Sanctuary Hills was bustling. Not enough for people to not notice that it was the General herself stepping out of the APC. Or that she was helping a young woman that they might not necessarily know, even if they had her work read to them every chance they got. But it was nearly up to Diamond City standards of busy.

A man in overalls, the hat assigned to Sheriffs and a Minuteman's overshirt came up to the pair. He looked more like an Atom Cat than anything. "Ma,am.", he greeted.

Piper looked between the two as the General just greeted him back. "Good to see you, Sturges."

Piper folded her arms. "Really, Blue?" The General turned to her. "Sheriff of your home town greets the General of the Commonwealth with half a uniform and it's 'good to see you'?"

The General laughed. "Sturges built half of what you see here post-war with his own two hands. Probably half of what you don't see. You're looking at one of the greatest technical minds above ground in the entire Commonwealth. And if Brandis wasn't serving as Motor Pool, it might of been him."

"Well, shucks boss. You gonna give ole Sturges a swole head." the man stated.

Piper smiled. "Sorry." She extended a hand. "I'm Piper Wright."

"Of the news stories?", Sturges acknowledged. "Wow, boss. You really are planning on having nothing happen for a week if she ain't gonna be available to tell people about it."

"My sister is still operating the presses. If something truly extraordinary comes in, I'm certain the populace will be informed."

Sturges lifted his hands. "You know your business.

"Mama Murphy made me promise to get you when you came in."

The General nodded. "It'll be good to see her clean after all this time."

The General and Sturges locked eyes, thinking the same thought. The General dropped her bag and raced away with Sturges and Piper on her trail.

"Why are we running?", Piper called out.

The General answered, "Mama Murphy's an elderly wastelander that is known for taking already risky chemicals. I had hoped that she had given them up."

"She did.", Sturges added.

"Okay?", Piper continued.

"She's also a psycher.", the General explained. "'The Sight', as she calls it, is triggered by those very chems. If she was waiting for me to come back home, there's a fifty fifty chance that she's happy to see me/"

"/or she's planning on using her so-called gift to guide the leader of the Commonwealth in her war against its biggest threat so far."

The General rolled her eyes. "I lead the Minutemen, not the Commonwealth. That's the civilian council."

"No one's buying that, Blue.", Piper reminded.

"Sheriff Sturges already signed on the dotted line.", the General reminded.

Mama Murphy had spotted the three tearing up the road. The woman waved and then pointed at a pill she had in her hand. The General threw on a burst of speed but was still to late. The woman had already swallowed.

"Sturges: get to the doctor shop. ADDICTOL, PURIFIED WATER, STIM-PAK. Go!

"Piper: make sure she stays calm."

"Hey...kid. Long time, no see.", Mama Murphy whispered. "Except through the Sight.

"Still bright with all that energy. Like you have three suns in your chest. But that ain't what's burning, is it?

"It's the shadow without darkness... absent light. The shadow that isn't cast can get in because of being cast there before. The fire because the fire's an original number. Racing for the metal, fire against shadow, not leaving alive, not staying alive."

Mama Murphy stopped. Not waited. Stopped, like a watch. Piper and the General held their breath.

And together the three women breathed again. "Oh, that was a doozy. The ole ticker tried to shake up on me."

"You can't keep doing this, Mama Murphy.", the General told her.

The old woman waved the General away. "I'm a civilian. Can't no Minuteman tell ole Mama Murphy what to do."

"I got 'em, General.", Sturges reported.

The woman nodded. "Here. Stay still. Drink some water."

"You got it. Ole Mama Murphy's gonna rest here in her chair. Stay still for a while, I reckon."

Sturges nodded to the women. "Don't worry. I got her. And I'm gonna find out who gave her that."

"See that you...sorry.", the General started. "As the General, chems are legal for civilians. Even the ones living in settlements rather than communities. But Sturges, for me and her."

"I get it."

"Thanks.

"Come on, Piper.", the General changed the subject. "My house is across the street."

Sturges spoke over Mama Murphy, who was definitely staying very still in her chair. "You really should let someone else into your house. We could fix it up real nice for you."

"Not a man.", the General snapped. "Sorry...just...sorry."

She took Piper's hand and marched away, dragging Piper along. She got the door of her house and stopped. "When I came back here, after being frozen I mean, it didn't have a door. Or anything in the windows. Codsworth was just floating in the yard." The General stopped.

Piper squeezed her hand. "Why don't I get our bags? We did leave them in the middle of the street."

The General nodded. "Okay."

The door opened. "Good afternoon, mum. No one has been in your house since you've last been here." Codsworth handed the General a NUKA-COLA.

Dogmeat darted around the flame keeping the Mr. Handy in the air. "Hey there boy.", the General knelt to pet the animal.

"You remember Piper, don't you boy?", the General asked the dog when the other woman came up.

"Hello there.", the robot greeted in his programmed to be friendly way. "I am Codsworth. I have served this home for/"

"This is Piper Wright, Codsworth. I'm...I am authorizing her to have access to the home.", the General stated carefully.

"Of course, mum. The sir never objected to any of the others you've brought here." The robot switched an eye to Piper. "May I take your bags, mum?"

"Thank you. That's very kind of you.", Piper answered.

"Well, I do have the pride of General Atomics International to uphold.", Codsworth reminded. The robot took the bags onto his arms and floated inside with Dogmeat following.

Piper took a step forward and the still kneeling General grabbed her ankle. The reporter knelt down. "Blue, if you don't want me to come in, I'm sure there's another bed in this settlement. I mean, look at all that's been built here."

"No, it's not that.", the General replied. "I do want you. It's just..."

"This house is from before?"

The General looked into her eyes. "You get it."

"People still have families to lose, Blue.", Piper told her. "You know I do. Of course I get it.

"But you brought me here to help you with this 'vacation' thing the Institute invented for you. So do you want me to take you to the bed inside and give you a massage while your robot pours that NUKA-COLA for you, or not?"

The General nodded. Piper brought them both to their feet and led them inside the house.