Alex answered quietly. "I was standing outside the blast zone of the Institute with an ex-courser that was covering me. We both walked away just fine."

"None at all?" Nat stared in awe at Alex. "That's so cool!" She looked at Joanna, "Does that mean you're not affected by radiation either?"

"I'm not and neither is Curie," Joanna gave her a small smile, pulling Nat's hand into her lap. "All synths are immune from radiation damage."

"That's so cool and unfair!" Nat sighed, "I didn't ask that either. Never even occurred to me that you'd be immune to radiation."

Joanna smiled at her, "Sorry about your luck, human."

Nat huffed at her playful, "I'm going to make you regret that, Oompa Loompa."

On the other side of the house, the door slammed, and Nick and Danny rounded the corner in the kitchen. They were followed by two of Diamond City's guards. Nick and Danny, were mid-conversation as they entered the room the group was sitting in.

"Quite the party, hope we're not interrupting," Nick smiled at the room in general.

"Morning everyone, wish we were here for a better reason," Danny waved awkwardly to everyone.

Piper got off Alex's lap. She pulled the checkered shirt around herself as Alex stood next to her. They quickly exchanged pleasantries with Danny, Marcus, and Deacon who was imbedded with them.

"Did you get it, Nick?" Alex looked at him expectantly. Piper mentally prepared herself for the storm that was brewing. He could see it in how tense Alex's face was. Looking over at Cait, she could see her impatience.

Nick patted his jacket pocket, "Al, I don't recommend you reading this. It's not pleasant in the least." He let his hand drop for the moment.

Alex held out her hand, "Nick. Let me see it. I need to know what that son-of-a-bitch wrote to them."

Cait got up and stood next to her, "Let's see this shite."

"I get it, been there myself, Al. I'm just going to give you a friendly warning…"

"Nick, you know I was a fucking DA. Let me see it," She snapped at him. Nick sighed, quietly handing over the note to Alex.

Alex and Cait stood reading the note, becoming visibly angry as they did.

"That cunt," Cait snarled.

"I'm going to fucking skin him," Alex growled through her teeth.

"I tried to warn you," Nick said apologetically. "It's different when it's your family someone's after."

"I want to see it," Nat stood up and held out her hand.

Alex looked at Piper for direction, the note still firmly in her hand, but guarded against her chest. Piper shook her head, "No way, Nat." She was already blushing because of how angry Alex and Cait were. It was too horrifying to have her sister read.

Nat was getting angrier watching her, "Piper, we talked about this! I can't help you if I don't know what's happening, no matter how bad things are. How do you expect me to do anything?"

Piper could feel everyone's eyes on her. She took the note from Alex who was still growling. "Nat, this threat is really disgusting."

"Do you want me to kick your ass in front of everyone? Seriously, let me see it. I want to know what the asshole said." Nat held out her hand to Piper. "I'm your sister. You need to learn to trust me."

Piper took a deep breath, then exhaled. She stuffed the death threat into Nat's hand without another word.

As Nat read the note, she blanched. "Who writes this?" She kept reading, her face going from white to red. Then she looked up at Piper. "I'm going to fucking kill that motherfucker."

Piper rubbed her eyebrow, "Language, darling. Not in front of guests." She could feel the heat radiating off her skin from her blush. She never dreamed of showing Nat any of the threats they'd received in the past. Now, her little sister was holding the note in her hand, as red as Cait, and as angry as Alex.

"Get in line," Cait snapped, "Al, I know we're crackin' his head open. Tell me we're stompin' his bloody arse into the ground."

Piper took a breath trying to calm her anxiety. She didn't want all three of them to go running off to kill anyone or worse be killed by someone.

"God damned right we are," Alex looked right at Cait, "Sorry, Danny. I'm killing him."

"Slowly," Cait added.

Danny patted her arm attempting to calm her down, "Alex, I've got to arrest him. He needs to stand trial."

"I know you're angry, Slick, but listen to Danny. Won't do anyone any good if you murder him. Even if he does deserve it. You won't feel any better." Nick straightened up, "Trust me, I know."

Piper watched Alex shake with how angry she was. Next to her, Cait was pale and seething. In a way, she felt sorry for the mayor with them this angry. She studied Cait's face; it'd been a long time since she'd seen Cait this furious over anything.

"Wait, hold on." Nat reread the note, "Can I hold on to this for like a couple of hours, Danny? She turned the note around pointing at a line, "I know where he got this from."

Danny looked between Piper and her sister, "Yeah, sure, Nat. But I got to have it back when you're done."

Piper narrowed her brow, studying her sister, "If you know something you need to tell us."

"It's from the fan club flyer." She pushed the note into Piper's hands, "I might still have it." She ran into her room.

Piper reread the note, listening to Nat ripping open the file cabinet drawers in her room.

"Fan club?" Nick looked to Piper for an explanation. "Does she mean that kid from Goodneighbor with the posters?"

She rolled her eyes, "Richard." She looked over at Alex and Cait talking quietly with Danny, Marcus, and Deacon. They kept nodding at whatever Alex was saying.

"Found it!" Nat slammed the cabinet door and ran out with a large piece of paper in her hand. Cait intercepted Nat, taking the paper from her hands. Alex was over her shoulder reading the flyer. As soon as they finished, they handed it to Nick and Piper.

Nick pulled Alex's key from his pocket and handed it back to Alex, "I'm going to head to Goodneighbor and find that mayor of ours. He has a lot to answer for."

Cait cracked her knuckles, "Don't forget we get a piece of him too."

Nick gave her a nod, "And just remember what I said about him needing to stand trial."

"Whatever you say," Cait glanced at Alex.

"I'll see the rest of you later," Nick walked out without another word to her or Alex. He gave Nat a pat on the shoulder on his way by, "Take care of your sister, Nat. I see you around."

Nat gave him a quick hug, "Be careful."

Piper hugged Nick before he walked out the door. "Take care of yourself, Nick."

Alex looked over at Danny, "We'll be up once we get the newspaper out with Piper. Can I keep him with us as a runner if we need one?" She pointed directly at Deacon.

"Sure, Alex. We're heading up now. I'll send someone to Geneva's house to stand guard as well." Danny looked over at Piper, "We'll make sure to get people on all the council until we know everything, so don't worry." He tapped Marcus and they both left.

Alex waited until Danny had left before she turned to Deacon, "You look cute all dressed up as a responsible adult."

He started to laugh, "Just doing my best impersonation of an inspiring community defender. Is it working?"

Alex laughed, "You don't have me fooled in the slightest. Cait maybe…"

"Fuck off," Cait shook her head with a chuckle.

Alex walked over to the hatch, "I need you to get word to Dez about what's going on. Can you slip out for a bit?"

He gave her a winning smile, "Do Atom Cats meow?"

"No, they don't, goofball." Alex lifted the hatch door for him, "Also, let her know that Nick found Monica's mother. I'll give Monica details in person. Oh… and the passwords for Chief are 'Rigoletto, act three'."

"Later, Lex." He gave Cait a salute, "See ya." Glancing over at Piper, "Bye, Piper." With one last look at Nat, Joanna, and Curie, "Ladies." He dropped quickly down the ladder and Alex closed the hatch.

"Who was that?" Nat looked around at the people in the room. "And who's Chief?"

Alex looked over at Piper, "Is it okay if I tell her?"

Piper waved with a nod, "Go ahead."

"That was a Railroad infiltrator. They work undercover to get intel for the Railroad. We know a couple of them and can get help when we need it." She looked down at the two notes in her hand, "Chief is the Sentry bot that stands guard just outside the door downstairs that leads to the tunnels. Curie, Piper, Cait, and Preston all know the password to escape Diamond City if they need to."

"Opera as a password? Nice." Nat looked at the hatch with a big smile on her face, "I knew he was up to something. I've seen that guy poking around before."

"He's on our side," Alex said simply. "Let him poke."

"Will do." Nat touched Piper's checkered sleeve, "Piper if we're going to get that article printed and out, we need to go."

Curie stood, "Yes, we must go as well." She looked to where Joanna sat quietly on the couch, "There is much to do this morning."

Joanna dutifully stood and started walking to the door. Alex caught her by the arm, "Wait." She turned toward Curie who was standing next to the jukebox. "Curie, there was something I wanted to ask you." Alex was angry still, but she spoke to Curie with kindness in her voice. "I don't like the idea of Jo walking Diamond City every day from the alley. Not with everything going on."

Curie gave a small sigh, "Yes, I know. I do not like this either, but there is nowhere in the city for her to stay."

Piper took Curie by the arm, 'She can stay here with us. That way none of us are worrying about her. What do you think? We have plenty of space and Blue is going to turn the downstairs where you were staying into an apartment. She'll be safe, here, with us." Piper hoped that statement was true.

"Oh! This is a wonderful idea!" Curie clapped her hands together excitedly, "Joanna, is this acceptable for you?"

Joanna looked directly at Nat and grinned, "Yes."

"Then it is settled," Curie nodded happily and walked to the door. Opening it, she stepped outside and waved for someone Piper couldn't see. She stepped back inside, and then held the door wide.

The first person to step through the door was as tall as Alex, at six feet tall. The woman's dark auburn hair was drawn back away from her face in a ponytail. When she slipped her aviator sunglasses off her face and smiled at Curie, then Alex. "Morning," she called out, her husky voice was friendly. Her striking blue eyes stood out against her pale skin and midnight blue jumpsuit. She smiled directly at Piper, "Hey, gorgeous."

Piper gave Savannah a dazzling grin in return, "Morning, doll. Been a while since you've been in town."

Savanah was about to answer when Joanna moved. She was next to Nat in a second. Pulling Nat by the arm, Joanna stepped between Nat and Savannah. "Stay behind me, Natalie."

The woman held up her hands automatically as Curie frowned. "I'm not going to hurt you," her throaty voice cut through the room, gentle but firm.

Piper watched Alex step between Joanna and the woman in the jumpsuit just as fast as Joanna had moved. "You know her?" Alex's tone was authoritative, but not threatening.

Joanna nodded, balling her fist, "X9-23, she's a courser. She was tasked with enforcement in our division."

Savannah held her hands slightly higher, "I'm sorry you remember me that way. That's not who I am anymore." She took a small step back, "My name is Savannah. I'm not a courser and there isn't an Institute. I promise I'm not going to hurt you." She looked over at Alex and then back at Joanna, "I work for Alex. I'm here to help Curie and the Tech Division in the alley. I'm a heavy with the Minutemen and I protect people."

Alex held out her hand to Joanna, "She with Curie and I, Jo. I need you to trust us. Please."

Through the door another, taller person came in from the blinding morning light. He looked around the room as he removed his sunglasses. "Good morning, everyone." His deep voice was as smooth as silk, moving through the air like honey. His bright, white smile was handsomely set against his darkly complected face. The midnight blue jumpsuit he wore was complimented by his close-cropped haircut and his muscular frame. His dark eyes were friendly as they landed on everyone in the room. "General," He gave a nod to Alex and a bright smile to Piper, "Good morning, beautiful."

Piper blushed, "Morning, charmer."

Savannah kept her hands in the air, "Max, stay there, please. We're making our friend here nervous."

Joanna glanced at Curie, "Mon ami, no one is with us that will harm you." Joanna gave her a slow, single nod. Her fingers uncurled and she let go of Nat.

"Seriously?" Nat stepped around Joanna, "They aren't going to hurt us. Watch." She walked up to Max and gave him a big hug. "How come you guys never come to visit anymore? It's been months."

A third person came through the door so fast she was a blur of midnight blue and red. She swooped Nat off her feet, "Lovebug!"

Nat giggled, "Ruby!"

Ruby's long, curly, strawberry-blonde hair swirled around them as she spun around in a circle with Nat. "Oh my god, I've missed you!" She set Nat on the ground and held on making sure she didn't fall. "We've been so busy, that's why we haven't been by. But we're back!" She looked at Nat then Piper, "Whoa, holy shit… when did you get tall enough to dwarf Piper?" She smiled brightly at Piper, "Hey, Boo. I missed you too. Like a lot!" She batted her eyelashes at Piper.

Piper watched Ruby stand up fully and she had to look away, the girl was too cute for her own good with her freckles and her stunning smile. It always made Piper blush. Ruby and Alex would pick on her playfully about it, making her turn a shade of red so dark it matched her leather trench coat. She could hear Alex giggling across the room but didn't dare look at her.

All the former coursers shared a few traits. They were all tall and muscular. Alex had told her it was because their bodies were fit to their uniforms, not the other way around. They were purposely made to be appropriate for the work they did. So, each of them was six feet tall to six feet, three inches tall. They were all good-looking, their features striking enough to stand out in a crowd. At first, Piper thought it was because of the health and hygiene standards of the Institute, but Edna had told her the other day it was because they were engineered to be elite amongst the synths. During the psychiatric evaluation of early missions, the better looking the courser was, the more surface-dwelling humans seemed to trust them and help them. From then on, they were purposefully made to be beautiful.

She glanced at Alex for a second before she looked back at Joanna, remembering that the three ex-coursers behind her lover were engineered to be superior to the young doctor who was defending her sister. She'd seen them in action in the past and had been thankful they were on her side. Their strength, endurance, and combat abilities were stunningly lethal. If they wanted to hurt Joanna, nothing in that room was going to stop them from getting to her. Piper's eyes landed on Alex again, and in that second, she changed her mind. Alex had killed several coursers, and on one occasion, saved Piper's life by beating a courser to death. As far as she was concerned Alex was just as lethal as they were.

"Ruby stop, we've made someone nervous." Savannah pointed at Joanna.

Her brown eyes landed on Joanna; her freckled face went from confused to playful. "We? Nuh-uh. I never make anyone nervous, Miss Resting Bitch Face. I'm too friendly, but I can see why someone would be upset with you, Grouchasaurus-Rex." She hugged Nat again, this time giving her a big kiss on the cheek. "Who'd we upset?" She whispered in Nat's ear.

"Jay. She thinks you're going to… I don't actually know." She took the woman's arm and pointed at Joanna. "See Jay, they're all good."

Ruby waved at her, but Joanna cocked her eyebrow at Nat, putting one hand on her hip. "Lovebug?"

Nat blushed, "Yeah, Ruby's my friend. What?"

Alex looked over at Piper and covered her mouth, trying not to laugh. Piper rolled her eyes at her and shook her head. Sometimes she had to wonder about Alex's sense of humor. It was constantly getting them in trouble along with her own. "Joanna, they've been our friends for a couple of years. Like you, they are Minutemen. Bug is a nickname for Nat by close friends of our family. She's had that nickname for the last… um, almost four years. Blue gave it to her, and Ruby adopted it."

"I made it so much better," Ruby gave her a bright smile and another friendly wave, practically dancing in place. Out of the corner of her mouth, he whispered to Savannah, "See, she likes us, she's not nervous at all. She's not shooting at us, and that's a plus!"

Joanna gave another slow nod, "I understand. Thank you, Piper."

"Hey, Ruby," Cait smiled at her.

Ruby slowly straightened up, "Cait," she almost spat Cait's name out like it carried a bad taste.

Alex glanced over at Piper, "Looks like there's trouble in Paradise."

"Oh, man Lex, do I need to catch you up." Ruby looked from Alex to Cait, then to Piper, "You were totally right, Piper." Alex grinned at Ruby and Piper watched the red-head's brown eyes light up. Ruby was as much of a flirt as either Alex or Cait. Which made things that much worse for Piper when they teased her because all of them would gang up on her.

"The fuck is that supposed to mean?" Cait looked over a Piper and Piper gave her a smug smirk.

"I'm sure you'll figure it out, Cait." Piper crossed her arms and watched Cait. "Or Blue will explain it to you in small words you'll understand."

Alex bit her fingers trying not to laugh. Nat looked between her sister, Cait, and Ruby, "So, do I need to spend caps for a clue or what?"

"Auntie Cait fucked up," Ruby hugged Nat again. She looked over to Joanna and bent down next to Nat's ear, "Don't be like Auntie Cait."

"I feel like I missed something that I need popcorn for." Alex gave Cait a light shove, "What did you do to Ruby, mucker? Cause all of them are pissed at you."

Curie rolled her eyes at Cait, "Perhaps if you showed up to dinner engagements you would not have this problem."

"Oi, don't you start in on me too," Catie threw Curie a wounded look.

"Then you must learn to be punctual when you are expected," Curie's face softened when she answered her.

"I got pinned down clearin' out some of that L&L gang bullshit with Glory and Syd. This one won't cut me any slack over it." She pointed at Ruby.

"You stood her up?" Nat threaded her brows together, "That's a dick move." She looked over at her sister's irritated face, "You stood up my sister too? Oh… oh man… can you ever fuck up habitually hard."

"When?" Alex looked between them. "This is a trend?"

"A month ago, Lex… and I'm not talking to you Cait," Ruby looked over at Savannah and Savannah gave her a thumbs up. "Not even if you bring me a stack of Fancy Lad Cakes." Ruby winked at Cait and Savannah's face fell.

Savannah rolled her eyes with a huff. "Okay, I'm leaving. Curie, is this our stuff here?"

Curie pointed at the stack of gear Joanna had placed near the Nuka-Cola machine, she kicked the doorstop in place. "You should not allow her to use sweets to make this up to you." She picked up a couple of boxes and walked out the door.

Savannah gave Max a tap and put her sunglasses back on, "Let's go. We'll leave the wishy-washy wonder to eat her Fancy Lad Cakes with her ex-ex-girl toy." She picked up the boxes and made for the door. "Bye, Alex. Nat. Bye, gorgeous." She flashed one last smile over her shoulder at them then stepped into the light.

Alex leaned over and whispered to Cait, "Wow did you fuck up. You better get her a couple of stacks of those cakes. You got everyone pissed at you now."

"You can ask Glory about it." Cait crossed her arms. "Not like I fuckin' wanted to get me arse shot off. They were dug in like roaches."

Piper frowned at Alex, "Don't you help her. Cait needs to learn how to actually make it to a date."

Cait glared right back at Piper, "You're still not holdin' that against me, are you? It's been ages, Piper."

Nat and Alex shared a look but kept quiet.

"You wouldn't be so lucky," Piper practically spat the words at her. "I'm with Savannah on this. That's all."

Alex leaned down to her ear, "That's a yes, dumbass. You have so much ass to kiss your lips are going to fall off." Alex puckered up at her making kissing noises and Cait crabbily shoved her away.

Max chuckled, putting his sunglasses on, and picking up the boxes, "For the record, Cait, we talked to Syd, she set the record straight. Savannah is a tough nut to crack. Now, I'm leaving before I get an entire group of women angry at me for taking your side." He looked over at Piper and smiled at her, "But if you missed a date with Piper, you're on your own with that. I see you in a bit, Bug. Bye, Lex." He carried the boxes out the door still chuckling.

"Well fuck." Cait grumbled.

"Duty calls, Lovebug," Ruby slapped the sunglasses back on her face. "That doesn't mean you're off the hook, Cait. I'm still angry with you." Ruby grabbed the last of the boxes, "But Fancy Lads are a good start to apologizing to me. We'll be back this afternoon with Preston, Bug. Nice meeting you, Jay! See ya, Lex! I'll bring the cold brewskis, Piper! We haven't gossiped in ages." She walked out the door, kicking the doorstop on her way out, letting it shut behind her without waiting for an answer.

Alex patted her shoulder affectionately, "Syd saved your ass, again. She's becoming your knight in shining armor she does it so much." She glanced over at Piper who was still glaring at Cait, "So you're going to need a lot of cakes and deviled eggs."

Cait scoffed, "Fine, I'll run to the market."

Piper ignored her, picking up the coffee cups and plates, "Nat, get your things we have work to do."

Alex grabbed Cait by the scruff of her neck, "Feed them, then kiss their asses." She gave Cait a shake, "Mean it too. Or you'll get in more hot water."

Joanna sat down on the couch and opened her book. "Lovebug," she grumbled under her breath.