"Waking up without a clue.

Baby's it's just you.", Magnolia sedated the Third Rail's customers.

"So how does it feel to be the Commonwealth's most eligible bachelor?", the General asked Preston.

The question slowed him from a gentle balboa to a bluesy swaying. "Sir?"

The General laughed. "After the way I talked you up on the radio just now. You already had the reputation of the last real hero in the Commonwealth. Now you'll have to beat the women off with a stick."

Colonel Garvey scoffed. "My vaunted reputation hasn't gotten me the one I have my eye on."

She didn't meet his gaze. After a moment she replied. "If it makes it any easier, it's not that it's Piper. It could have just as easily been Cait or even Curie. If she wasn't sentient, it would probably be better if it had been Curie. Anyone who wasn't under my command, really."

"And not a threat to the memory of your husband.", Preston added.

She leaned against him. "I'm sorry."

The song ended. Magnolia was about to walk off the stage. But Marowski raised his hand, then lowered it and released a handful of caps on the table. Magnolia nodded and began Man Enough. By now he confirmed that the General and Colonel were looking at him. He pointed down at the caps, then at the General. A smile and a wink communicated everything.

'Skinny' Malone walked up to the couple. "Mind if I cut in?"

"Not at all.", the General answered. She unwrapped herself from Preston. Then she allowed Malone to hold her frame in a stable if aloof dancing position.

"So?", the General asked. "You do have the capacity. 122% of it."

Malone spun her further away from the Triggermen's table. "How could you know that?"

"Never mind how I know.", the General warned. "Can you take the price?"

Malone swallowed. "Yeah. It ain't gonna lie easy with the knuckle draggers. But add in not going to war with the Minutemen, your boys securing the roads and a nigh monopoly? If you can get Marowski to swallow it with Trish staring at him, I can get him to digest it."

"We're on the radio.", she objected. "I'm not going to be nice about it. And I brought a real hard head with me. Then again, the honor bound one I brought with me is only going along with this because of the lives it will save."

Malone nodded. "He's prepared for that. With him as Mayor and you as General, he gets that he'll be paying up. He's just gotta be able to tell his people that they'll all be paid in the end."

"Well considering how many people that he's about to take the jobs of, he ought to be certain of that."