Queen's note:

Welcome to the Wasteland

Chapter Fifteen:

Shipping Out

It was overcast for the next few mornings, including, but the rain had stopped at least. Most supplies, and small animals were still in the old federal bunker, along with those that were still sick, watched over by Noel, while those healthy started assessing the damage and continuing plans that were under way before the storm.

Blake wanted to take some advantages with softer ground, getting fence posts dug up and re-sunk. Lana did as well, though was mostly testing the ground around outside the co-op and farmhouse. Testing radiation levels under the moss layer and beyond the patches. Getting some of the tatoes and sprouted razorgrain seeds in the ground, as well as some other rad resistant plants in both locations, as well as outside the bunker.

Once the rain had stopped they put plans to move the shipping crates and some of the truck trailers for making a type of barn, shelters, for the Brahmin and deer.

Lucy had taken an interest in the old bus on the walk home. Now that the bridge was cleared it was easy to walk home as the path around the lake.

Lots of preparation for today in other words. Same day Deegan had to leave.

"Do you have to go so soon?" Lana asked, looking up at the tall man from her spot.

Gods, she had gotten so attached in a month.

Deegan paused as he was putting in his freshly cleaned jacket before the armor plates. The scared man could not help feeling a part of his heart melt a bit at the question, and the tone that was trying not to reflect disappointment.

"Yes," Deegan rumbled as he walked over to where Lana was sitting and fiddling with her compound bow in the corner of the cabin. He stooped down to press his head against the young woman's for a moment. "I need to go check on my family. As smart as Jack is… Well, he does not have much practical experience in the real post-post war world. The mother is more so. I love them, but I still need to help take care of them."

Deegan stood, ruffling Lana's hair as he did so, "I'll still be walking up with you to the Farmhouse, and swing by Concord to make sure the museum is still locked."

That wagon, Edward did agree, was near priceless, as were the stores for the Razorgrain still in there.

"...still going to send over plants?" Lana asked, smiling again as she tried to fix her hair into a ponytail.

The playful tone had the older man chuckling, "As long as you take good care of my Brahmin."

"Considering he got to the cow-girls yesterday I think he's happy." Lana snorted, checking one more time that her bow was good to go in the cool weather.

"Those clothes were cleaned and done right?" Deegan asked, feeling not unlike a father or grandfather again. Uncle was the term Lana, and now the other girls and the new kids used for him, trusting him in the role of a living ancestor.

"Jacky finished them all yesterday in Concord," Lana nodded as she stood, pulling her jacket up and on again. "L- I mean, Lance, should fit in some of it, so should Becky and… Aerial I think she picked her name."

The scared man nodded, strapping on his chest and back plates first, then the rest of the armor, "Do not let any strangers know that those two are escaped synths, Don't even gossip with the others in the open."

"I know." Lana made a face, looking a bit disappointed as she pulled her hood up. "It's such a marvel though, a ligament amazement of science. Not just cloning, hell with the right equipment I can clone plants, alter them some, or propagate them the old fashioned way with cuttings. Not created without a base seed or cutting."

"I know," Deegan checked as he echoed the same feeling, the oiled over jacket, one that was relieved from the raiders, the only one big enough for him, and fit better than his other one, that now Jake was using. This one was newly cleaned, patched and re-oiled with the tallow Blake had made, and now rolled up to strap to his pack. "I have three synth refugees that stay in the mansion right now. But most people you'll find see them not as people or a marvel, but a monster to fear and kill as soon as possible. Stick to their names, watch carefully for any people that are too clean, too sharply dressed."

The young woman frowned a moment, waiting for Deegan to pick up his bag and walked outside onto the cabin's porch, "That would be the enforcers?"

"Yes, coursers, I think they called them." Deegan tossed Lana her quiver, stepping out on the fixed porch. One of three that the carpenter brothers managed to patch up in the storm and after it.

He paused there, in the morning light, it smelled like it had rained a bit not long ago and the breeze was still going before it would warm back up again in the afternoon. It was still a striking image, seeing the mass of greens, that the grass and crops that had a good amount of radexus moss around had survived the big storm.

The cabins that were more green-roofed now, and moss growing down the sides to insulate. At least they should have an improvised pot belly stove by tonight.

Deegan arched an eyebrow ridge as he saw Mary coming out of the cabin across from them, the one Lana had claimed. Giving the young woman beside him a side eye as he nodded over to Mary, while she was maneuvering down the stairs with a cane, one made by Jackie, no longer needing crutches but some support. "Wanted a quiet evening last night to read, huh?"

Lana pulled her hood down low, trying very hard to hide her flushing color as she was called out, "Oh look, Buck is standing by his saddle, I need to strap him into it."

Deegan chuckled, pulling out and lighting a cigarette as he watched the young woman hurry off. Giving her a chance to go get composed. Edward was pretty sure he had not heard those distinct sounds of shenanigans last night, but he also was not going to tease much more.

Marry Abernathy?

Well, her and Lana had been sort of flirting off and on. They could be cute together and well matched.

Maybe it was just...what was the term Wilhelmina liked to use? Kanodaling? Canoodling?

Regardless, both girls…. Young women were smart. They did not need Deegan as the directly acting dad. Not with Blake around after all, and Noel.

Deegan chuckled as he did a last check to make sure he had everything. Pack on shoulder, he moved over across the Co-op to where his bull brahmin was in his pen. A large wet nose leaned over to sniff at Edward's hand while the other head lifted to lick at the air and fence for some more attention. "You better be good for the girls' big boy, and get some good calves on the ground eh?"

Scarred fingers reached through, giving each nose a few scratches, and wondered if the bull would have a proper name by the time Edward made it back this way. The Braihmin was supposed to be from a good line, having come from outside of the Commonwealth and supposed to have a 50/50 chance of producing single headed calves. Not uncommon but rare enough to be considered lucky, and higher chances of survival after birth, and less added mutations over all.

There was an interesting sound coming from the main buildings, drawing some attention. Deegaon was walking over and watching as Buck first lowered his big head for the halter on vocal command in another language... french? As he was walking over the young woman gave another command as she tapped the forelegs, a cue spot that had the massive beastie bowing and then laying down.

"So that's how you do it." Edward said as he stopped near the central building, glancing in at the different workstations and benches that had been put together. All the random tools found and sorted, but also the recharging station for the Mr. Handies, Dude was sitting on the station, arms tucked up and optics dark.

"When your mount is well over six feet at the shoulder you train them from birth." Lana flashed a grin, leaning over after settling the saddle pad, digging her knuckles into the fur behind Buck's left ear, getting him to tilt his head and let out a low groaning sound. "Buck was the first moose I really helped with from the very start to now. From the breeding, to catching him coming out- he was the surprise third calf, and training for riding and cart pulling. Now he's my giant tank, aren't you Buck?"

The bull moose closed his eyes, letting out a low sound, happy at the attention, of being fussed over. He liked his gear, knowing it was his, and just sat there

With long legs folded while Lana lifted the saddle onto his back. Hocking up the breast straps so it would stay in place when he stood back up.

Mary came over as Buck was standing back up, watching in fascination as Lana deftly secured the saddle in place. "Is that a leftover saddle, like the wagon in the museum was?"

Lana shook her head, "No, we make our saddles. Some of the local survivors post bombs had random skills. When we, or the people back then, started taming moose and elk, those uncle's that had the old know-how started to learn how to make the saddles to fit a moose's body."

"Did you ever learn how to make them?" The other young woman asked as she finally came over once Lana motioned it was safe.

Lana ducked reflexively while hooking up the rains, "me? Oh know, I have no idea, the most I helped with was curing leather. My studies leaned to animal husbandry, mostly the moose, botany and some in ecology."

"Uhh…" Mary paused, botany was studying and knowing about plants, but she was trying to remember what the other was.

"Watch out," Deegan said, catching one of the points on the large paddle antler of Buck as the moose was starting to drop his head for a bite of grass while waiting for his person. "And, botany is the study of plants, ecology is the study of plants and animals in the environment, the world around us."

Buck rolled his eye to watch Deegan, smart enough to not shake his head despite being annoyed with having his paddle set of antlers grabbed by someone that was not his person. Then focused on Mary for a moment before Lana came around his front, giving his wide forehead and under chin some scratches. The attention got his ears rotating forward and making a happy grumble.

"Everyone ready?" Lana asked, brightening as the scarred man motioned the two young women to come and get a boost up. It saved some time...and fun!

Jake glanced back from where he was about to leave with Valory at the sound of laughter. Lan was just getting settled on her moose and then Mary yipped as she was almost fully tossed up, having to quickly catch herself and correct her balance. Edward stealing clear, tossing up the cane as Buck gave a shake and then turned around to more laughing as Lana urged him into trotting after those almost to the bridge. Maybe he was eager to stretch, maybe The two girls were using it as an excuse to hold tight to each other. Either way it was good the bridge of the damn was cleared of the trucks and cars, giving a clear path for them to go for a full galloping run for the fun.

"What is the word?" Valory tilted her head as Deegan jogged up to her and Jake. Shifting a golden gaze to the two ghouls, motioning with a large hand after the girls. "Twit-patted?"

Jake could not help the burst of laughter that slipped out, shoulders shaking as he tried not to lose it fully, "Twitterpated...yeah, yeah I can see that is a great way of putting it Valory."

Deegan gave a low chuckling as he slowed to match Jake's pace as the other man started to go over the dam bridge as well. Valory was rumbling in her own amused way before shaking her head and striding for the water itself.

"To be nearly two stories tall and with enough muscle and armored hide to not feel the cold water." Edward commented as they started across, getting another short of laughter as a gold eye rolled to and then past them. Valor was keeping pace with them as she swam, a cross of using her legs and forearms to paddle, to keep balance while her tail pushed but swinging side to side like the Alligators of old.

"No kidding," Jake rubbed at his own exposed forearms, glazing between the healed scarring and to the deathclaw. "This wrinkly skin doesn't have much compared to that. More than the kids but… yeah."

"Looks like the boyfriend is going the other way as us." Deegan noted, turning partly as he watched the semi far bank to their left once facing the man-made lake as he spotted movement.

Jake turned to shade his eyes and watch the dark shape walking hunched to be up the hill of the Co-op. Almost in Valory's look out spot but more just to the side. They could see the female moose eyeing the male Deathclaw, but he seemed content to just lay with his head down and watch the nearly empty settlement as Fredrik worked back and forth to care for the plants, harvest mushrooms and find the flattest or brick-like stones.

"It's so strange seeing the...just non-hungry or angry sides of the Deathclaws. And scary." The carpenter scratched around where he used to have a beard. At a questioning sound from his sometimes boss, Jake elaborated, "It's scary because I'm realizing how smart deathclaws can be. He wants to be with and stay with Valory right? So he's guarding what, who she likes and just...being smart about how he's going about this flirt."

"Ah, I know what you mean." Deegan nodded, humming as he thought about it once again about the Deathclaw intelligence of the unaltered ones. At least unaltered compared to those like Valory and the stories of The White Deathclaw.

They started moving again, keeping pace with the swimming deathclaw, and made the walk up around to the Abernathy farm. Much like the Co-op, the moss had covered almost all of the main house. Megan had been working hard in the storm to help the Radexus spread over the wood, and the top of the camper that was tucked against the farm house.

There was a lot of activity, the others already here, or rather by the Wicked Shipping lot. Some more fencing had been brought over already and Deegan could see Buck trotting ahead over from the main house to the lot, where Blake and Jackie's voices were with the trailers, debating on how far the radiation marked berrals should go to be safe from the water flows.

"Be careful going through Concord." Jake said as he stopped with Deegan at the Abernathy farm, watching Valory walking ahead to the lot, "Jackie saw some questionable figures in the distance when he left the other day when doing laundry."

Deegan frowned, his eyes still showing blue but there almost seemed to be some more red in them. "I'll check it out on the way back to the manor, and Parsons."

Jake gave a shiver, not bothering to hide it as he lingered as well to talk, "Maybe bump up the old man's faraday cage yeah? I could feel him for what felt like a whole mile more than normal out of his range."

The taller ghoul's posture shifted and his gaze sharpened, "Was that the last time you were working for us this winter?"

Jake blinked, and then nodded, "Thought I mentioned it to your guards coming back from rest. Did they not send it on to you Deegan?"

Edward shook his head, frowning as he made a mental note to stop by the asylum first before the manor. "No, but I'm going to check the generators and power lines at the asylum first thing now. He shouldn't be able to reach that far… keep an ear out Jake. Just in case I need Noel's experience."

"We will." Jake nodded to where the others were, "Far as I can tell we're just moving the big hollow truck trailers over here and some of the smaller shipping crates for today. Make a barn shelter for the brahmin."

"With Valory helping it should be okay… keep an eye for saving good tires for that bus back there. It could make a nice place for someone." Edward offered the idea, turning partly to where he would be heading off the planes for now.

"I'll mention it. Good luck boss." Jake waved as he started for the shipping lot to help.

Reviews!

Justsomerandombastard:

I snuck them in! I need some babies when/as the local raiders are taken out. sort of like a predator invading the gap left open. Or at least trying to! XD From what I understand all the Boston Super Mutants are institute made, rather then Master-made/left over FEV he/they had. So they're not as bulked out and generally smarter, but traded it out for not being as big, different strain of FEV. mostly I learned those things from watching lore vids. I know Ox-horn did a few goods vids on the Super Mutants. [also where I learned the Vim soda in Far Harbor and region might have an effect on the Super Mutants to be, not reverted but sort of wake up a more logical side of the mind]