A/N: Let's get ready to rumbllllllllllle! Except not. This is a slower chapter, actually and, like I said, I won't be posting next week. That being said, this chapter was interesting to write. There's obviously been a lot of action lately but I thought it was important to take a step back and spend some time with the characters and take a deep breath. There's a lot coming down the pipe and it's important to me the setup is done right. That includes the supporting cast (including the world around them) who, really, have their own stories to tell. Anyway, I don't wanna ramble too much. Leave a review if you're so inclined and, as always, enjoy!

Chapter 49: Cause and Effect

My eyes snapped open as I heard someone entering the house. Whoever it was wasn't being quiet about it.

"Damon?" They called a moment later. It was Alex.

"In here", I said, climbing to my feet.

The short, well-built woman appeared in the doorway to my impromptu sleeping quarters beside the armory. It was still early, why was she up? And looking for me?

"Are you busy today?"

Am I busy? I cocked my head at her. There isn't much to do around here, and I can't leave to figure out whatever the hell is going on between the Gunners and Brotherhood. There's no telling how long that would take, and I need to be here tomorrow. "No."

Alex smiled. "Great!" She stepped into the room. "I'm taking a few people over to the Finches. Mind coming along as an escort?"

"Who?"

"Some folks to help with farming." She frowned. "Andrew too."

Andrew? I cocked my head. "For?"

"He said he worked in hydroponics in the Institute for a while before he was moved to the 'Advanced Research Division'", she arched an eyebrow. "Not that I know what that means, but he says he has experience that may help."

That would be a help. "How secure is the farm?"

"They're still working on it, but better than most."

Dragging me along as an escort? "Are you expecting trouble?"

She shook her head. "No, but I thought it would be good to bring you along. They've done a lot with the place, but they might need a few pointers. If you're concerned about how secure it is, seeing it for yourself and telling them how they can get better would be smart. Besides", there was a glint in her eyes that worried me, "if you're gonna be part of the community here, you should make more of an effort to get to know people. Outside of attacking them, that is."

She wants to drag me along to the Finches even though she isn't expecting trouble to get to know people better.

Do I have anything better to do?

No… Why do I need to 'get to know' these people though? We don't need to be friends, they just need to be effective fighters.

… So do I have anything better to do? Figuring out what defenses the farm needs would probably be a good idea. They're a major source of food for the network. Defending them is important.

Fine.

"When are you leaving?"

The smile on her face broadened. "When they're done eating. Probably about 10 minutes."

"What size is the group?"

"Including you, me, and MacCready, it'll be eight."

MacCready huh? He'll be thrilled for me to come along.

"I'll be waiting by the front gate."

Alex nodded. "Great."

With that, she turned and strode from the house turned armory.

Escorting people to the Finches… That's only an hour or two walk. It doesn't surprise me they're resettling people. Sanctuary isn't large, and it seems like the 80ish people they have here is about as many as they should keep. If they really do have a network with around 500 people in it, and some have the ability to support more settlers, that's a good idea. Not only does it spread out their manpower, but it prevents one location from becoming overburdened.

Taking Andrew to a different location isn't a bad idea either. If the Institute finds me here, they'll probably assume the Synth is too. There isn't a better defense than not being attacked.

When I left the house, there were a half dozen people sitting in the common house's carport. Alex was standing, talking with MacCready. The former gun for hire was, in turn, watching me as I made my way toward the front of the settlement.

Is she doing this to try making him and I work together?

The few guards patrolling the area stopped and nodded as I passed. They were getting better, watching areas that we identified as 'at risk' locations along their perimeter.

Who knows, in a few years, they may be ready for this damn war.

I stopped as I reached the gate.

It still confuses me why Preston is so determined to get involved in this fight. I understand minimizing damage, and fighting to defend themselves, but involving more people… it seems like that's going to end up accomplishing the opposite of what he wants. With how little support they have, and how disjointed this effort is going to be, I don't see how their joining is a net positive for them.

I'll have to find a way to make it a net positive.

Yeah… that's easier said than done.

Has that ever stopped me before?

I've never done anything like this before.

First times and all that.

The sky was still brightening, the sun creeping ever closer to cresting the horizon to the east. It was something I've learned to appreciate since coming here: with no light pollution and no intact major urban areas around, the unobstructed view of the sky was remarkable.

Maybe it's also the idea of seeing it from Earth, humanity's homeworld, that made it all the more novel.

"You ready to go, soldier boy?" Alex's voice called from behind me. I turned to see the seven of them heading toward me, each of the settlers cradling a rifle of some sort. Dogmeat was trotting along beside them. Apparently, he's coming too.

I nodded.

"Great. Would you like to lead the way?"

"Yes", I replied, nodding again.

She gestured toward the door. "After you then big guy." The woman seemed way too excited about this.

Andrew met my gaze. The Synth looked uncomfortable in his new, more settler-appropriate clothing instead of the clean apparel he's used to. He seemed even more anxious cradling his bolt action rifle.

But he had said he wanted to help, this is probably the best way to do that.

As we began the journey, the settlers followed along about 10 meters behind me. Since there weren't any Brotherhood patrols in this area, I stuck to the crumbling, broken roads to make the journey a little easier on them. Waltzing through the forest was a pain in the ass when you didn't have to do it.

That being said, there was one thing I should have asked before we left.

Drifting back to the rest of the group, I drew even with Alex.

"Why don't you think there will be any danger?"

She smiled up at me. "Because we have people walk this route twice a week. There were some Ferals we had to deal with the first few times, and we'll see some wild animals every once in a while but, for the most part, it's safe."

That may have been a risky use of resources, but it wasn't a bad one. If they wanted to keep constant routes open between their settlements, establishing regular patrols is a good way to do it. The problem with that is they don't have the manpower to do it constantly and the distance between the two was large enough doing so on foot was impractical.

Either way, it was a good idea.

"Now can I ask you something?" I shrugged. "What do you really think our chances are?"

Broad question. "For surviving? Or for fighting the Brotherhood?"

"Both."

Of course it's both…

"Surviving, fine, provided we deal with the Raiders moving into the area. Fighting the Brotherhood, not good with the limited manpower and experience you have."

She nodded. "And what about you? You don't think you can help?"

Can I help? Yes, I can help, but I intended to do this with as little outside help as possible. That wasn't just because I'm used to working alone; it keeps them out of harm's way and, since I don't have to concern myself with protecting anyone, I can focus on dismantling the Brotherhood, then the Institute. Now that they're involved and, eventually, one or both groups are going to find out I'm working with them, they're going to become targets. The question is when that will happen, and whether they'll be ready for it.

"I can, but there are always risks when operating in large groups."

"Yeah… I can see that." After a moment of walking in silence, she shrugged. "We'll figure it out. That's what you're here for."

Uh-huh.

"You really think he's that good?" MacCready asked from behind us. The question didn't sound like a challenge or accusation, if anything, it seemed like he was pleading.

"Of course", Alex replied, glancing over her shoulder. "You heard about how we met up in Concord." She looked back up at me. "And you killed Kellogg too."

The former mercenary grunted. "Met that bastard a few times. Not sad he's in the ground."

He wasn't so much in the ground as he was rotting in a server room, but I understood the sentiment.

Retrieving Nora's body from the Vault, imagining what had happened there hadn't been an enjoyable experience. But then there was the look on his face as I put a laser bolt through the mercenary's forehead. It wasn't relief, but it was something close.

"We're talking about the Brotherhood though. This isn't Raiders, it isn't even Kellog."

I could explain to him what happened in Diamond City, that, even though they captured Julian, they paid a heavy price for it during the ambush. I could describe how I've severely limited their operational capacity areas around the city. I could tell him about the various missions I've been on to eliminate Insurrectionist cells back in my universe.

Gaining his trust isn't a necessity though, I just need his cooperation.

"Eh, I think you're worrying too much", Alex said, slapping my back. "They haven't managed to track him down yet."

That isn't strictly true. "I got chased into the city by Vertibirds the other day."

She snorted. "How'd you do that?"

"Was lazy, didn't pay attention."

"You got chased by Vertibirds?" Andrew asked from behind us.

"Yes", I nodded. "Not something I make a habit of."

There was a small neighborhood on the road ahead of us. As far as I know, there aren't any Raiders or Supermutants in the area. What about some of this place's ridiculous mutated wildlife? Or Feral Ghouls?

"Give me a minute", I said, waving them to the side of the road.

"That neighborhood is clean", MacCready replied. "We're thinking about turning it into another settlement."

It being clear the last time they went through doesn't mean it's still empty.

Alex grunted. "Don't worry about us, soldier boy, we've taken this route a hundred times by now." She looked back at the others. "Keep your heads on a swivel, people."

Great… "Give me some space then."

Sure enough, as we passed through the collection of a half dozen crumbling houses, they were uninhabited. At least, they were uninhabited by anything that wanted to kill us. There were a few large insects crawling around, but they minded their own business.

And a bullet would probably be overkill from something like that.

"Told you it would be fine."

"Is Preston still looking for people to stay here?" another one of the settlers asked. He was young, maybe a few years older than me, and with his short brown hair and smallish face, could have passed for MacCready's brother if he wasn't half a head taller.

The former mercenary nodded. "Yep. It would probably be a good idea to get some people put up here and set up something similar to Sanctuary."

Considering the neighborhood was largely surrounded by trees, it wasn't as defensible as Sanctuary, but there are still things they can do to fix that. If they're going to make this a common path, checkpoints are a must.

"Well when he decides he wants to set up shop, let me know."

"You'll be the first person I tell."

The other man snorted. "You don't need to lie about it."

"I was just trying to make you feel better", MacCready said, chuckling.

As we left the small collection of houses behind, Alex turned to me. "What do you think?"

"About establishing an outpost here?"

She frowned. "Turning it into a settlement."

What's the difference? I shrugged. "It needs some work, but not a bad idea."

"Well that's a vote of confidence if I've ever seen one…"

"Just following his advice", I said, motioning to the man MacCready had been talking to.

The shorter woman chuckled. "You hear that Brandon, you've already made an impression on our resident stick in the mud." I cocked my head at her. "Sorry, I couldn't think of any way to work 'stick up your ass' into that sentence. I'll try harder next time."

"Right."

The march continued in relative silence as the sun climbed over the eastern horizon. The long, deep shadows cast by the trees around us made watching for threats difficult. I had the group stick to the middle of the street which would give me time to react if anything tried to ambush us.

Most of the walk was peaceful, outside of a group of Feral Ghouls that had been hiding in the forest an hour into the journey. There were only three of them, so I dealt with the threat by hand. No need to alert anyone to our presence here with gunfire.

Andrew and two of the settlers stared at one of the Ghouls whose head had been smashed open with an elbow strike, its brain scattered across the pockmarked road.

"That was kinda nasty", Alex said as we continued past the fight.

I shrugged. "It's dead."

She snorted. "Yes." The woman frowned. "Reminds me of what you did to that Raider when we first met."

One of the Raiders I killed in Concord? When I found her, Alex was in a storefront being tortured by two of them. That's right… I killed one with my knife, and the other I'd struck in the base of his neck.

"It's a targeted strike, meant to break the target's spine."

"I'd say it did a lot more than that…" another woman, I think her name is Heidi, mumbled.

"Look", Brandon said as we circumvented a large hole blown into the road, "the less we talk about exploding heads, the better."

"What", the other man in the group, an older, shorter settler teased, "you get queasy?" I wasn't looking back at them, but I could hear the smile in his voice.

"Who wouldn't?"

"Oh boy", Alex said, "you haven't seen everything the Commonwealth has to offer then, Brandon." She glanced over her shoulder. "Don't worry, we'll get you up to speed."

The young man groaned. "Why do I feel like you aren't being sarcastic?"

"Because she isn't", I replied.

I've barely been here three months and I've seen my share of violence. Granted, I'm probably not the best measuring stick for that metric.

"I wouldn't be too worried about it", Alex continued. "As long as you don't hang out with Damon too much, you won't see a whole lot."

That probably isn't true, but I'll let him believe that for now.

After two hours of walking, the field the Finch farm was in drew into sight. As soon as it was, Dogmeat bolted forward. It wasn't the same as the last time I'd been here though. The formerly vacant houses in the area had people buzzing around them, the size of the crop field was easily double what it had been before, and there were a handful of rudimentary watch towers around the land.

"Mack, can you take them to the Roths' house?" Alex said, motioning to the four settlers. "Me and the soldier boy are gonna go say hi to the Finches."

"Yeah, I'll come find you after we get them settled in."

"Great!" She turned to the others. "Have fun working the fields!"

Andrew met my gaze again, he still looked unsure. That was to be expected. The Synth was in an alien place with people he barely knows. It's admirable he wants to help them considering the circumstances.

He nodded and turned to follow MacCready.

There was some grumbling as Alex led me toward the small shack on the north end of the fields.

"They'll be glad to see you, after Abigail saw you in Sanctuary last, she's been asking where you've been."

She has? "Did something else happen?"

The woman laughed. "No, just because someone's looking for you doesn't mean they need you to kill something, stupid."

That's usually how that goes.

"She seems to like you, for some reason, and they still feel like they need to pay you back for saving Jake and wiping out the Forged."

Pay me back… Unless they know some way to get to the Institute or eliminate the Brotherhood I don't think there's anything they have that I need.

"They're helping Sanctuary."

"Damn right they are. If it weren't for them, our crops wouldn't be doing anywhere near as well as they are." Alex sighed. "Something you gotta figure out though is folks around here don't like owing people… No that's not right, they don't like leaving those people unpaid."

"And", she said before I could respond, "just because you don't want anything don't mean they feel like they don't owe you anything. You saved their son, Damon. That isn't something someone just moves on from. That's not even talking about the Forged. Those bastards…" Alex trailed off, her face darkening with fury. "Got Charlie to open up a bit about what they did to him and his people." She looked back up at me. "I hope you made them suffer."

As much as I understand the sentiment, my job isn't to make things suffer, it's to make things dead (most of the time).

"It'll be hard for them to do that again."

She nodded. "Yeah… it will. Still mad about it though."

Almost as if on cue, I watched two people, Abigail and Jake, exit the shack as we approached.

"Well it's about damn time you came back around these parts", the matriarch beamed. "Took Alex dragging you here for you to come visit us again."

"Yes."

"He wasn't doing anything useful around town", Alex said, "so I thought I'd get him out of everyone else's hair and bring him your way."

"That's thoughtful of ya." With the small smile on her face, I couldn't tell if she meant that she was happy I was here or thought the people in Sanctuary needed a break from me.

"Hey Damon", Jake said, his voice subdued compared to his mother's. "It's been a while." I nodded. "I know y'all are here to get them settled, but do ya mind if I pick your brain about a few things?"

"Such as?" I asked.

"Well, I'm sure you saw the shacks we put up for people to watch from, but last time Mac was here, he didn't think they'd be enough."

"What attack are you concerned with repelling?"

Jake looked at his mother.

"Yeah", she said, nodding, "long as he don't mind." Abigail turned to me. "He's been talkin' about walking the fields with you, going over some specifics. Do you have the time?"

As far as I was aware, there isn't anything I'm needed for back at Sanctuary.

"Sure."

"Great." The dark-skinned woman waved Alex inside. "C'mon in, just got finished brewin' some coffee and we got fresh corn picked."

Alex smiled. "I'd be happy to."

The two of them left Jake with me.

"So… I know I said it last time", the young man said as he stepped off the porch, "but I'll never be able to repay what you did for me and my folks." He glanced to the north, toward where the Forged used to have a base. "Not to mention all the people those assholes might have attacked if they were still around."

We started walking toward the north end of the fields where the clearing ended and began fading into a forest.

No response came to mind. I don't have anything I need from them. They're helping supply Sanctuary with food. Other than that…

"Don't worry about paying me back. You're doing enough."

Jake shot a smile my way. "Yeah, yeah. I know you said that last time too." He fell silent for a moment, eyes turning back to the field. Even I could tell there was something he wanted to say though.

"You mind if I ask you about that? About you sayin' 'a lot of people don't have a family to go back to'?"

Of course… It seems like everyone wants to know about that at this point. The question is, should I tell him?

Why not? What's the harm?

One question leads to more.

So? I don't have to answer every question.

"Mine died- were killed when I was young."

The smaller man nodded as if he expected as much. "Who did it?" As the question left his mouth, his head twisted and he looked up at me again, wide-eyed. "Sorry, that just kinda came out."

I shook my head. "It's a long story."

"Ah", he said, the alarm slipping from his face. "I guess that explains why you yelled at me when we were walkin' back here."

Yelled? I didn't yell, did I?

"At least you did it."

Jake nodded, a smile slipping across his face. "I did, and I'm damn glad I did. Me and my Pa still don't see eye to eye on everything- well", he chuckled, "most things, but I think both of us are still too afraid of Ma to get into another fight. We're gettin' along though. It's been nice. Oh!" The man's eyes went wide again. "And Nick's still around too! He's stayin' with the Vances. We should stop by before headin' back."

Nick… the other guy I'd saved from the Forged. Right. I nodded.

We stopped as we neared the edge of the field. "So this is where we were thinkin' our land should end."

The spot we were standing in was about 10 meters from the first trees. Their nearest crops were still a good 150 meters to the south though.

"Are you planning to expand your crops?"

"No", Jake replied, shaking his head. "Not in this direction. We got plenty of room between the fields as it is."

I turned to look back at the crops. "Then you should give yourself more room." I paced out another 50 meters. "Set up a fence of some sort here to mark the edge of your land. Doesn't have to be anything major for now."

Stopping beside me, Jake looked around the farm. "Okay… we got plenty of wood we can use. Can I ask why?"

"Because you're going to set traps behind it", I pointed toward their shack. "You have to be careful who gets caught in them. That means having sightlines where your watch can see an approach. They can redirect non-combatants."

Jake nodded. "That makes sense. Won't look good for us if someone gets killed by something they ain't supposed to." He looked around the area. "You're thinkin' we set up a path for folks to follow?"

"Yes."

The young man nodded again. "We can do that. We'll have to scrounge up some traps, but I think that's doable. I'll round up some people tomorrow and we'll get to work making a fence."

"You need more watch posts too, and better-fortified ones. What you have now is too obvious and too vulnerable. Your people will be isolated if someone attacks." Considering this is farmland, trenches aren't an option… "Snipers posted in the houses can help along with more shacks."

"Yeah, we were planning on building more of those too. We're gonna pick up some scrap from the old Forged factory. Been meanin' to scavenge some supplies from there too; they had plenty of guns, ammo, and things that go boom…" Jack scanned the field around us. "You think some mines would be a good idea?"

Mines… aren't a bad tool for static defense, but they're risky. Modern combat left them behind a few centuries ago. They lead to collateral damage, mostly civilian

"You'll need to map exactly where they are if you do. Once this is over, you dig them up. Immediately."

"That makes sense, don't want people walking over them by accident." He scratched the back of his head. "Okay, so give ourselves some open area to shoot anyone we don't want in and meet anyone we do. Set up a fence around the fields to make the edge of our land and put traps behind it to discourage anyone who manages to make it that far. More spots for people to be on watch from, and make sure they can take a beating."

Close. "Leave paths through your perimeter for safe passage."

"Right, right." He nodded. "Anything else?"

I looked from the nearest house, the Finches, to the tree line. Setting up any sort of lighting would be almost impossible, and it would probably be a larger risk than benefit. That means they need NVS. Who the hell-

Li.

"Make sure you have good shots in your sniper posts. I'll see if I can get you all some night optics."

Jake frowned. "Night optics?"

"Night Vision Systems. Help you see in the dark."

The smaller man's eyes grew wide. "I've heard about stuff like that but where are you gonna get it from? I doubt there's any just layin around the Commonwealth."

"The Institute."

Somehow, his eyes grew even wider. "What?"

"It's a long story."

"Seems like you got a lot of those."

I smiled. "Maybe."

"Alright." He glanced at his family's shack. "Anything else? We should probably head over to the Vances' to say hey and head back. Alex doesn't usually like stayin' too long."

After motioning for him to lead the way I asked, "how many people do you have here?"

"Including the 4 y'all brought us, that makes about 60 between 7 houses. We got new people showing up all the time though. I know another family is coming next week."

That's not enough, not even close. Especially with the Raiders heading this way. "You need more people."

"We know." He nodded. "There are some smaller farms in the area that have been struggling. We're workin' with 'em to move. I think another four or five families are just about there. That'll get us over a hundred."

It wasn't perfect, but it was a start.

"Good."

We continued heading south toward a small collection of houses in silence. At least for a minute or so. It seems as though Jake has the same, infuriating problem with quiet as Nate does.

"Ya know, things have been goin' pretty damn good over the last month or so, considering the Brotherhood and all." He grunted. "Or maybe that's why things have been goin' so good. A lot of the smaller farms are gettin' leaned on to give 'em food. Heck, even the larger farms have been in a bit of trouble." The young man looked around the fields. "I think the only reason we've been spared that trouble is those walking tin cans haven't bothered comin' this far west." He glanced at me. "No offense to tin cans though."

"I've been called worse."

"Oh yeah? Like what?" He asked.

No… that's a conversation I'm not sure I want to have. "Depends on who you ask. Most of them aren't flattering." I tried to convey my disinterest, but the smaller man didn't seem to pick up on that.

"You didn't say what those names were."

I nodded. "That's correct."

"Oh… gotcha." He smiled apologetically. "Sorry. Somethin's been on my mind for a minute though: why does your armor look so different from theirs? I know there are different types of power armor, but what you're wearing looks like it's in a different universe from the stuff they have."

A laugh almost forced its way out of my mouth. That's because it is.

When I didn't respond, he grunted. "That's another long story, huh?"

"Yes."

"Is there anything you will tell me?"

"You'll probably find out eventually", I replied. It wasn't that the information was private, at least not what he was asking, but the answers to his questions would lead to more questions, and right now… I'm not sure I feel like digging into that hole.

It's a pretty goddamn deep hole.

"Fine", he grumbled as we reached one of the houses. It was a little larger than the Finches shack, surrounded by plants with a narrow path leading to the front porch. "C'mon, I think Nick's inside. He hurt his arm yesterday so he's takin' it easy for now."

The weathered wooden steps creaked and groaned as I climbed them but, thankfully, didn't give way beneath me. When Jake knocked, a muffled "come in" echoed through the door.

Pushing it open, the eldest Finch son led me into a small entryway where sunlight streamed in from windows on the far wall. Past the cramped space was a larger room with a few well-worn couches arranged around a fireplace set in the wall to the left. A bald well-tanned man was sitting on one of them, left arm wrapped in some sort of bandage, propped up on the side of the couch.

As he registered me, his eyes went wide and he almost fell over himself standing from the seat. "Wha-" his jaw worked up and down as he stared like he couldn't find whatever words he wanted to say.

"You doin' alright Nick?" Jake asked. I could hear the smile in his voice.

Nick swallowed. "Yeah… I just- I wasn't really expecting to see, uh, Damon here."

The man looked like he was in much better shape than when I found him. His lean, almost atrophied muscles were now relatively normal, and his face was no longer drawn and gaunt.

"He was out givin' me some pointers on settin' up defenses. Thought we'd come by and say hello."

He nodded. "Well… thanks for that. And, you know, thanks for saving me from the Forged. I never got a chance to say anything after we got here."

"Don't worry about it", I replied, nodding to him in return.

"We'll probably be seein' more of him since he's helpin' out Sanctuary and all", Jake said. "Next time I'll see if I can teach him how to farm."

"Yeah…" Nick mused, eyes drifting over me. "Lemme know how that goes."

The younger man laughed. "We'll get outta your hair. Tomorrow's probably gonna be rough."

"Looking forward to it", Nick groaned.

As we left the small house, Jake started laughing. "You know, that's a good thought: seein' you out in the fields planting and weeding." He paused to laugh again. "Yeah, I'll have to tell ma that one. She'll get a good chuckle out of it."

Farming… That sounded like about as much fun as suffering through another session with one of ONI's shrinks.

"I'll pass."

Jake shrugged. "Hey, gotta get food somehow."

"Which is why I'm glad you're all good at it."

He glanced at me. "So, what, you can go out and do all the fun stuff?"

Not sure I'd consider everything I do 'fun'. Some of it is though. I nodded.

"Figures."

"I'm sure some people enjoy farming."

The young man nodded. "Don't get me wrong, it's satisfying work but- well I guess part of the reason I joined the Forged is still there: I wanna get out, see more of the Commonwealth. I've spent my entire life on or around the far. Maybe a couple trips to other settlements, but it gets boring around here."

That's a sentiment I could understand. "Let the fighting finish first."

"Are you sure we're gonna win?"

Am I sure? No. There's nothing certain in war. You gather as much information as you can, put together your best strategies, and execute. If the other side has more resources, better cards to play, or more effective logistics and you don't account for that, you lose. There's never any way to tell for sure.

But Jake probably doesn't need to hear that.

"I'm going to do everything I can. We've got a few options we're working on."

He grunted. "That didn't sound very confident."

I shrugged. "Like I said: we're still working on them."

We continued in silence for a few moments, the Finches shack drawing closer until Jake nodded.

"If you need any help, let us know." He looked up at me. "This is our home and we'll fight to keep it that way."

That's probably going to happen.

"Good."

There was something different in his eyes, in his expression. When I pulled him out of the Forged factory, he was uncertain, scared. When I saw him in Sanctuary, he was still nervous. Now though, if not confident, he looked determined. That was good, he'd need that. If he's in charge of their security here, they're all going to.

"You two finished?" A voice called from the Finches' shack. "Alex looks like she's about ready to explode. I think y'all need to get moving."

Abigail was standing on the porch, MacCready and the woman in question behind her. Alex, for her part, did look agitated. She wants to get back to Sanctuary. Is there a reason for that, or does she just not like staying here?

"Hey", Jake said quietly, stopping a dozen meters from the house. "Would you mind coming back in a week or two? We should have the fences and new posts built by then."

"It might be longer", I replied, nodding.

He smiled. "Cool, I appreciate it."

After a few moments of saying their goodbyes we were heading west out of the farm, and up the gently sloping hill toward Sanctuary.

"Jake's a good kid", Alex said as she trudged beside me. "You did good rescuing him from the Forged."

"Yeah", I mused. Hard to take credit for that when the only reason I went there was to blow off steam. I did bring him home though. "As long as they get more people and set up some defenses, they should be alright. Unless the Brotherhood comes after them in force."

The shorter woman grimaced. "Or the Raiders."

We needed to figure out a way to deal with that. A few thousand of those bastards, and well organized, that's going to make things a lot worse, especially with the Supermutants still in the area.

"That complicates things."

This time, most of the journey passed in silence. Dogmeat stayed behind which, apparently, wasn't unusual. It seemed like both of my companions were lost deep in thought. That was fine by me, it made focusing on my surroundings easier.

And if the other day taught me anything, it's that I can't afford to let my mind wander. Not that it isn't a lesson I've learned before.

The sun had reached its zenith and was on the way toward the western horizon by the time we arrived back at Sanctuary. As soon as we were through the gate, Alex headed for the commons. She'd eaten a few things on the way back, but apparently she was still hungry.

"Damon", MacCready said, tapping me on the shoulder. When I turned to him, the former mercenary was frowning as though he'd just eaten something he didn't like. "I haven't been the most welcoming since I met you, I know, and I'm still not sure I trust you but…" he trailed off, glancing back toward the gate. "Alex and Abigail told me some of the stuff you did, how you helped Nate find his kid, and got Jake back to the Finches. I was wondering if you could help me with something."

When he didn't offer anything else I motioned for him to continue. "Which would be?"

The man's eyes drilled into my faceplate and I could see the muscles in his jaw clenching.

Spit it out.

As if he heard my thoughts, MacCready exhaled explosively. "To hell with it. My kid's sick, and I left him back in the Capital Wasteland with some good friends to come out here and find a cure. I- I heard the Institute has advanced medicine and I wanted to see if they could help but… well I've been stuck here, but I can't go back. I can't go back to Duncan without something."

By the end, his voice was almost desperate.

The Institute would be difficult, especially given the circumstances.

Curie though…

That's one I'll have to get in touch with the Railroad for. I have no clue where she might be. They may not either, but the last place I saw her was in one of their safe houses.

"There may be someone with the Railroad who can help. When I take Deacon back, I'll ask."

He squinted at me. "Someone who might be able to help? Are you just gonna ask on a whim?"

That good faith didn't last long. "No, there's someone specific who was working on medicines."

"Oh…" MacCready exhaled again and took a step back. "Okay." He cleared his throat, looking around. Was he making sure no one had been in earshot? He really didn't want to ask me for help.

"Well…" he said, glancing up at me one more time. "Thanks."

With that, he turned and marched toward the settlement's main street.

That had been… strange. It's something I can worry about when we head to the Railroad though. The next few days are going to be interesting, and I need to start getting ready for that.

Whatever happens in the coming weeks, it begins there, and I'll be damned if I start an operation off wrong.

A/N: Like I said, a slower chapter, but I've been enjoying writing Damon as a more fulfilled person. It's something I've worked hard for, him becoming a better person so to speak, and while I think there are certainly portions of the story I could have done better, his character arc thus far is something I'm proud of. So, no chapter next week, sorry about that. I may talk about it a bit when I post the next chapter but we'll see. I'll see everyone next time!

Next Chapter: 8/19, Torture