"Whad'ya got for me boys?" Mayor Hancock asked expectantly as his most trusted men, Roscoe and Desoto, entered his office suite, returning from their routine meeting with the men of the town watch. Blinking slowly, he put the cards he had been studying face down on the coffee table in front of him and turned to give the pair his full attention as they approached. Across from him, Fahrenheit did the same, abandoning their casual game of cards and shifting her attention to the brothers as the open doors to the suite closed softly behind them.
"Well, everyone on the streets is talkin about this place called the Pickman Gallery, on the Back Bay- Up until recently it was considered Raider territory, till some Vigilante moved in and started carvin' up the locals and leaving their corpses on display... Guy even took a note from your friend The Shroud's book and left calling cards behind."
Distressed at the prospect of bearing more bad news, Roscoe bent to retrieve one of the cigarettes sitting on the mayor's cluttered coffee table as he mentally prepared himself.
"Damn." Hancock exclaimed, brows furrowing heavily over concerned, inky black orbs as he offered the younger man a lighter. "And you're sure it's not her?"
Accepting the offered flame gratefully, roscoe lit his hard-earned smoke, nodding and inhaling deeply before offering an explanation.
"Yeah." He answered confidently, exhaling a cloud of smoke through his nostrils before passing the cigarette to his brother behind him. " The Vaulty's been laying low since the Hospital gig- Spends most of her free time down at the memory den while her pal MacCready drums up business at the Rail- They been taking on small gigs for the locals, and spendin a small fortune at KLEO's on arms and ammo in the meantime...The boys seem to think their gearin' up for somethin'."
"Oh yeah? Well then, I'm gonna need you to make it your business to find out just what that is- we don't need any more surprises from those two going forward- Goodneighbor barely survived their last escapade..."
Thoughtfully, the ghoulish statesman reflected on the two weeks of peace that had passed since the conclusion of Audrey and MacCready's Silver Shroud operation. To his surprise, the pair had chosen to stick around after securing their pay, and though they had been adhering to his request to keep things peaceful going forward, their continued presence in Goodneighbor made him nervous to say the least.
"Anything else?" He asked after a moment, when it looked like the younger man might have more to say. Reluctantly, Roscoe nodded an affirmation.
"...Yeah- One of our guys over at Bobbies said they just began digging in the Basement of that old warehouse she's holed up in- They're tryna tap into the old subway system, just like we thought, but to what end we still don't know. She's been real tight lipped about the whole operation, so we got a feelin' she's got something real big planned..."
Sighing, Hancock shook his head at the unwelcome reminder of Bobby's continued plotting, fearing the possibility of another impending threat developing inside his walls.
"Knowing her, she probably does. Let's just hope that whatever she's up to, she knows better than to bite the hand that feeds her." He stated hopefully, rising from his spot on his favored sofa before stretching out his cramped limbs. "Good work boys- as usual. Lemme know if you hear anything else."
Straightening, Fahrenheit started as her father moved around the men to don his signature red frock from its place on the coat hanger by the door, giving him a look of reproach as he shrugged into the ancient raiment.
"Where are you going?" The brazen redhead demanded to know, as Roscoe and Desoto shared a worried glance.
"To pay a visit to our good friend, the widow Stryder- It sounds like she could use the caps as well as a distraction- and this Pickman thing is right up her alley..."
Truth be told, he found himself mildly concerned after hearing about her newfound habit- the Pickman issue seemed a convenient enough excuse to check up on her, if nothing else- and Lord only knew he would rather do that than sit around speculating on what no-nose was up to...
"She didn't seem so happy with you the last time you spoke- what makes you think she'll be willing to do business again?" Fahrenheit continued to question as he straightened his hat, before bending to retie his boots.
"Same reason everyone does- the promise of caps, of course. Besides, she's pretty much made herself a permanent resident at the Rexford. If she knows what's good for her, she'll cooperate." The explanation came easily enough, but as usual, his daughter saw right through the flimsy excuse, eyes narrowing as she fixed him with a sour expression, wrinkling her freckled nose at him the way she always did when they disagreed.
"Alright- I'm telling you though, if you're still trying to weasel your way between her legs, you're beating a dead horse..." She warned disparagingly, folding her arms across her chest as she shifted her weight on the couch.
"Farra, don't be such a pessimist- even a dead horse can make glue."
. . .
. . .
Even if Amari's technology hadn't been able to pull enough information out of her brain to create a perfect reconstruction of her memories, Audrey thought she could have recalled nearly every detail of her and Nate's first night together by heart- though thankfully, she wouldn't need to for once...
It had happened on the night of their third date, after he had taken her out on another modest- yet charming- outing to the Starlight Drive in, eager to spend as much time with her as he could before his next tour of duty. He had gone through the trouble of purchasing two tickets to see some cheesy movie adaptation of his favorite comic book, Grognak the Barbarian, only for her to lose interest in the first half hour. Eventually, as her attention continued to waver and she lost track of the plot, Audrey found herself beginning to fantasize, distracted by the smell of his cologne, and the memory of his lips against hers. Soon, she found herself unable to resist the urge to touch him, shamelessly diverting his attention from the film with gentle, teasing touches that grew more and more flirtatious as the show progressed- By the end of the two-hour film, they were so wrapped up in each other's arms, they barely noticed when the lot had begun to empty...
"Oof- that could have been embarrassing." Nate had reflected as they pulled out of the parking lot, grinning sheepishly at the thought of being caught making out publicly by drive in security.
"Wouldn't have been any worse than getting caught kissing in the employees only section of your favorite sports bar." She reminded him pointedly, shooting him a playful smirk that caused his grin to grow.
On the trip back to Boston, the atmosphere in Nates car had been charged with the same, inexplicable energy they had experienced on previous dates, the intensity of which only seemed to grow the closer they got to her apartment in the commons. By the time they found themselves at her door, Audrey was unable to resist the temptation to prolong their time together.
"Did you...Wanna come in for a drink?" She had offered, blushing prettily as she looked up at him from beneath her lashes- She knew she shouldn't- that it wasn't proper to invite him in after only three dates, but a small voice inside her kept insisting that everything would be fine...
"There's nothing in the world I would like more, actually..." He answered huskily, brown eyes smoldering down at her with obvious desire. "Only...Are you sure? I wouldn't be able to drive home tonight..."
Finding herself momentarily tongue tied by the butterflies erupting inside her, Audrey nodded a wordless affirmation, taking him by the hand as she pushed open the door before leading him inside. There, they kicked off their shoes, and she turned the Radio on low, pulling a bottle of her favorite wine out the cabinet to pour them both a drink. Together, they sipped the sweet, intoxicating liquid, barely finishing their first glass before finding themselves inexplicably tangled in each other's arms again as 'the still of the night' played softly over the radio.
"Oh, Nate." She had sighed against his lips, pressing herself closer to him as his hands traveled up and down the length of her back. "I... I know we shouldn't- I promised myself from the start that i was going to do things right this time, but...God, I want you so bad right now." She admitted desperately, fighting the urge to pull him closer against herself as she struggled against her most base desires.
Nate shivered in response to the revelation, tangling his fingers in her long, thick auburn hair and pulling away from her so that he could see her face.
"Who cares what other people think- what's right or what's wrong?" He inquired softly, searching the depths of her silvery green gaze as he reached up to caress her cheek with his free hand. "All that matters is that you want me as much as I want you...Are you sure you're ready though? Are you sure that...That this is really what you want?"
Hesitant, Audrey looked away from him as she considered the thrumming inside her chest, and the hot need dampening the material between her thighs- She knew what might happen if she gave into her desires- the heartache that would follow should she wake up, only to discover her bed empty the next morning.
"Will you still want me- Afterward, i mean?" She finally managed to ask, forcing herself to look back up at him to search his expression with big, hopeful eyes. Making an incredulous sound, Nate fixed her with a look of startled disbelief in response to her fears, as if he couldn't fathom the idea of losing interest in her.
"Christ Audrey, you're all i think about- every minute of every day since the first moment i laid eyes on you behind the glass of the god damned visitation room. I've never wanted anything so bad as i want you- It hurts almost...Of Course I'll still want you after. I can't imagine ever not wanting you." He declared passionately, causing her to flush with pleasure.
"Then yes." She decided at last, feeling a smile break out across her features as she made up her mind. "I'm sure- I want this- i want you."
Returning her smile with a look of euphoric relief, Nate pulled her in for another kiss before lifting her effortlessly into his strong, corded arms and heading in the direction of her bedroom.
"It's the door on the right." She murmured humorously against his lips as he entered the narrow hall beyond the living space, hesitating between the bathroom door, and her bedroom. Appreciatively, he made a deep, throaty sound of pleasure before turning the specified nob, and carrying her through the threshold of her private domain, where he deposited her gently onto her bed.
Climbing in after her, Nate began to cover her body with gentle kisses as his hands proceeded to roam, tugging off each individual article of clothing his fingers touched until she laid naked and vulnerable beneath him. Self-conscious, Audreys hands moved to cover herself, but he brushed them away gently before guiding her shaking fingers to the hem of his shirt, encouraging her to follow his lead. Minutes later, they were both naked as the day they were born, each taking the time to explore the others body with curious, eager hands before at last allowing themselves to join together with reckless abandon.
Hours later, when they had finished, Nate lay beside her, spent, and Audrey lay awake against his chest, listening to the steady, rhythmic beating of his heart as he continued to breath, deep and even. In that moment, she couldn't remember a time she had ever felt more complete- and as the memory reached its inevitable end and the room around her began to fade away, she clung to that feeling desperately, until it once again became naught but a distant memory.
. . .
. . .
"G'mornin', sunshine. Sweet dreams?"
Audrey blinked rapidly as the world around her came into focus, recognizing the sound of the mayors graveled drawl as he greeted her before she had entirely regained her barring's. Startled by his unexpected presence after her recent, intimate session in the memory lounger, the young widow nearly panicked as she sat up quickly, trying to right herself in the pod.
"Wha...What do you want?" She stammered indignantly, blushing furiously at the knowing glint in his eye as he sat across from her in the old armchair Kent once occupied. " Can't a person get a little privacy around here?"
Appreciating the way the color flooded her milky cheeks, Hancock's lips spread into a slow, playful grin as he regarded her with a bemused expression.
"Sorry. I would have had Irma pull you out, but it looked like you were in the middle of something, so i figured id let you finish before bothering you with business."
Caught off guard at the mention of business, Audrey balked as her brain sluggishly switch gears. Smoothing out the wrinkles in her clothes, she fidgeted with her hair self-consciously as she brushed off his remark- Had he been watching? How much had he seen?
"Business? What do you mean?" She asked reproachfully, reluctant to enter into any more agreements with Goodneighbor's auspicious mayor- though the caps she had earned from their past ventures had been adequate, she had learned from their last arrangement that entering into a deal with the ghoulish statesman was a lot like gambling- No matter what she got, in the end the House always won...
"I got reconnaissance needs." He answered ambiguously, gaze wandering shamelessly toward her breasts as she spoke. "There's been a lot of weird talk comin in about a place called the Pickman gallery- Its raider territory up there, but lately they've been quiet- like, uncomfortable post coitus quiet? I need you to scope it out, and gimme the word..."
Still embarrassed and more than a little suspicious, Audrey ignored the lude jest, narrowing her eyes at him as she considered the job, wondering what the catch might be.
"What else can you tell me about this Pickman gallery?" She asked, crossing her arms over her chest to obscure his view of her budded nipples as they strained against the material of her black sweatshirt.
Trying to appear nonchalant, Hancock shrugged, making a show of studying the cobweb strewn walls of the little room thoughtfully before giving her an answer.
" Its an old ruin on the back Bay- not sure what it used to be back in your day. Other than that, though, I got nothin- that's why im offering to pay you to go out there and take a look at things- And to be clear, im not paying for a looksee. I need to know exactly what's going on out there..." He explained light heartedly, omitting the gruesome details about the vigilante and his MO, fearing it would deter her from taking the job.
"What's in it for me?" She continued to pry, determined to make sure the reward was worth the risk this time...Sharply, Hancock's eyes snapped back to hers as he registered the challenge in her tone, and he fixed her with one of his familiar, stern expressions.
"Caps- and the continuation of my hospitality here in Goodneighbor." He replied firmly, making sure she understood that refusal was not an option. Jaw setting, Audrey gave him a rueful smile before reiterating his demands for clarification.
"So, what you're saying is, I don't really have a choice in the matter, if I want to keep staying here?"
Returning her dry smile with one of his own, he responded sarcastically in turn, secretly delighting in their mutual game of tit for tat as he saluted her with playful finger guns.
"Bingo- nothing gets passed you, does it?" He quipped playfully, smirk growing more pronounced as she glowered at him in response. Seeing she was cornered, Audrey heaved a heavy sigh of defeat before responding apathetically, giving in to his demands.
"...Fine. Pickman Gallery- I'm on it." She acquiesced blandly, fervently hoping that she would not come to regret the decision later...
"Good. glad we could come to an agreement."
When she didn't protest further, the mayor slapped his thighs abruptly before rising, moving toward the doorway in preparation to take his leave- A nagging voice in the back of his mind caused him to pause though, and he lingered in the threshold for a long moment before looking back at her with a strange, unfathomable expression.
"...Is there something else?" She prompted cautiously, seeing him hesitate uncharacteristically in the doorway, seeming to struggle with some unknown internal reverie as she waited, expectant.
"Yeah...Look." He began, struggling to find a tactful way to address his newfound concern regarding her use of the dens addictive mnemonic technology. " I know im not your keeper or anything, and things have been real rough for you the last month or two, what with your husband passing, your run against Kellogg, and the whole silver shroud fiasco- and im not saying i haven't been there and done exactly what you're doing now- but you should probably be careful about the type of experiences you choose to relive, and how often you indulge...certain memories can have a negative impact on your ability to enjoy the here and now. Before you know it, you could end up like Kent, too stuck in the past to enjoy the present."
At the mention of her husband, and the recently deceased Kent Conolly, Audrey's expression hardened as she internally recoiled from his advice.
"You're right, you aren't my keeper- and I have needs. Besides, wasn't it you who built this place so that people could enjoy themselves how they see fit?" She lashed out, angry that he of all people would pass judgment on her, when he so openly admitted to his own vices. "You can huff jet, shoot med-x and pop mentats like Candy, but taking comfort in past memories is crossing the line now?"
"Audrey, you need to let yourself grieve- If you don't learn how to cope with your loss it's going to kill you." He continued to press, voice growing solemn as he recalled a time not so long ago, when he too had gone to great lengths to kill the pain and guilt festering inside him, before eventually finding his purpose as the mayor.
"Oh, like you care." She retorted haughtily, resenting the pity she found welling up in his bottomless, opaque black orbs. "Kent was here a long time before i came along, and you didn't give a shit when he died, so don't pretend I'm any different- All you care about is you, Hancock. You, and your title."
"Thats Horseshit!" He exclaimed quickly with unexpected fervor, offended by the unwarranted accusation. " I tried to help kent many times, Audrey, but he couldn't accept the way things are now, and he refused to adapt- He was naïve, and delusional, and I knew a long time ago that if something happened and he got himself into hot water, he wouldn't be able to help himself. when Sinjin drug him out of here and i couldn't intervene, i knew right away that he was as good as dead- I didn't delude myself into thinking i could save him, like you. instead, i accepted his loss and did what i could to ensure the safety of the rest of my people. It was unfortunate, but i wont cry for someone who refuses to try and help themselves."
Stubbornly, Audrey refused to accept his excuse, taking a perverse sense of pleasure in managing to provoke him despite the risk she ran in rousing his wrath- Childishly, she felt the urge to prod him again; to test his patience and see just how far she could push him before his careful, easy-going facade would crumble and fall away...
"Yeah? According to you. I'm just as delusional and naïve as he was apparently- so why are you wasting your time on me then?" She challenged.
Frustrated, Hancock scoffed, shaking his head almost incredulously before dignifying her with an answer so raw that it shocked them both.
"Because i think there's still hope for you, and unlike kent i can see that you have the potential to make a real difference around here- you just need someone who knows the ropes to keep you headed in the right direction, and to make sure that naivety doesn't get you and the people around you killed."
"And you think that person should be you?" She inquired doubtfully, letting out a quick, haughty giggle- as if the idea was ridiculous. Inside though, she felt her anger abate somewhat, touched by the vulnerability in his sentiment.
" I don't see why not. Someone's gotta look out for your best interests and make sure you don't turn into a complete tyrant- And God knows MacCready aint gonna do the job. Hes just as lost as you are since coming to the commonwealth, and his moral compass tends to point to the nearest stack of caps, rather than in the direction of what's right these days..."
At mention of her partners questionable moral compass, Audrey felt what remained of her pitiful anger fizzle out, quickly being replaced by an abrupt sense of loss as she recalled her earlier desire to do good, and way those intentions had quickly gone awry. Jaw quivering pitifully, she blinked rapidly against the tears beginning to sting her eyes and swallowed the lump in her throat.
"...All i care about is finding my son. What's right- what's wrong? It's not my concern anymore... If there's anything I've learned since stepping out of that vault, it's that those words mean something different to everyone. So, spare me your false pretenses. You have needs, and i need caps- no need to complicate things."
Hearing the desolation behind her words, Hancock took a good long look at her crumbling demeanor, and she could see pity twist his marred features as he compared her then to the brazen, determined survivor that had wandered through his gates only weeks before...
"Fine." He murmured softly, disappointed by her unexpected lapse in resolve. " Have it your way- I'll leave you to it then...but Audrey?"
"Yes?" She answered coolly, unable summon her earlier sense of ire.
" If you ever get tired of reliving the good old days, and decide you need a real, living man to see to your needs...I'd be more than happy to accommodate you. Remember that."
. . .
. . .
That night, Audrey lay awake in her bed at the hotel Rexford, reflecting on her conversation with Hancock idly when MacCready finally returned to their shared room, after spending most of the day job hunting at the third rail.
"Hey- glad to see you spending some time in reality." He greeted her jovially, sounding strangely optimistic as he locked the door behind him and began to shrug out of his Duster and boots for the night.
"Yeah- Glad to see you too...What have you been up to?" She forced herself to ask, swallowing her initial annoyance at his concern for her chosen past time.
"I've been prospecting down at the third rail- one of the watchmen tipped me off about a promising job opportunity today- best part is, it's right here in town..."
Not wanting to disappoint him, Audrey didn't mention the job Hancock had assigned them that evening-If MacCready was excited about a job in town, the Pickman Gallery could wait until it was finished. Instead, she forced herself to smile, making a show of acting interested in the contract in question...
"Yeah? What's the job?" She asked amiably, trying to give him her full attention before he launched into an explanation of his latest job prospect.
"Well, word is Bobby No-Nose is trying to get a crew together to do some manual labor in the basement of her warehouse, over by where AJ and his boys used to hang out...She's paying good caps for it, and i could really go for a job that doesn't involve mass murder for once- I figured tomorrow, after a good night's rest, maybe we could check it out?" He asked, sounding hopeful as he shot her a questioning glance.
"Sure- sounds great." She lied, trying to sound enthusiastic while internally despairing at the idea of enduring any manual labor...In retrospect, the Pickman Gallery sounded far more appealing in comparison.
"Sweet." He exclaimed happily, before flopping unceremoniously onto the couch against the wall. " I'm gonna hit the hay then. You should get some sleep too- you've been spending a lot of time at the den lately, and living inside your head isn't really a substitute for real rest, if you know what i mean."
"Yeah- I'll do that." She acquiesced blandly, gritting her teeth as he yawned deeply, before curling up beneath his blanket and burying his face against the cushions. " Sleep tight Rob."
"Night..." He answered lamely, before drifting off quickly into a peaceful, well-earned slumber.
Audrey watched him thoughtfully for a while, listening to the deep, even sound of his breathing before eventually leaning over to flip the switch on the lamp on her bedside table, casting the room in darkness. Reluctantly, she forced herself to snuggle into her own blankets for the night, thinking sleep would elude her at first- but after a while, she graciously succumbed to her exhaustion, sinking graciously into a deep, dreamless sleep for the first time in several days...
. . .
. . .