A/N: Welcome back everyone! Today, we have... another chapter! Things have clearly been getting more complicated for our main characters, especially for Nate. Damon certainly didn't help with breaking into the FEV lab but... well we all know that the Institute is the Institute. I do find it really interesting the stories about the Institute Wastelanders tell are both not as bad, and worse than reality. Like- who would imagine they'd be kidnapping people to test the fucking Forced Evolutionary Virus on? That's depravity even ONI might question (not really, it's ONI). Anyway, leave a review to let me know what you think, and as always, enjoy!

Chapter 29: Past Problems

What are we going to do now?

That question was rampaging through my mind with an unfamiliar violence. For the first few hours of quiet contemplation, it was a literal question: how do we pull ourselves out of the hole I dug. As I thought, it morphed into a broader subject, at least for me. Whatever happens now, I have more than just my relationship with the Institute to think about it. The kids, Sanctuary, the Brotherhood, returning to the UNSC, all of it has to factor into what happens next. These are the kind of decisions I left up to my handlers and brass, but now I'm not only responsible for making them, I'm the one who has to plan and carry them out.

And that affects the people around me too. In a way, that's something I was excited about; I never had the opportunity to see the 'fruits' of my work under ONI. Now- now I not only see it, but the ones I'm affecting are people I've come to care for. I don't have people I need to protect, they're people I want to protect.

I should have known it wouldn't be that simple.

Around noon, there was a knock at the door and it slid open to reveal Porter pushing a cart loaded with several trays of food. Despite the shrink's protests, X6-88 and X2-17 entered with her.

Wordlessly, she pushed the food toward Nate and began placing the trays on the table. The female Courser followed the smaller woman while X6-88 stood in the center of the living room, eyes behind his dark tinted sunglasses fixed on my visor.

The tense silence blooming to fill the small apartment was thick and heavy, barely intruded upon by the moving plates, but I was more focused on the two hunters. Maybe it's because I've spent the better part of a decade hunting ONI's targets, but after a while one picks up on cues. These two were ready, and eager, to pounce. Any wrong move, sudden noise, or hell even a look they didn't like might set them off.

It was the same for me. My legs were coiled tight, arms by my sides, but ready to strike out at a moment's notice. Nate was standing less than two meters away; I could cross that gap before either Courser had the opportunity to act. Once he was secure, these two would be easy prey in hand to hand combat.

"Helen-"

My head snapped to the ex-soldier, same as the two Coursers. The sudden attention seemed to catch him off guard, but he continued anyway.

"Helen, why are you bringing us food?"

The psychiatrist sat at the table in front of her plate and glared at me. "Just because Damon did something incredibly stupid doesn't mean we can't still be hospitable."

I cocked my head. Incredibly stupid? "You won't air your dirty laundry."

"That's right, dirty laundry you don't have any context for." She wasn't defensive, she was angry.

"Context for experimenting on people?"

"You're a soldier, are you not? I'm sure you've carried out orders you didn't understand."

Every order I was given.

Nate shot me a glance before sitting across from Porter. "You're right, soldiers are given orders; they can't be expected to know the bigger picture and handle the fighting. We're still accountable to our own conscience." The ex-soldier frowned. I could almost see the memories of the ambush on his last deployment play out across his face. "We're encouraged to refuse illegal orders."

There was no immediate response. Instead, Porter took a bite of salad and slowly chewed as she thought. Was she considering what Nate said, or was she trying to come up with a way to counter?

"I understand your concern, but you have to understand this isn't quite the same as a battlefield. We aren't fighting an enemy you can destroy with force and it doesn't play by any rules of engagement. If we want to overcome it, we have to make sacrifices." Nate opened his mouth but Porter held up a hand. "I don't expect you to agree with me, but we have a code of ethics here we follow with as much vigor as we perform our research. Father- Shaun like's using our motto, Mankind Redefined, which is a perfectly apt description of our mission here. Another I personally prefer using is For the Greater Good."

For the greater good. A lot of horrible things have been done 'for the greater good.' Most of my career could be justified by that slogan. The SPARTAN IIs, the countless colonies we abandoned during the war, and atrocities in every war in human history have been done 'for the greater good'. They were done by people who thought they had the right to decide that for others. In the case of the UNSC, many of them may have been acceptable, but how many throughout humanity's history were? How many of mine?

I shifted but, as I opened my mouth to respond, the words died in my throat.

How many of mine were? I never questioned the orders I was given- what right do I have to question their motives?

I don't have to be perfect to call them on their bullshit.

Right.

I nodded to myself-

But Nate was already talking before I could reply. "Do you really think it's okay to experiment on innocent people when they have no say?"

The shrink looked down at her plate for an instant before meeting his eyes again. "That isn't as simple a question as you might think. The threat things like the FEV pose to humankind as a whole is incredible. These people- as draconian as it may sound, we select for subjects that are the highest risk, in isolated areas, with little or no resources and a high likelihood of dying. If we do nothing, we are putting far more people at risk. You've seen what the virus does. You've seen the Supermutants and how they're slowly moving further into the city, toward population centers. If we can't stop them, they'll overrun places like Goodneighbor and Diamond City, then how many would die?" Porter sighed. "I hate what we have to do, but I understand we have to do it."

And there was the 'greater good' argument again.

The question is whether that made it wrong or not. I don't like the idea of anyone being turned into a lab rat, but Supermutants- I can understand the desire to stop them. Or eradicate them. That group I killed before the Brotherhood ambushed us, they were talking about attacking the city. From what I know, they don't have the mental capacity to develop cohesive command structures, but that doesn't matter when you can overwhelm a small, isolated population center with brute force. Maybe fighting isn't an option for these people.

Or maybe I'm just making excuses for them.

"I sure as hell don't agree with you on that", Nate replied, "how could I? These people you're killing- you are killing them by doing this- are trying to get by in an environment that already wants to kill them. You're making a decision for them they have no opportunity to make for themselves. Before you say anything, no, Damon shouldn't have broken into the lab." He glanced at me. "At least without thinking things through. That doesn't change what the Institute has done."

Porter hesitated, like she wanted to say something, but didn't know whether she should or not.

Eventually, the slender woman grunted, glancing between Nate and I. "Your son wishes to discuss this situation with you. I will allow him to discuss the specifics behind our reasoning."

She doesn't have clearance to discuss it? "Why are you here?"

"To evaluate the situation and determine whether it is safe for Father to meet with you under these circumstances." The way Porter said that, it was as if there was nothing more obvious.

"You- you think I'd hurt my own son", Nate said, eyes wide with disbelief.

"Not you."

Me huh? I guess I can't blame her, and maybe that fear is a good thing.

The ex-soldier leaned back in his chair. "You think Damon is liable to go off the deep end at any moment." He looked at me again, a hint of amusement in his eyes despite everything. "I won't lie and say the bastard doesn't scare me, but he isn't going to do anything that sort of stupid."

She shot me a questioning glance. "You're sure about that?"

"He can speak for himself on that one."

I shrugged as they both looked at me. "As long as no one else does something stupid first."

"You aren't the most trustworthy person."

"I never said I wouldn't break into any labs."

Porter squinted at me, while Nate cracked the ghost of a smile. "It is implied when someone allows you into their home, you'll respect their rules."

Breaking into the lab isn't the issue at this point, it's whether I'll attack Shaun. "If I wanted to assassinate anyone, I would have done it when you gave me the opportunity at the status meeting."

"That isn't comforting."

"It's the truth."

The shrink frowned. "Father would very much like to speak with you, and I am inclined to believe you are telling the truth. However, betraying his, and my, trust again will make things far more difficult for all involved."

Nate grunted. "The feeling is mutual. Shaun is my son, but keeping secrets from us isn't the best way to gain our trust."

"I believe that is fair", Porter said with a nod. "X6-88, would you please tell Father it is safe for him to visit?"

"Yes ma'am", the dark skinned Courser said in his customary, flat tone before slipping back out into the hall.

"Damon, can I ask you something?" Porter continued, voice adopting the same soft, questing tone I've heard from countless shrinks.

I shrugged again.

"Why did you break into the lab?"

Dammit, I'd told Nate I broke in to get the serum, which means the Institute knows now. Can I use that? There's no point in lying about it if they know now? I'll need to find some way to get it to Virgil, but it could give me an out for-

"Dr. Virgil helped us get here", Nate said, "told us about the Molecular Relay and how to use it in exchange for helping him with a problem." He frowned. "I didn't know he was going to do it like that, but he took the opportunity to gather some information too."

"I see, so it didn't have anything to do with Dr. Li wanting to talk?"

I shook my head, but Porter didn't look convinced. She didn't push though. "What you must have seen there wasn't pretty, I'm sure. Despite defending the Institute's practices, the Force Evolutionary Virus project was one very few were privy to. I know of it because several of my patients worked in that lab. What they did wasn't- well it turned my stomach."

Nate leaned forward and clasped his hands on the table in front of them. "It's harder when you've seen and know people above ground. It hurts to think any one of them could have been taken for testing. Especially considering what some of them have been through." The ex-soldier met my gaze.

"Would you care to share one of those stories?"

Both of our eyes snapped to the psychiatrist.

"Why?" I demanded.

She sighed. "I've lived down here my entire life. It's easy to see the people above as… separate, different… but part of my job is to open myself to anyone and everyone. I've never talked to a Wastelander, but I'd like to. I want to get to know them, what they're like, what they think, and who they are. You two are the closest I've ever gotten."

So not all of them share the same ideas of the citizens in the Commonwealth? I probably shouldn't be surprised.

"Most of the ones we've met have been kind and helpful", Nate said. "They're just trying to survive in a really, really bad set of circumstances. Some of them have had it worse than others, some of them are dirtbags trying to take advantage of other people- to his credit, most of the people Damon has killed have been them- but they're all people too. I just don't think anyone deserves those sorts of experiments."

Silence settled back over the apartment as Nate fell quiet. My mind ran back through the people I've fought, and killed, since coming here: the Raiders in Concord, the ones that attacked Sanctuary, the Triggermen, Kellogg, Goodneighbor, Gunners, The Brotherhood- damn. That's a lot of people in two months. I've certainly made my share of mistakes, but I hope what Nate said was right. Goodneighbor… that one still bothered me.

"Thank you", Porter said, eventually. "I'd like the opportunity to learn more, but I expected as much. I hope I get the chance to leave here one day and experience the Commonwealth for myself."

Nate smiled. "It has its challenges, but who knows, maybe we can fix that."

Footsteps approaching from the hall interrupted our little heart to heart. A few seconds later, the door slid open to admit X6-88, another Courser, and Shaun. The two Synths stepped to either side of me while the gray haired man walked over to the table, followed by X2-17. Nate and Porter stood to greet him.

"I am glad we can speak", Shaun said, "I did not wish to leave things where they were with the others."

The Coursers bracketing me had me on edge, but nothing good would come of doing anything.

The ex-soldier squinted at his son. "Where are they exactly, Shaun?"

"You clearly have unanswered questions, primarily about our methods and, I am sure, whether we're keeping any other secrets from you. I promise, nothing is being purposely kept from you. You two have only been here a matter of days, please allow time to acquaint yourself with the Institute before assuming we are trying to hide anything."

"The first thing we learned wasn't promising."

Shaun nodded. "I understand, father, and while it may ring hollow at the moment, the Forced Evolutionary Virus experiment was our most… difficult project to undertake. Many different personnel worked on the project at various times because of its subject material." The Institute leader held up a hand to head off Nate's response. "I did not come here to argue with you about it. I wish to discuss the reason for our methods on a broader scale."

Of course you don't want to talk about that. Experimenting on innocent civilians doesn't reflect too well on your organization.

"What do you mean?" Nate asked.

"I mean the reason for our current approach. The Institute is in a… very precarious position at this moment. Many variables are coming into play at a decidedly inopportune time. I am sure you are aware of several: the Brotherhood of Steel, the Supermutants, increased Raider activity, multiple third generation Synth escapes, and others besides. Combining these uncontrolled factors with major project undertakings and some of my own shortcomings, the next few months will be pivotal to the success or failure of the Institute."

The ex-soldier's face twisted into a confused frown. "What do you mean 'your own shortcomings'? What does that have to do with anything?"

A brief moment of hesitation had me curious. "Allow me a few moments to explain some contributing factors before addressing that." Shaun paused, looking from his father to me and back. "We currently have three primary challenges: power, escaping Synths, and interlopers, be that Raider gangs moving in from the west, Supermutants, or the Brotherhood of Steel. You have already encountered our escaped Synth problem, on more than one front." The way he said that wasn't quite accusatory. "You are on the same side of the Brotherhood as us, and the Supermutants wish to destroy all regular humans. The Raiders seem to be a more recent development, but what we have seen is concerning."

"So your resources are stretched thin."

"Not necessarily. Once our problem of power output is solved, which we are nearing completion on, the only question will be how quickly we can produce combatants. No, they only turn into a major constraint when combined with… my shortcomings. I have not adequately evaluated and prepared for several eventualities, not the least of which being open warfare with the Brotherhood of Steel."

"I take it you want our help with that."

Shaun nodded. "In part, but it is not the only question I have neglected to answer." He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. I glanced at Porter who was staring at the older man, eyes glistening.

When the Institute leader opened his eyes again, they were filled with a mixture of sadness and determination. "I have not adequately prepared anyone to handle the nexus of challenges the Institute now faces. The Division leaders are fantastic in their own right, but there is a chasm between overseeing their wings and overseeing the Institute, especially in such trying times. Thus, I have adopted the approach of expediency, even over ethics in some cases. It is not something I am proud of, but sometimes it is difficult to plan for the far future when everything is happening now."

Nate cast a worried glance at me. "Shaun… it doesn't sound like I'm going to like where this is going."

"That is because- it truly pains me to say this, father, more than I could ever express- I am dying."

… shit.

Nate froze, expression caught somewhere between disbelief and confusion.

"You're- dying?" The ex-soldiers voice matched the uncertainty on his face, like he wasn't sure what those words meant.

The grey haired man nodded solemnly. "I am. Cancer. We have tried all available solutions but none have ceased its progression." He sighed, the ghost of a wry smile on his face. "In my desire to push the Institute as far as I could, I did not do the one thing necessary for it to survive me."

"No-" Nate said, "no, come on, you're able to make artificial humans. There has to be something you can do. All of this technology-" The ex-soldier was pleading, but it almost sounded hollow. I couldn't blame him. Maybe I don't have much sympathy for Shaun, but Nate… He's been through hell and back to get here, everything going wrong along the way.

He found his son a lifetime older than he expected, only to now discover he's dying. Life hasn't been kind to me, but the way it's fucking with Nate almost felt sadistic. What did the guy do to deserve all this? If karma owes me, I'm not sure what to say about him? He's borne his burdens with a lot more grace than me, and yet…

"We have only been able to slow its advance", Shaun said, shaking his head. "Please- allow me to finish." He paused for a breath. "Because we have been operating on a limited timetable, we have had to do things in an unfavorable fashion. That is part of my decision to bring you here; you have experience no one else does, including myself and the rest of the Institute's leadership. I believe those experiences will be essential in the coming months."

"Shaun- I don't give a damn about that right now." Nate's frown had deepened, and the muscles in his neck were strained. The confusion was gone, replaced with wide eyed despair. "I just got- I just found you. I can't- I can't lose you again."

"Unfortunately, that is not up to either of us." Shaun sounded genuinely remorseful. "Time is not an issue yet, however. The rate of progression is slow at the moment, thus, for the time being, my focus is on the wellbeing of the Institute and its interests. I do not expect you to understand or agree with all of our methods now, but I would ask you allow me the opportunity to convince you of their merit."

The merit? You want to convince us, somehow, experimenting on civilians has merit?

"What do you mean 'merit'?" I asked.

The older man turned to me. "Contrary to what you seem to believe, our organization is not built around the sacrifice of others for our means. The Forced Evolutionary Virus project is one I have and will always regret, but it is something we have explored all other options for. We have tried using Synths, cadavers, even Institute volunteers, but the results were… not observable in the field."

"That's only one project."

Shaun nodded. "You are correct. There are many others, some pivotal to the survival of the Institute, and by extension the Commonwealth."

"How long do you plan on hiding those?"

"Well", the Institute leader said with an irritated grunt, "your interference has changed how we intended to introduce things. That decision is still being reviewed."

I hadn't given it any thought, but that makes sense. Probably for the better; I'd rather force their hand than allow them to tease info out however they want.

"How long do you have?" Nate asked, voice was so subdued, I wasn't sure Shaun heard it until he looked back at the ex-soldier. "You said time isn't an issue yet, but that doesn't tell me how long we- you have."

"I'm sorry, I do not know." He paused for a moment before returning to address me. The older man's face was blank once again. "I know what you think we are. I did not come here to argue with you, but determine whether we would be able to have a productive relationship. I will return once a decision has been made on how we will proceed."

With that, they exited, leaving Nate and I alone.

Alone.

"He's- he's dying." The ex-soldier's voice was so robotic, so detached, it could have come from one of the Coursers. His expression was anything but. The strained neck muscles and deep frown were replaced by narrow eye, red faced fury. "I found him. I swam through the shitstorm that my city has turned into for two fucking months, and not only do I find him almost twice my age, he's dying." By the time the ex-soldier was finished, his voice reflected his anger.

And I couldn't blame him. After everything we've done to get here after everything he'd already been through. Insult to injury doesn't come close to doing it justice. Wha-

"Now what?" His frustration was aimed at me all of a sudden. "I'm stuck in here because someone decided they wanted to break into a goddamn lab. I have limited time to get to know my son who's lived an entire life without me and I'm under house arrest."

I wanted to be annoyed, snap back at the smaller man, but I could understand- hell I could empathize with his pain. Even how he's deciding to deal with it. There was one thing I wouldn't feel guilty about.

"Breaking into that lab wasn't the wrong move. How long do they keep that hidden? This place-"

"Is shady and does a lot of horrible shit", Nate finished. "You think? Do you think you're the only person who has experience with backasswards people doing awful things? I haven't told you half of what I heard about going on before the bombs fell." He paused, squinting at me, "actually, I haven't told you any of it."

I shook my head. "Organizations like this specialize in manipulation, especially given your relationship with Shaun."

My companion scoffed. "You- you honestly think I don't know that." It wasn't a question. "This is the same as when you thought I didn't know we're under surveillance. Do you think I can't look after myself? I survived on active duty almost as long as you've been alive. I had a lifetime of wonderful experiences being manipulated before that."

Do I think he can't look after himself? Fighting maybe but… other than that? "No-" wait, was that the right answer? "I think you're capable of taking care of yourself."

"Then act like it, goddammit", he barked. "Maybe if you stopped acting on whatever instincts you used to play off of while I'm trying to be more diplomatic, we wouldn't be in this situation."

The way he said 'situation' suggested he was talking about more than the Institute. It was hard to argue with that; I've kept us alive, and we're at least in the Institute, but we're being detained here, enemies of the Brotherhood, who have Julian, and banned from the two largest settlements in the area. There are plenty of things I've done I won't apologize for, but this isn't the first time someone's questioned my methods. Not the first time I have.

One question was glaringly obvious though. "How would you have gotten this information out of them then?"

"Talking. The thing that, between the two of us, I do way better."

"And when they lied to you?"

Nate blinked slowly. "You trust me to know when that's happening, or at the very least know it's a possibility. Remember when I said I'd trust you with the fighting if you'd trust me with this?"

That wasn't exactly how that conversation in the Glowing Sea went, but close enough.

I nodded.

"Yeah well, this was one of those times." He sighed, shaking his head. "Whatever, you did it anyway so here we are." Suddenly the smaller man grew sober once again. "Shaun's dying. Nora's gone and Shaun's dying." Once again, the man, the father looked lost.

That's an expression I've seen a lot since coming here. It's easy enough to recognize when someone throws themselves into something to ignore a problem. Nate's a soldier, he uses action to do it. But now, there isn't any action to distract him. That's something I've started struggling with too.

We didn't have to wait long before there was another knock at the door. It was Shaun, Porter, and two Coursers once again. The shrink watched Nate closely as they entered with the same appraising gaze I've seen from my own with ONI. There was something else in her face though, a softness around her eyes that looked like concern.

"The division leaders were unable to come to a consensus on what to do, so the decision has been left to me", Shaun said as the four of them stopped in the living room. The escorts' eyes were locked on me, but for the first time, I was more interested in what the older man would say than the threat the Coursers posed. Shaun's eyes met my own. "I believe what you did was out of genuine desire to discover what we were hiding from you, and not out of some malicious intent. I also believe you did so in the interest of my father as much as yourself. However, I cannot allow something like that to go unattended."

I hadn't given too much thought to what type of 'penance' they would want. At a point, I do need to decide how to approach them about getting back to the UNSC. Nate is probably right here; if we want their help, either with that, or getting Julian back, I need to play ball.

Things were so much easier when I just needed to know who to shoot.

"It is a… personal request, but one I have deemed important enough to determine whether I can trust you." He turned to look at Nate who was, once again, sitting at the table. "As I said when you first arrived, my age and my illness have forced me to confront questions I have not for many years. I said my mother, your wife, was… collateral damage during my retrieval, and that is truly how I saw things for most of my life. As I am faced with my own mortality, however, I find that… changing."

The ex-soldier squinted at his son. I was thinking the same question that was on his face: where is this going?

"Shaun", he said slowly, "if you're trying to make me feel better about all of this, there are more important things to worry about. I don't know what to think right now, it's just- this has been a difficult few months."

The Institute leader nodded. "I understand, and I have given a lot of thought to this. While it may not be the ending we want, and I have never put much stock in tradition, I believe it may help both of us with some sort of closure. Kellogg is dead, and you are here; a journey started a lifetime ago is finally complete. Giving Nora a proper burial seems a suitable way to honor her and put an end to this… difficult chapter."

That was an interesting way to put it. A journey started a lifetime ago… it almost sounded like Shaun feels Nate is supposed to be here.

"A proper burial?" the ex-soldier asked quietly. "You mean a funeral?"

"Yes."

A funeral? Would that help? Shaun said it would give them closure, but this isn't over yet. Whatever happens, Shaun is still going to die, and we still have a lot to do.

Maybe this doesn't all need to be over for Nate to get some closure. He watched Kellogg murder Nora. Shaun is right, Kellogg's dead now and Nate is back with his son, regardless of what form that takes. It might help him accept what has happened, and what comes next.

My friend took a deep breath. "I would like that."

"I'm glad we agree", Shaun replied. "It was actually Dr. Porter's idea, and I think a fantastic one." He turned to me. "Which is what I have decided on for your penance. I would like you to retrieve my mother's body from Vault 111. I am aware you have a relationship with the community living in the houses below, so it should be easy enough once you arrive."

Like someone flipped a switch, Nate seemed downright eager as he stood from the small table. "We can leave-"

"No!" The older man held out a hand as if to set it on his shoulder before it wavered. "I- I know you trekked across the Commonwealth for months prior to arriving, and I know you wish to bring her body back yourself but I cannot risk losing you. And… considering our limited time, I want to spend it with you, getting to know you, and learning about my mother, who she was as a person."

"But Shaun- this is important. If we're going to do this, I want to be the one to bring her back."

That struck a chord. It made sense in a way not many things do for me. There's nothing left of my parents, my sister, and maybe the idea of a funeral doesn't mean much to me, but being able to give them the respect Nate is trying to give Nora… She was and is obviously important to him, and if I've learned anything from the people I've met here, it's those things, those people are worth the effort.

But then there's the flip side. Maybe he has ulterior motives, maybe he doesn't, but Shaun seems to genuinely want to spend time with Nate. That's… also something I understand.

The image of me laughing as my father carried me through the market in my home city flashed through my head. A vague sense of contentment and excitement followed. It would be difficult for me to be the sentimental type after everything that has happened, but that moment feels like one I would very much enjoy reliving.

What Shaun is asking hit as close to home as it possibly could.

"I'd like a moment alone with Nate", I said.

Suddenly, three more pairs of eyes were fixed on me. Their expressions were a mix of confusion and surprise.

"Why?" the ex-soldier asked.

"To talk about this."

Porter cleared her throat. "Yes, Damon, we'll come back in a few minutes."

Shaun looked at her, then to me, his carefully neutral expression back in place. The older man nodded and they, and the two Coursers, left.

Nate was staring at me, eyes narrowed. "Okay… so what's this about?"

"I won't make a decision for you, but I can bring Nora back. You asked if I trust you to handle things your way. Like I said earlier, I was probably too concerned with how difficult this situation has been." I shrugged. "You don't need me here, and as much as you want to bring your wife's body back yourself, I think it would be a good idea to stay."

Silence slowly draped itself over the room as the smaller man held my gaze, expression unreadable. He might have been considering whether my about face was genuine or not, and I'd be lying if I said I was comfortable leaving him here alone, but he was right: I hadn't trusted him. I guess that's still too new to me.

"Why the sudden change of heart?" Nate asked slowly, eyes still fixed on my visor.

"I'm trusting you."

"Which would mean I have to trust you with Nora."

I cocked my head at the smaller man. "Yes."

"She was my wife, Damon, you understand that, right?"

No… I don't. How could I?

"No", I replied, "but I can appreciate it."

"Appreciate it", he echoed, voice low. I nodded. "Why do you want me to stay?"

"Less risk, and it gives you the opportunity to learn more about what's going on here."

The ex-soldier's eyes narrowed. "Mhmm. And?"

Am I that easy to read? "Your son wants you to. You have that opportunity. Let me do this."

His features softened and Nate smiled. It wasn't necessarily happy, more… understanding. "I get it. Even if you can be… infuriating at times, I have no doubt you can bring Nora back here." I cocked my head again and my friend nodded. "Yes, I'll stay." He looked around the room. "How long do you think it'll take whoever is listening to tell Shaun we're done?"

I smiled and shrugged.

That turned out to be five minutes. Once Nate informed Shaun and Porter of his decisions (as if they didn't already know), we discussed how to get Nora back. They wanted to send at least X6-88 with me, but as much as I'm trusting Nate to handle the Institute, I don't trust a damn thing about them. And the last thing I need is to show up at Sanctuary with a Courser. Instead, they gave me a radio, a remote for the Vault's control system (not sure how they have that), and my weapons back. That last one must have had Ayo happy. The thought brought another slim smile to my face.

Despite my acceptance, doubt still swirled at the back of my mind as I checked my equipment. Physical violence isn't always the solution, but the threat of it can go a long way to… dissuade unwanted activities. I'm not good, hell I'm barely competent when it comes to social interactions, but the threat I pose is a good deterrent. Without that deterrent, it's impossible to say what the Institute will try.

I've already agreed to this; the faster I get it done, the faster I get back.

An hour after our conversation ended, I was standing back in the small room housing the Molecular Relay. As much as I'd like to stop by the Railroad and check in on Cassandra and Thomas, the Institute would undoubtedly be tracking me.

A technician gave me a thumbs up from behind the console outside.

No turning back now. Time to stop thinking and start doing.

I nodded and the machinery began humming, growing to a crescendo before everything disappeared in a blinding flash of white.

Each time I've 'teleported' my body has grown more accustomed to the disorienting lack of sensory inputs. This time, I remained mostly aware of what was happening during the transit, which is to say a whole lot of nothing. After what seemed like both an instant and an eternity, my vision resolved and I found myself standing in the ruins of CIT once again. In fact, I wasn't far from the tower I'd hunted the Courser down in. Would I be able to scavenge a more effective weapon? The laser rifle was about as useful (or useless) for punching through armor as my HK-33. With the 12.7mm rifle with the Railroad, if I ran into anything significant, I'd be dealing with it hand to hand.

No. Get moving.

With everything that had happened, the sun was already well on its way to meet the decrepit skyline to the west. If I get moving, I can be in Sanctuary by tomorrow morning.

That thought in mind, I oriented myself and began north. It didn't take long to notice a few differences. I was never involved in static defense, but you pick up a few things dismantling it. One of the most important clues patrols look for is changes in their environment; does anything look different, feel different. In this case it was sound.

Periodic gunfire is omnipresent in and around Boston's ruins, but it's usually limited to short exchanges. Over the course of the first half hour, I counted at least a dozen gunfights within earshot. That was significantly more than I've grown accustomed to.

As I slipped through the burnt out city, navigating my way past collapsed buildings, large piles of rubble, and impassable streets, I couldn't help but wonder why. It wasn't a large-scale engagement, that would be a lot more obvious. It sounded like the normal small fights, but more spread across the wasteland.

My mind filtered through the possibilities as quickly as it could while most of my attention was on the dead skyline around me. Raiders wouldn't make sense, and it was in too many places to be Goodneighbor or Diamond City. The only other parties I knew who might be able to start that many small engagements were the Brotherhood, the Institute, Gunners, or Supermutants. Unless there were a lot of smaller camps I didn't know about, which in a city this size is certainly an option.

Even though the speculation was interesting, I didn't have enough information to determine who it might be, so I stowed the thoughts and focused on getting through the city.

I made it to the northwest edge before I got involved in one of those firefights.

It was when I began circumventing a large apartment complex. The surrounding buildings were small, mostly townhouses and what might have been a few convenience stores. I hugged the low lying buildings opposite the apartments, sticking to the shadows cast by the structures against the descending sun as best I could. As I drew even with them, muffled voices drifted from the towering complex and, before I could decide whether to investigate, I got the distinct feeling I was being watched.

Ducking into an alley between a half collapsed house and a storefront, I trained my laser rifle on the apartments, scanning for a possible target. Had whoever that was s-

A shot exploded into the relative silence. The round crashed into the house's crumbling brickwork a meter from the opening. I couldn't see the shooter's position, which meant it was probably north of me, hidden by the house. They took a shot when their target was obscured, so I'm probably dealing with amateurs. Or someone baiting a target.

Whatever the case, I can't risk someone following me out of the city. The round was from a conventional rifle, so it probably wasn't Brotherhood. I-

No. I should disengage and take another route.

I paused, mulling the thought over. Someone had seen me, even if it wasn't the Brotherhood, that information might get back to them.

And taking the time to deal with whoever just took a pot shot at me would give anyone in the area time to investigate. Play this safe.

Dammit.

Dammit.

Dammit.

'Do things differently.' I guess that means leaving people who shoot at me alive.

It does if going after them is a bad decision.

Fine.

The alley took me to an adjoining road, and I continued north toward the edge of town. By the time the low lying houses, shops, and apartments of the city's outskirts gave way to the devastated wilderness around it, the sun had thoroughly submerged itself below the western horizon. I settled into the night, carefully avoiding any possible hostile positions. Twice I came across Brotherhood outposts, both on the south side of Cambridge. Even with my instincts telling me I needed to stay as far away from them as possible, I still skirted them and the town to scout their positions and troop strength. Even if their NVSs are primitive, it's still good enough to catch me if I'm careless, so I made sure to double check everything along the way.

These people either learned fast or didn't take this place, or me, seriously enough when they arrived. Now, both outposts were heavily fortified, with the same prefab fortifications Cambridge had, and at least a dozen armored soldiers on patrol. As for the Brotherhood stronghold, it was hard to get a count, but at least 50 of the cult members were standing guard, with a heavy perimeter established around the entire town.

Hanging around too long was a great way to get caught, so I took my leave after making sure I hadn't already picked up a tail.

Then, along my detour to make sure no one followed me to Sanctuary, I came across a group of Supermutants. A large one.

There were 20 or 30 of the revolting motherfuckers. They were held up in one of the small warehouses littering the area. The knowledge some of them may be the result of Institute experimentation did little to temper the roiling anger I felt surging from deep within me. This anger- the hatred- I didn't know what to do with it. I hated these things in a way I didn't even hate the Covenant.

Deal with it when I get the opportunity. That isn't now.

I had little doubt I could handle this motley group on my own, but I couldn't have been more than 5 or 6 clicks from Cambridge. Starting a firefight here wouldn't be smart, and trying to do this without firing a shot probably wouldn't work. I need to stay on task, and make sure I get the job done. Right now that's retrieving Nora's body, not executing Supermutants.

No matter how much I want to.

It isn't about 'the mission' either, this is about making the right decision, and not letting my own impulses make things worse.

So for the second time today, I turned away from a fight I wanted to get involved in. I desperately wanted to get involved in.

It was the right call, but it did nothing for my thoughts of tearing one of those cannibal bastards in half. It wouldn't bring the kids' parents back, the same way the Covenant I kill wouldn't bring mine back, but- at least it wouldn't happen again.

The rest of the trek passed in silence and I found myself in the rolling hills to the southwest of Sanctuary half an hour before the sun rose. With the sky brightening in the east, it would be better to wait until it broke the horizon before making my approach, no need to wake anyone.

Or give them a scare.

Besides, it would give me time to do a few checks.

My weapons had been in Institute possession for the better part of a day. Other than ensuring they were functional, I didn't check them for the bugs or tracers, that would undoubtedly be in them. The radio and remote were non-issues, both would have tracking devices, but I'd let those be. The thought of someone tampering with my guns though- that irritated me.

I found a small gulch and set about disassembling the HK-33. Sure enough, I found a small device, about the size of my pinky, tucked into the handguard.

Mfers.

The first thought that cross my mind was to crush the thing, but that would be stupid. They're either expecting that, or think I'm dumb enough I wouldn't notice it. I'll let them think the latter.

With the rest of the rifle meticulously searched, I did the same with my laser rifle, and found the same type of device secured to the inside of the weapon's housing.

Whatever these people wanted to learn, I wasn't going to give it to them.

By the time I was done, the sun was just beginning to peer over the desolate wasteland that had once been one of the world's densest metropolitan areas. I left my weapons, and the Institute equipment, buried in the gulch and began down the hill toward Sanctuary.

Disarming myself felt insane, stupid, ridiculous, especially given the circumstance. But I'm playing a different game now, with different rules. It wasn't what I'm used to.

That didn't mean I wasn't going to win.

As I approached the town, I was struck by how much more they'd developed in the few weeks since my last visit. I thought they'd made progress the first time back… that was nothing compared to the… stronghold now.

Starting with the two and a half meter tall perimeter fence they had put around the houses, it only got better from there. With regular firing positions and hardened perches elevated above the wall within, it was an extremely defensible position. They had also established a post at the top of the hill to the north. It was difficult to tell from the road, but it looked fortified.

A small door swung open as I reached the south end of the bridge and a half dozen armed citizens flooded out. Among them were the expected company: Preston, Alexandra, Julian, Sturges, and Macready.

I raised a hand in greeting and the Minuteman did the same before waving me toward them.

The two men I didn't recognize watched me with uncertain stares. Both wore armor, were tall, muscular, and had bolt action rifles held at the low ready.

"Soldier boy", Alexandra exclaimed as I stopped in front of the group, "your visits are a once a month thing?"

Something about the woman always seemed to put me at ease. Maybe it was that she was the first person I met here. Maybe it was that she'd never really been scared of me the way most civilians are. Whatever the reason, her relaxed posture, open, inviting, smile, and sincere, warm brown eyes, were a welcome change from the stiff, nervous Institute members I've been around lately.

"Not up to me."

She scoffed. "Damon, you can damn near anything you want to. Don't feed me that crap."

I smiled and cocked my head. "I can only take so much of you at once."

"Yeah", Julian interjected, "I can understand that."

As his mother slapped the back of his head, Preston chuckled and looked back up at me. "What brings you this way?"

"I need to get into the Vault."

"Oh?" He looked around the brightening landscape. "Well it sounds like you've got some interesting stories to tell, so why don't we get inside and figure out how we can help."

The two new faces, and Macready, never took their eyes off me as the others began back through the door. The ex-mercenary waved me through ahead of them.

I followed the others and, as I ducked into the settlement, it struck me the defenses were only the start of the changes. Even before walking up to the main row, the amount of work they'd done was incredible; patching up the ravaged houses, building small shacks in their yards, setting up more planters and crops. There were more people too. Several dozen milling around the small neighborhood, most stopping to gawk as I followed the welcoming committee up the road.

"Everyone", Preston called, "we'll introduce our guest at breakfast, for now we need to keep to our morning duties."

After a few more seconds of staring, the onlookers began to disperse and we finished the short walk to the large, yellow house they still seemed to use as their commons.

Alexandra turned to her son as we reached the house. "You got to say hi, but you have your responsibilities too." The young man tried to not look disappointed, but he nodded before walking off toward the east side of the small town.

I felt a spark of pride as I looked around the settlement, at the now fortified houses, the irrigation and purification systems, the crops, the generators… all of it was incredible. These people have come so far, done so much since I saved them two months ago. "Build your own livable conditions." That's what I told Preston before I left. They've gone far beyond that, and in an incredibly short amount of time.

"You look impressed", Sturges said, drawing my attention back to the small group.

"I am", I replied with a nod.

The engineer laughed. "Ya know most of this is your fault right?"

My fault? I cocked my head at the perpetually grease covered man.

"You think any of this is here without you?"

They probably wouldn't have survived the Raider attack at Concord without me. That was different people though. This group would make short work of those drug addled morons. "... I suppose not."

Preston nodded. "Life here doesn't give you many breaks. When one like you falls out of the sky, you don't waste it." He smiled, looking around the now bustling settlement. "I'll admit there's some luck involved, a lot of the people we've come across have been very helpful, but this is what you told us to do."

"All I did was kill a few Raiders."

"And gave us a second chance, made sure we were safe while we got established, and fought off another attack." The Minuteman laughed. "You suck at this whole 'gratitude' thing." He looked up at me like he suddenly remembered something. "A little birdy also told me some mysterious man in armor like no one has ever seen showed up to the Forged factory, wiped them out to a man, and brought the Finchs' eldest son back before disappearing." His expression asked the question for him.

"Yes."

"You think all you did for them was save their son?"

No… "I don't see your point."

A laugh erupted from Alexandra. "He'll get it eventually."

"You think so?" Preston said, mock concern dripping from his voice. "Damon, we've lived in this godforsaken hellhole our entire lives. Sometimes it takes something… crazy to realize things can change."

Ah. That was something I could relate to. "I see."

The Minuteman smiled. "Uh huh. So what brings you back up this way, exactly? You need to get in the Vault. What for?"

I looked at the others, and at the residents milling around us, stealing glances at me.

"Some privacy would be nice."

"Sure." Preston's massive hat bobbed as he nodded. "We can go up to the nest, if you don't mind being on watch while we talk."

"No."

"Let's head up that way then. Sturges, you mind finding us- or probably just me some breakfast?"

"Only if I can get Sammy to make it."

The Minuteman groaned. "I'd rather go hungry."

A few minutes later, the two of us were in the small cabin they had constructed on the hill. I was right about it being heavily fortified; the plates they used to reinforce the walls were thick enough to stop anything but the most determined projectiles. It also offered a great view of the surrounding forest, something they had sorely lacked.

"Don't tell me", Preston said, "this has something to do with the Institute."

I nodded. "We found them. And we found Nate's son."

"That's-" he started excitedly, but I cut him off.

"He's 60 now, the leader of the Institute, and dying." Those words… they didn't come out as easily as they should have.

"Oh… shit." The Minuteman looked up at me, suddenly solemn. "So, correct me if I'm wrong here, you said Nate was frozen in the Vault? And 200 years passed?" I nodded. "I'm guessing the Institute took his son and put him back in the freezer." I nodded again. "Did you… ever find out who it was that actually took him?"

"A mercenary named Kellogg."

Preston sputtered. "Wait- the Kellogg?"

"Yes."

"How does- you know what, never mind. You're from a different universe, Kellogg can be old enough to kidnap Nate's son 60 years ago."

"He's dead now."

The other man fell silent for a moment as we watched the forest around us. I didn't know if he was surprised I'd killed the Institute bloodhound, or contemplating the situation.

I've never found 'wilderness' to be particularly relaxing, but there was something familiar, and peaceful about this forest. It held a certain calm, even with the brown grass and underbrush, sickly trees, and lack of wildlife.

"Huh", Preston said eventually, "I guess I shouldn't be surprised you killed him. I should probably be excited, considering the stories." He glanced at me again. "You're starting to get some of your own."

I don't doubt it.

"Such as?"

"Pissing Kleo, the gun merchant, off enough for her to kill you. Or try. Fighting your way through Goodneighbor to get back at her. Turning Diamond City into a shooting gallery, and almost bringing the place down with a Vertibird. Just to name a few."

I'm the one who turned Diamond City into a battleground? Goodneighbor was my doing, and my fault, but I'm not the one to blame for what happened in the stadium. "The Brotherhood decided to ambush me in Diamond City. Blame them."

"Relax Damon, they're just rumors." He flashed me a smile. "You don't seem like the type of person who would turn a gun on someone for no reason."

… If only that were true.

It's what I did in Goodneighbor.

Probably sensing my discomfort, the other man started talking again. "So you want to go in the Vault now. Why?"

"Retrieve Nora, Nate's wife's body and bring it back to the institute so they can have a funeral."

"I see", Preston said, sounding like he regretted asking. "Okay- is there anything we can do to help."

I shook my head. "Stay away from me while I'm up there. The Institute bugged my weapons and equipment. The less they know the better."

The Minuteman cocked an eyebrow under his wide brimmed hat. "Bugged."

"Trackers and listening devices."

"I was wondering why you didn't have any guns. Okay." He fell silent for a few seconds, eyes skipping across the forest around us without seeing it. "So the Institute- it's a lot like people say?"

There were rumors floating around about the Institute, but I didn't know many of them. My only experience with one is the way people fear Synths. I don't know if these people know Sturges is one, but they also didn't seem to have the same, almost superstitious fear and hatred of the organization.

"Yes and no. They want as little to do with the outside world as possible beyond conducting experiments."

"Conducting experiments…" Preston echoed, "what do you mean?"

Images of Virgil's lab, the FEV lab flashed through my mind. The same disgust and anger I felt when I first learned about them accompanied the despicable sights of that lab. It was something I really didn't feel like revisiting.

"You're better off not knowing."

I felt Preston's eyes turn back to me for a moment. "Ah."

Something in that word was… different. Like he was disappointed.

Why wouldn't he be? This isn't just curiosity, he's responsible for the safety of the people here, and he clearly has ambitions beyond Sanctuary at this point. My discomfort isn't important when it comes to his safety.

"Sorry it's just- they kidnap people for experiments." I looked down at the Minuteman. "I don't like that sort of thing."

He huffed in amusement. "I don't think anyone does."

I can think of a few exceptions. ONI and us, Halsey (even though I'm not supposed to know about her) and the IIs, the Institute. They had different reasons, but they all did it. How he said it made the statement sound a bit… infantile, but I think it's fair to say I have a more specific aversion than most.

"Anyways, you know how they do it? How we can keep that from happening to us?"

They wouldn't be teleporting this far away from CIT, and the settlement is probably larger than they want to deal with… "What you have is enough. They don't want a footprint, so something this large would be off their radar."

"You're saying they go after smaller groups? Like some of the farms around here?"

I shook my head again. "Too far away for them to risk. This area should be safe."

Preston didn't look satisfied, but he didn't push. As much as I wanted to, I couldn't give him any real assurances, but it did seem unlikely they'd go this far out of their way to get their… test subjects.

"I guess I'll take that for now. We still have enough of our own issues to worry about at the moment."

Images of how the settlement looked when we first arrived from Concord, skeletal houses with nothing by way of infrastructure or protection, flashed through my mind. Then the last time I was here, with the beginnings of their current, well established fortifications, food production, and housing.

"You seem to be doing better."

The Minuteman was thinking something, even I could see it playing out across his face, his fidgeting, and how he was suddenly very intent on the forest around us.

"What?"

His head snapped to me, almost like he was surprised. "This- I…" The Minuteman started before falling silent.

"Raiders?"

He didn't respond.

"Gunners."

That got a reaction. The other man winced before shuddering. It's been months since the attack, and they've established a fairly large, well defended settlement, but whatever they went through… it must have left some deep scars.

Something I can empathize with.

"What do you need?"

After a few more moments of silence, Preston grunted. "One of our scouts came across a group of them a few days ago. They don't know where we are, and we could probably deal with them ourselves but… I can't take that chance."

Dammit. I can't help them right now. There's already too much suspicion hanging over my head. Funny enough, if I did track down this detachment and kill them, it wouldn't be anything the Institute would be worried about, but they would still wonder why I went off mission. And they would probably think I was off on some expedition to screw them over. I don't like the Institute, but I need them, and I've worked too hard to get here to throw it away because I was emotional.

"And you don't want to put any of your people at risk because, if they fail, they may lead the Gunners back here."

Preston nodded. "I think it's fair to say if I can trust anyone to not lose that fight, it's someone who killed a dozen Raiders with a busted arm."

I nodded. "Can you hang tight a few days? I need to get Nora's body back to the Institute." His eyes narrowed. "I'm already on their bad side", I continued before he could respond. "This is a favor to Nate. I'll help as soon as I can."

He held my gaze for a moment before releasing a low sigh. "Yeah- I guess I was just hoping a little too hard you'd drop what you're doing and help. Sorry, that wasn't fair." The Minuteman smiled. "We'll keep a low profile and double watches until you're able to head back this way."

Footsteps on the hill behind us caught my attention and there was a rap on the reinforced shack's door before it swung open to admit Alexandra. She was carrying a plate of fruit and bread. "Sturges got stolen to help with something on the southern wall, so he stuck me with being your server."

"How thoughtful of you."

"There's a first time for everything." She shot him a warning glance. "Don't get used to it."

Preston laughed. "Alex, I'd expect a Yao Gui to do it first."

The brown haired woman stopped beside him, scowling. "Do you want to eat this food, or do you want to wear it?"

"I'd like to eat it, ma'am."

"You should stop talking."

The Minuteman mocked being chastened as he took the plate. "Yes ma'am."

There was something… oddly satisfying about watching them have this type of back and forth in front of me. Nate and Cassandra were the only ones I spent any significant time with that were comfortable enough to have this type of conversation. Everyone else still had their guards up when I was around, even people like Deacon who carried a practiced nonchalance. The people here though, at least the ones I'd originally helped, were relaxed and open. It was strange.

But it felt good.

"How long are you staying this time, soldier boy?"

Alexandra's voice snapped my attention back to the present.

Crossing the wasteland during the day wasn't impossible, or necessarily difficult, but it would be safer at night. Darkness is always good for visual cover. "Until tonight."

She frowned. "You're coming back for at least a few days before you get plopped back into whatever the hell universe you're from."

It wasn't a question.

I nodded. "Of course."

"Good", she pointed at the food. "That's for the both of you, Preston."

The Minuteman rolled his eyes. "Damn, and here I thought I was getting extra rations today."

"Right, Grace thinks you've been overcompensating since we settled down here."

He blinked, looking between Alexandra and I for a silent moment.

"Did she just say I'm getting fat?" he asked me.

"I believe so."

The other man scoffed as Alexandra smiled mischievously.

"You didn't hear it from me", she said as she began down the hill once again.

"If you're going to be here until tonight, and you need to bring Nora's body out of the Vault, I'd recommend waiting until it's dark."

I nodded again. "Agreed."

"Great." He popped some sort of berry in his mouth. "I know you don't do well with people, but there are a few I'd like to introduce you to." The minuteman looked down at the plate in his hands. "After you eat. I'm guessing you didn't on your way up here."

"No."

"You came at the right time then." He ate another one. "Fresh harvest."

Handing me the plate, Preston began down toward the town.

He wasn't going to eat? "Don't-"

"It's fine", he said over his shoulder, "apparently I need to lose weight anyway."

That drew out a smile.

X

"Just a handgun", I said, looking at the well organized racks of firearms that would bring a tear to the eye of any quartermaster. They had turned the small, blue house that had been Nate's 200 years ago into a full blown armory with weapons, armor, ammunition, supplies… the works. It even had its own staff.

"You said you're going to be fighting the Brotherhood", Owens said, a short, well built, bald man with a thick beard and perpetual smile. "That means you're going to need more punch than a 5.56." He picked up one of the 7.62mm combat rifles and gave it a once over. "Even .308 probably won't cut it with their better armor, and you can forget about T-60."

Sturges nodded his agreement. "Ty, what about the MK-12c?"

Owens shot the engineer a pained expression. "C'mon, don't do that to me."

"Hey I'm just sayin. You want that thing to sing", he slapped my pauldron, "there isn't a better man in the wastes. Probably the planet."

"Yes…" he turned, almost reluctantly, to the area that had once been a kitchen and pulled a box of ammunition from a cabinet. Next he produced a rifle that, even with a quick inspection, almost had me salivating. It was all metal construction, matte black, with a much more normal looking receiver, free floating handguard with picatinny rails on all four sides, and a 508 mm barrel topped with an aggressive muzzle break.

"Someone lost their mind at some point and decided to make an AR pattern rifle that chambers this." The armorer produced a cartridge from the box. It was a 7.62mm bullet, but the case was much larger than a standard 7.62x51mm round. "300 Winmag. You put some steel penetrators or depleted uranium out of this, it isn't stopping until it hits something hard. Picked this up by chance on a supply run to a large shop to the south a few weeks back."

He slid the weapon across the counter toward me. "Sturges… you better vouch for this guy."

"Ty, I vouch for him."

He glared up at me for a moment before releasing the rifle. It was light for its size, but by no means felt fragile. In fact, aside from the McMillan, it was the nicest weapon I've seen since getting dropped here.

"I like it."

"You'd be stupid not to." Owens sighed. "I'll put together a package for it, what kind of fighting will you be doing?

"Everything."

"Of course. Alright, come back in an hour."

Sturges led me out of the makeshift armory and back toward the west side of the settlement. Preston had insisted I take a look at their armaments, which seemed like it was more to brag than anything else. But hey, I like to think of myself as an opportunist; I wasn't going to take anything, but if they're going to give me a rifle like that, I won't stop them.

As we walked, the few dozen people milling around the main area tried their best to hide it, but I felt several sets of eyes tracking me at any given time. I tried to not let it irritate me as much as Diamond City or Goodneighbor had. These people aren't them, they joined the original group I saved.

Along the way, we passed by several planters. Charlie, the young man I'd seen last time, was sitting at one, weeding it. Given how sick he'd been, it was a surprise he was still alive. His hands were just as shaky, and he looked just as gaunt and unhealthy, but he was still the only one tending to those plants. They had more crops at this point, so I had to imagine there were other people that could farm, but the kids still kept going. Alone. I caught someone occasionally glancing his way, but no one moved to help the struggling farmer.

"He doesn't like it when we help with those", Sturges said, voice solemn. "They're- really all he's got now. A lot of the folks here knew him and his family before they were attacked by the Forged. Thank you for killing those sons- no, sorry." He motioned toward the crops nearer the bridge. "Come on, there are a few people keen to see you."

Several people were working the patches of crops behind the houses there and, as we drew near, I recognized two of them: Abigail and Jake Finch.

"Well if it isn't the mysterious savior himself", the dark-skinned, brown haired woman said as she lifted her hoe from the dirt. "Word said you came in an hour or so ago." Her older son, Jake smiled as he looked up from his work.

The two farmers leaned their tools up against the side of a house and sauntered over to Sturges and I.

"Sir, I apologize for asking this, but we never got your name when you brought my boy back."

"Damon."

Abigail smile. "Well Damon I guess I have three things to thank you for: bringing my boy back, getting rid of those Forged for us, and tellin us to take a look at Sanctuary."

When I first met them, they didn't seem willing to move, had that changed? "Do you live here now?"

"Nah", Jake said, "but we help 'em out, planting farms, tending them, and in return they help us with supplies and protection. Even got a few people moving out that way to build houses of their own." His eyes fell to the ground between his feet for a moment before looking up to meet my gaze. "I'll never be able to repay what you did for me. I- I never would have got this second chance; I'd be dead or one of them." The kid snorted. "Probably dead."

Repay me? How would he repay me? I don't need anything, and I didn't attack the Forged because I wanted something in return. Hell, I didn't even do it to save him. Once I knew the situation, it wasn't like eliminating the rest of them was-

Difficulty doesn't equate to significance.

Right.

"I don't need you to pay me back."

"But I-"

"A lot of people don't have a family to go back to. Don't take that for granted."

Jake froze with his mouth open, like he wanted to keep talking, but he couldn't find the words.

His mother saved him from the awkward silence as she reached over and put an arm around his shoulders. "We appreciate the thought, but Finchs always find a way to repay their debts. It's true, we know a lot of folks who don't have family, and that's why I can't tell you how much you savin my boy means."

I didn't know what else to say, but it was clear they weren't going to let this 'debt' thing go, so I just nodded in response.

"Now if you ever find yourself in our area and need food or a safe place to stay, you just knock."

"Yes ma'am."

Apparently satisfied, Abigail turned and dragged her son back to their duties.

"'A lot of people' huh", Sturges said, looking at me with an expression I've seen far too many times on Nate's face.

"Later."

He smiled. "So that means you'll tell me."

I shrugged. "At some point."

"Mhmm, sure." The engineer waved me toward the west side of the street, and a house that looked-

Oh shit.

It wasn't neon red, but the sign that said 'Valentine Detective Agency' was hanging over the faded brown single story house's front door.

"It's about time you came back to visit us", the rough looking Synth detective said, standing inside the door. "Especially after that stunt you pulled in Diamond City."

Stunt I pulled? "The Brotherhood attacked me- us."

He smiled and nodded. "That's what I figured, but it isn't the story going around." Valentine stepped away from the door and waved us inside. "Come on in. I think I have a few juicy pieces of information you might want, and I need to hear about some of your more recent adventures."

Sturges stepped aside and motioned for me to enter.

If Valentine felt he had something I needed to know, I might as well entertain it. Not like I have anything else to do for the next few hours.

Inside the house, he and Perkins had set up an office similar to their small shack in Diamond City. The difference here is, there's a lot more space. What had been the living room was now a small waiting area, complete with a half dozen chairs, and a small table with several books. It seemed a bit ambitious, but maybe they had just done it for the aesthetic. The dining area was their office and workspace, while the kitchen was full of filing cabinets and equipment.

"You like the new place?", the detective asked, gesturing at their new 'office'. "A lot more space here than my little shack in the city, but I've grown fond of it."

"It's easier to stand in."

He snorted. "You really know how to compliment someone, my friend." The Synth shrugged. "Anyways, down to business. You guys got to the Institute I take it." I nodded. Valentine paused for a moment, struggling with something. Considering what he is, there's no doubt he has countless questions about them.

"Did you find Nate's boy?"

Did we find him? Yeah, we found him. "... Yes."

"That was ominous. You gonna make me guess?"

I shook my head. "He was 60 years old."

Valentine's eyes shot wide. "So they must have put him back in the freezer after taking his son. Where is he?"

"I left him at the Institute. Things have gotten… complicated there."

"Hmmm." The detective looked me up and down as he thought. "Are the stories about them true?"

"Some. Some that are worse."

"Well that's comforting, but it won't help us now."

Help us now? What? "What do you mean?"

"I mean we're probably safe from them as long as you're running interference, right? And besides, this place doesn't fit their MO; too big and too far away." Valentine pulled a small, well worn notepad from inside his jacket. "You've made quite the impression on the Commonwealth, between Skinny's gang, your stunt in Goodneighbor", he glanced up at me from his notes, "the fight in Diamond City, some mercenaries looking for someone named Curie talking far and wide about you. A lot of folks are wondering if you're some new Institute project." The detective smiled broadly. "If only they knew the truth."

So people know what I've been doing, at least some of it. Why is that important? "And?"

He put his notepad back in his jacket. "Point is, people are scared of you, at least people who have heard the rumors. Now a little birdy told me a lot of the more, let's say fantastic rumors about you have been spreading from the Brotherhood. Sounds to me like you had a falling out with them around the same time you all decided to turn Diamond City into a warzone."

"More fantastic rumors?"

The Synth nodded. "Yeah, you wiping out settlements, kidnapping people for the Institute, ideas you're some kind of new Supermutant. You know, the usual mass fear propaganda." He smiled. "Some of the stuff I've been hearing is pretty wild, like how you wrestled a Yao Gui with your bare hands."

I shook my head. "Deathclaws."

Sturges snorted beside me at the same time as the detective blinked. Hard. "What about them?"

"They weren't Yao Gui, whatever those are."

"You're telling us", Sturges said slowly, "you wrestled Deathclaws."

"I had weapons, but yes."

The two of them shared a long glance before Valentine waved whatever they were thinking away. "I shouldn't be surprised, but it doesn't matter. The stories about you are going to keep spiraling."

Why should I care about what people think of me? "So?"

"The Brotherhood is out for blood, both yours and the Institute. They've tied you to them in the public's eye, which it seems is appropriate. They're doing everything they can to paint you as the bad guy, which means you won't have many safe places to go. That means you need to be careful about what you do from here on. If someone catches wind of you, you can be damn sure the Brotherhood is gonna hear about it."

Footsteps approached from the road behind us, and I turned to see Perkins walking through the door of their new office. She was still dressed in the same fashion as the first time I saw her, skirt, vest, short sleeve shirt, and scarf.

"Damon", the brown haired woman said, "I heard you were around. I'm sure Valentine has been regaling you with the stories we've been hearing.

I nodded. "Yes."

She shot him an annoyed glance. "I'll be in the back, when he's done, can you come find me?"

I nodded again. As Ellie walked past us, she gave Valentine another glare and was gone.

"She, understandably, doesn't like rumors", the detective said, a hint of regret in his voice. "Ellie spent a lot of time fighting rumors about me in our early days together. I just thought it was fair for you to know what's circulating about you, and how it might change how you do things."

"I understand."

"Good! Now", he smiled again, "let's hear some details."

A/N: Ah yes, another double entendres chapter title. This was an interesting chapter to write, mostly because the type of conflict in it is very different from the conflict I usually write, and the conflicts Damon is used to. There are a lot of complicated emotions flying around, no one is really on the same page, and everyone feels different about what's happening. That will be fleshed out a little more as we go on though. I've got a few fun things in the works coming up and potentially a few surprises for Damon and Nate. I hope you enjoyed and I'll see you all next time!

Next Chapter: 2/18, Loss and Regret