The Institute
April the 6th, 2288
5:30

If there were anything about the Institute which made life easier for everyone, it was the amount of time they were given to take care of themselves. Quiet hours alone felt as though they breathed new life into almost everyone.

For that routine to be broken for the whole of the Directorate, it was more than apparent things were very wrong.

Unusually frassled but as aggravated as usual, Dr. Justin Ayo walked into the Directorate's meeting room with an even colder frown than his typical, perpetual one. Dr. Clayton Holdren seemed barely awake, and kept nervously rubbing at his eyes, almost as if he thought something bad would happen the moment he stepped into the room. Dr. Alan Binet walked into the room looking particularly exhausted and, despite his usually content and relaxed demeanour, caught between irritation and concern. Long since having given up on pretending to be impossible to faze, Dr. Madison Li did not bother to hide the annoyance she felt at her routine being interrupted. Similarly, though much more tired, Dr. Allison Filmore stepped in shortly after her, raising an eyebrow when she noticed the clear tension held by Nate on one end of the table and the deeply concerned yet annoyed look on his face which Father was hard pressed to hide on the other end of the table. A heavy silence befell the Directorate once they were all seated and, at least somewhat, prepared for the meeting to begin. For how rare sudden and emergency meetings were, however, the sense of dread hanging over the room was one which could not be set aside.

"I apologise for such an early and…unexpected meeting, but this is a critical situation," Shaun said, just barely masking his anger while he spoke. "As you are all well aware, the presence of the Brotherhood Of Steel has been increasing throughout the Commonwealth for quite some time now. Though we had hoped there would be more of a delay, yesterday afternoon, two members of the organisation attacked our major outpost at University Point."

"The Brotherhood uncovered our presence at University Point?" Madison frowned. "How was that even allowed to happen?"

"That matter is to be investigated," Shaun said. "However, I, firstly, would like to commend the SRB and Robotics Divisions for the strides made in Courser development in the past two years alone. I am pleased to report, despite the situation, a Courser responded to the scene once a sudden and unusual cease in synth activity at University Point was detected. Within no more than three hours and verifying the activity detected was correct, the Courser responded to the scene and spoke to the town's people."

"Good," Justin said, sending a brief, wary look at Madison, whose eyes narrowed ever so slightly. "I will debrief the Courser myself after this meeting," He went on. "Which unit was it?"

"The Courser unit who responded to the scene was X6-88," Nate informed him, taking a look over the Courser's initial report. "X6-88 has, in just the two years since it was activated and designated a Courser, been quite good at its job, this case being no exception."

"Well, I'm certainly pleased the adjustments we've made to how we modify synths chosen to be Coursers have been helpful," Alan said, pausing, for a time, in thought. "Did we lose any major units in this attack? Or was it only the standard first and second generation synths we most often post at University Point?"

"We lost only five units in the attack, however, we have not been able to recover the remains," Shaun said, disgust for the Brotherhood seeping into his voice. "The two members of the Brotherhood Of Steel – identified and reported to our Courser as going by the names of 'Scribe Haylen' and 'Knight Rhys' – stole the remains of the five synths. It goes without saying the Brotherhood will attempt to use these remains in an attempt to determine a more effective way to orchestrate a full assault against the Institute."

"Well, then, we should consider ourselves lucky they did not get their hands on any of our third generation synths," Allie said, annoyed at the notion. "The Brotherhood are some of the very last people who should get their hands on some of our most important developments over the last few decades and, just as importantly, the last five years."

"The slim chance of the Brotherhood being capable of and managing to decode our biological mechanisms in our third generation synths could be disastrous," Clayton agreed. "Dr. Filmore is correct. The last people we would want to have even one of our most advanced machines are the Brotherhood Of Steel."

"Certainly," Justin said coldly. "We can't allow sophisticated Institute technology to fall into the wrong hands, though I am disinclined to believe the Brotherhood would be able to reverse engineer any of our synths, let alone the third generation models."

"Do not underestimate them," Madison sharply warned him. "The Brotherhood does not approach any matter without the knowledge – however biased or, in actuality, unrealistic it may be – they can be successful. They do not view failure as an option. Assuming otherwise simply because of their clear, grandiose delusions would be a fatal mistake. They can and do justify anything if they believe it will further their own objectives, and they do so with no consideration for anyone but themselves. Had the town's people intervened and attempted to stop their attack, I have no doubt in my mind they would have been slaughtered."

"Unfortunate as it would be, it is quite likely the Brotherhood would have done precisely that," Allie shook her head. "If we are not careful or do not respond to this, they will only be emboldened to attempt more damage."

"It is because of that threat I am ordering X6-88 to be permanently stationed at University Point for the time being," Shaun said, waiting, a moment, to see if anyone would protest. When no one did, he continued. "We will also need to continue to crack down on the matter of the escaping of our third generation synths. As we work on that, we will put as few second and third generation synths out into the field for surveillance and scavenging as possible, redesignating that task to the basic, nearly obsolete first generations."

Justin nodded. "Of course," He turned to Alan. "Dr. Binet, when are the Courser upgrades occurring?"

"We will have to put them off until next month due to developmental delays," Alan said. "I've already informed my Division of the need to work through this quickly so we do not have to reschedule again."

"Is that so?" Justin spoke icily. "It seems you are dragging your feet just to make a point. Or, perhaps, is it more personal? Are you doing this just to enrage me, Alan? Or is this another consequence of your absurd belief about how synths are people and your disturbing arrangement wherein you live with one?"

Allie frowned. "Let's not be dramatic, Justin. This is a serious situation, and, frankly –"

"Why don't you stick to your job and let the real scientists do their work?" Justin venomously replied. "I suggest you refocus on whatever it is you do as the Institute's 'chief engineer,' as I've heard your husband refer to you as in quite a few conversations over these last ten years since you rose to the position at merely twenty nine. Don't forget the fact the rest of us do real science."

Allie bristled, about to say something though Madison was faster.

"I think I speak for everyone else in this room when I say we are growing tired of your constant accusations, Dr. Ayo," Madison said, her gaze narrowing when Justin turned to her. "Doing your job and doing it well does not require invading everyone else's privacy or attempting to delegitimise the work done by the other Divisions, nor does it grant you unilateral impunity to make vast, baseless accusations against the rest of us. If this is how you think best to manage the concerns of the SRB, I, for one, find that to be concerning."

"Things topside are concerning enough," Allie sharply added. "Being contrary out of spite will only weaken us."

"Dr. Filmore and Dr. Li are correct," Shaun raised an eyebrow when Justin nearly began to protest. "This is the greatest external threat the Institute have ever faced, and it is the responsibility of all of us to eliminate it."

Diamond City
April the 9th, 2288
17:44

To describe going nearly another month with nary an answer or a strong lead as to where one Conrad Kellogg went as frustrating would be a rather massive understatement.

Rather, it was painfully aggravating and more than enough to make even the normally pragmatic and level headed Nick Valentine annoyed.

A mess of unhelpful old files with no useful information nor clues about his employer on them and a confusing number of strange items left behind, Kellogg's former home still yielded no substantial clues to his movements after vanishing from the city. After having gone through all of the files over and over, desperate for them to provide some sort of answer as the seemingly only lead with potential promise, with no luck, the search was slowly beginning to feel hopeless. Though she did not want to admit it to herself, Nora knew it was possible another dead end was close on the horizon. Still, there was something about the way Cait kept pushing, kept a fury for answers despite what Nick felt and what Nora was beginning to feel, keeping her hopeful. What the hell is happening to me? Why does Cait make me feel so sure things can and will work out? Everything else…it should make me feel the opposite, shouldn't it? Reaching into one of the back pockets of her jeans, Nora pulled out a folded up piece of paper, a photograph, one Codsworth had managed to save before the bombs dropped. Before the fallout. Before the world fell into the state it stood in now. No longer able to cry when she unfolded and looked at it, the feeling of numbness she was growing to know all too well crashing over her in waves again, Nora found she could only stare, memories running wild.

"Congratulations on your healthy baby boy," A nurse had said, handing Shaun to his mother after she and his father had given him his first bath while she rested. "He's quite the sweet baby. You and your husband couldn't be more lucky."

Nora had gently brushed her fingers over her son's cheek, letting his tiny hands wrap around her nearest fingers. Sitting down beside them, Nate had leaned over to kiss her cheek, beaming.

"You did incredible, Nor," He had said, brushing some of her hair, still damp from sweating and seven hours of labour, out of her eyes. "I know he already loves you just as much as I do."

"What the hell's wrong with me?" Nora had broken down, sobbing into herself from where she sat on the floor, her back against the lowest parts of her and Nate's bedframe. "I didn't wake up when he started crying, and he just…you had to –"

"Nora, listen to me," Nate had said, coming over to sit down beside her, wrapping his arms around her while she cried. "You're exhausted, understandably so. Shaun was okay, I was with him after no more than a minute or two after he started crying. You need rest, too. You're a good mother, and he knows you love him. It'll be okay."

"…And we are…we've received confirmation Anchorage, Los Angeles, Seattle, Portland, Tucson, Houston, Chicago, Atlanta, DC, and New York have been hit by Chinese and Russian nuclear attacks. We've lost –"

The sound of the sirens had pierced through the air so loudly they ran through the bodies of everyone in the town. They had run. She had panicked, briefly losing sight of her husband and baby just before they had reached the platform, the platform into the Vault. Light. A sudden gush of wind. Noise louder and more painful than even the sirens. The platform was lowering again, the last time it would go to the surface. Her throat had hurt. She had no idea if she had screamed or not.

"Now, just step right over here. We need to ensure you are free of radiation and depressurised before we head deeper into the Vault."

"Shhhhh…" Nora had murmured, leaning over to press one last kiss to her baby boy's forehead. "It'll just be for a few minutes. Be good for your daddy, alright?"

Shaun had calmed, reaching over and wrapping his hands as best he could around his mother's fingers.

"I'll hold onto him, he'll be okay," Nate had reassured her. "I'll see you soon, Nor."

"I know you will," She had whispered. "I love you both."

Nate had smiled, giving her one last warm embrace.

"And we love you just as much."

A sudden shout from Cait drew her away from her thoughts, and, hands unsteady, Nora quickly folded up the last family photograph they had taken and slipped it back into her pocket. She flinched when she saw Cait rubbing at her head, having tripped over the precariously low balcony separating the loft from the rest of the house. When she regained herself, Cait dusted herself off, made a few choice comments about the mess Kellogg had left his home in, and then, seeing the slightly pained look on Nora's face, came over to and tightly embraced her, patting her back reassuringly once the woman loosely embraced her too. After a minute, Cait let go of her, and turned to Nick, who was still going through the files Kellogg had left behind for a fifth time, his face looking more and more grim with every page he turned. With a frustrated sigh and more than a few swears, Cait knelt down to the floor and began to inspect it again while Nora went upstairs, hoping to find something – anything – among the pile of things Kellogg had left piled up on the bed. Her mind began to wander again, and she felt her heart racing faster and faster with every fear that made its presence known. One after another. Rinse, repeat. Fear of everything amounting to nothing but another dead end tried to –

"Bloody hell, why is there a damn button under this desk?"

Nora had looked up suddenly before quickly making her way back down the stairs, meeting Cait where she was sat underneath Kellogg's desk at almost the same time as Nick. When they took a look for themselves, they saw her fingers were just barely touching a tiny, barely visible red button.

"Odd," Nick mused. "Why would –"

He jumped when, with not a second to consider what she was doing, Cait all but punched the button. Trying to stand up, she hit her head on the desk when the sound of metal scraping against metal and a bit of shaking took over the house. Nora took a few steps away, her eyes widening in disbelief when one of the walls pushed back and then up. His balance lost, Nick stumbled into the stairs mere seconds after Nora had all but jumped backwards and away from them. When the building stopped shaking and the awful noises stopped too, the three of them took a moment to steady themselves. Then, they found themselves, briefly, only able to stare at the place where the wall had once stood in disbelief. Not only was the space it revealed shockingly roomy, it was also just as full, just as messy as the rest of the man's home. Cait blinked, rubbing at her eyes for a few seconds while she stood up and regained her bearings. Nora frowned, an eyebrow raised in disbelief, crossing her arms. Nick brushed himself off, straightened himself out, and then took a few, wary steps towards the room, expecting a trap to be in place. When one did not reveal itself, he let out a low, mirthless chuckle.

"That's one heck of a shock," He said, then shaking his head and adjusting his hat. "Got something to hide, Kellogg?"

"Sure as hell seems like it," Cait said dryly, sharing a confused look with Nora before sashaying into the room and all but falling backwards into the large, leather chair towards the back of the room. "Man's definitely got expensive taste," She reached over to the small end table beside it and poked at a few cigars still left in the ashtray. "More of the damned San Fransisco Sunlight cigars. Guess he's a creature of habit."

"And left a surprising amount of arms behind," Nick noted, turning to make sure Nora was alright while she hesitantly stepped into the room. "He probably left in a hurry. Why though…"

"It doesn't make sense," Nora hesitated, glancing to the cigars left in the ashtray. "Cait, do you think he actually smoked those before he left?"

She nodded. "I'd bet serious money on it. There's burn marks right under 'em in the tray. Probably didn't extinguish the shit properly."

Nora took in a sharp breath. "This place has been, clearly, well insulated," She did not startle when she felt the tone she once used in the courtroom slip into her voice again. "There's a chance at least some of his genetic material is still on those cigars. Including his scent."

Cait eyed her strangely. "You mean the scent of cigar smoke?"

"No, she's right," Nick said, snapping his fingers in surprise. "You're a damn good mind. Do you, by chance, remember what type of dog the one you and the Minutemen found is?"

"I'm not completely sure, but he probably has a good nose," Nora said, pushing the feeling of hope in her chest as far down as she could. Not again. Don't get your hopes up again. After the Vault, you can't trust any feeling close to – "Codsworth said he saw the dog chase after me once I headed towards Concord, hoping to find anyone who could…well," She sighed, one hand on her hip and the other running through her hair. "He said the dog followed me from the Vault to Concord, before I'd even known he was there. It's…possible, if there's enough of Kellogg's scent still on the cigars, he might be able to get a little bit of a lead."

"Well, if we're going to start tracking the son of a bitch down, I'm travelling with you," Cait said, standing up and briefly patting Nora's shoulders. "It's been too long since I've had the chance to hand someone who really deserves it their ass."

Nick glanced to her, confused.

"Didn't you clear out the damn Combat Zone with some help from one of the Minutemen a few weeks ago? You really should rest, Cait. Stringing yourself out –"

"If I were strung out, I'd make it damn clear," Cait said, stretching out her arms. "This Kellogg son of a bitch has done something even some raiders would have a problem with, I mean, what kind of shite is he to kidnap a baby? No, he needs to get the living daylights beat out of him. And I'm going to help."

Nick worriedly stared at her. "Cait," He said slowly. "Are you sure or are you high?"

"And…" Nora began, her fingers tingling a little. "Please don't feel as though you need to come. You've helped me a lot as it is…and the last thing I want is to burden you."

"You're not a burden at all. I don't know why, but me instincts keep saying I should stay by your side, support you," Cait fell silent, doing her best to hide her upset at the memories. "And, after having spent most of me life around sadistic people like Kellogg, I want to make at least one of them pay for what they do, and harshly for what they do. What people like him did to me."

Nick sighed. "You ain't entirely wrong. Honestly?" He said grimly. "Kellogg is dangerous because he thrives off death, destruction, suffering, violence, and pain, and he shouldn't be able to continue to terrorise people just for his own, sick pleasure."

Cambridge Police Station
April the 14th, 2288
9:25

"Even though several of our Brothers and Sisters have died fighting the horrors rampant in the Commonwealth, we've stayed strong, and we won't back down. Now, with both of you back and stationed at the station again, please give me your report."

A routine growing all the more inescapable with each week they stayed in the Commonwealth, the Paladin, the Knight, and the Scribe all sat down around a table in the pre-War Cambridge Police Station. With much of the past few days having been dedicated to maintaining the security of the station with their remaining Brothers and Sisters, practising, analysing what the Scribe and the Knight brought back from University Point, and organising and filing the synth parts they recovered to be examined later, time had felt to be in short supply. For Knight Rhys, after the far from grateful reception to the Brotherhood's aiding of the town, returning to more regular work and combat was a relief. Similarly, Scribe Haylen was relieved to be removed from the situation at University Point, now, due to both sheer exhaustion and what she and Rhys had been able to recover and analyse. What piqued her curiosity the most, however, was why the town acted the way they did when it came to the Institute, the father of the girl who had been taken in particular. As for Paladin Danse, though he was not keen on admitting it, having Haylen and Rhys permanently back at the station was something he found reassuring.

"Firstly, we unfortunately have not been able to find any traces of Paladin Brandis' reconnaissance operation that did not lead to a dead end," Rhys said his voice steady and unwavering despite the concern he held regarding the missing team. "That said, we now have indisputable proof of not only the Institute's major, technological prowess and influence over the Commonwealth, but in our possession physical evidence of the programme developing the abominations referred to as 'synths,' though we did not cross paths with one of their 'human' synths."

"From what we were given to understand after speaking to one of the town's residents, the synths we encountered were earlier models without the capacity to develop a replication of true human emotion and consciousness," Haylen added. "As well, we learnt from this same man, the Institute kidnapped his daughter at only fourteen because she had found pre-War research they wanted for themselves. It appears they now control her, forcing her to be a part of their schemes."

"It was a disgusting thing to learn," Rhys said, his voice hardening. "But the town's remarkable passivity and even, for some of them, acceptance if not support of the Institute is a concerning and disgraceful activity. If I may be so bold, I recommend we maintain a close watch on the settlement, particularly after the time comes for the Prydwen to arrive in the Commonwealth. I'm quite sure Elder Maxson will know exactly how to handle this delicate, precarious situation."

"He will," Danse agreed. "At this time, while we await the arrival of the Prydwen, it is crucial we maintain our outpost here and defend it against the scum of the Commonwealth at any and all costs."

"Understood," Haylen said with a short, respectful nod. "We're more than eager to return to those duties. After all, maintaining the Brotherhood's presence and activity in the Commonwealth is necessary for saving the lives of the people who live here."

"Precisely. Well said, Scribe Haylen," Danse said with a faint, almost invisible smile. "I am also," He turned to look evenly at both her and the Knight. "Pleased to know you have been incredibly successful thus far in our mission here. Recovering those pieces of the 'synths' tormenting the civilians at University Point is quite the feat, and I have no doubt your work to do so will impress Elder Maxson, Lancer Captain Kells, Knight Captain Cade, and the Proctors. They are not easily impressed, though I have no doubt in my mind the work you have done here in the Commonwealth thus far will impress them not only for your bravery but for your willingness to step up without question to our values as Brothers and Sisters of the Brotherhood Of Steel."

"Thank you, Paladin," Haylen said with a cordial note to her voice. "We are pleased to be able to report such major successes in combat, strategy, and planning in our work in the Commonwealth. This place certainly needs as much help as it can get."

"Quite right," Rhy said mildly. "Considering the Institute is quite literally playing God, it couldn't be more pivotal for our operations here to centre around putting an end to their reckless, unnecessary, and dangerous 'experiments.' It is vital to our work."

"The state the Commonwealth is in seems to become all the more disturbing with every new discovery we encounter," Danse said, shaking his head. "The people of the Commonwealth have no idea how their inaction and even acceptance of the Institute's existence and meddling with them only emboldens the already awful situation."

"Indeed," Rhy said, not bothering to hide the irritation in his voice which always accompanied his thoughts around the Institute and the nature of its activities. "We will prove, in time, to the people of University Point they have mistaken the identity of the enemy. Once we have accomplished that, we will be able to better warn the Commonwealth of the danger they're in and why they need us, the Brotherhood Of Steel, if they want to stand a chance in this world."

"Yes, the way some of the Commonwealth's civilians have reacted to our presence is deeply concerning," Danse said with a slight frown. "Of course, we need to ensure the Commonwealth is aware of and actively supporting our work to protect them but, even more so, we need to find our wayward Brothers and Sisters to strengthen our position as we prepare to launch a full assault against the Institute once the Prydwen and Elder Maxson arrive in the Commonwealth."

"Absolutely," Haylen said with a short nod. "It will also do us good to have people who can more fully analyse the findings and pieces we have recovered from Institute 'synths,' and, I imagine, other forms of Institute technology we have yet to encounter."

"Hence why I have tasked you and Knight Rhys with attempting to locate Dr. Madison Li," Danse said. "I am hoping the both of you will be able to find and bring her back into the Brotherhood so we can best prepare ourselves to go to war with the Institute."

"And others like her," Rhys noted. "People like her should never have been permitted to leave the Brotherhood. It's deeply unfortunate Elder Lyons, may he rest in peace, was so merciful towards them. As I've made quite clear, the Brotherhood's interests take priority above all else because of all we do to ensure the safety and security of civilians. The Capital Wasteland, particularly during the war with the Enclave, is indisputable evidence of such."

"Correct, Knight," Danse said shortly. "Elder Maxson's leadership has brought the Brotherhood back from the brink of disarray here on the East Coast, and he is a powerful inspiration all of us should be proud to call our leader."

"Which is why we are so dedicated to the work we are tasked with here," Haylen said with a hint of excitement to her voice. "As soon as the Prydwen arrives, we will be in the strongest, clearest, and most dedicated position we have been in nearly a decade. I, for one, cannot wait for us to be able to begin that work, because the people of the Commonwealth deserve the security and safety we provide the Capital Wasteland with."

"They also need to learn to accept it," Rhys gruffly remarked. "The way we were treated after saving all of those people at University Point has left more than just a faint, sour taste in my mouth. Their arrogance and assumption the Institute will not seek to destroy them now despite the fact the Institute has been given two years to indoctrinate and torture an innocent teenage girl is ludicrous."

"The Institute's selfishness is infuriating," Danse said, a light sigh of exhaustion leaving his lips. "They have the ability to aid the people of the Commonwealth but do not. For that alone, they deserve to be acknowledged as awful. Adding their 'synth' creations and kidnapping to the list has only made it clear they are much, much worse than we had already expected."

"They must be stopped, and they will be," Haylen said. "I have faith in not only ourselves and the rest of our Brothers and Sisters but our leaders, Elder Maxson in particular."

"We need to fix the Commonwealth," Rhys said with silent yet underlying fury in his voice. "And they need to learn to stop playing with matches, gasoline, and fire."

Diamond City
April the 20th, 2288
13:22

"What do you mean you don't have any parts? I need oil, I need screws, I need gears, and a few tools to fix my damn motor!"

Piper let out an irritated sigh when Myrna rolled her eyes at her. Nat set her hands to her hips in an attempt to look intimidating, though neither Myrna or any of the people wandering, doing business, and socialising seemed to think much of it. Waving the Wright sisters out of the way to talk with customers, Myrna suspiciously watched the two of them walk away and towards the noodles stand. Piper and Nat are the most annoyingly persistent people in this city. Among over six thousand people living here, the two of them make more trouble than any of us need. Only thing they've got right is that the mayor's a synth. Why the hell they still hang around that synth detective, though, is – With a nervous smile, Myrna began chatting away with customers, careful not to let on she had the parts for Piper's repairs while she and her sister were within her line of sight, even in the periphery. For as annoyed Myrna was with them, however, Piper and, in particular, Nat were just as if not more annoyed with her. Sitting down at Power Noodles, the two sisters handed caps to Takahashi, and waited for their noodles. When they got their food and began to eat, they muttered to each other every so often, mostly about needing to find some other way to get the parts to repair the printing press' motor. Still, Nat perked up a little and began tugging at her older sister's sleeve when she saw Cait walking into the city. As soon as they finished their lunch, they walked over to where Cait had sat down on the front steps into the Publick Occurrences office. Cait winked at them when they approached, jokingly elbowing Nat when the teenager sat down beside her on the steps.

"Got some damn good news about that Kellogg son of bitch's house," Cait said with a slightly sinister smile. "Not only did I get us inside by picking the lock, but I found some damn good evidence we may be able to use as a lead to find him."

Nat stared at her, eyes wide. "How'd you pick the lock? I thought even Nick had trouble making any progress getting it to move at all!"

"Let's just say I have a talent," Cait said happily. "Getting into places I'm not wanted has quickly become one of my greatest skills built up over the years."

"I'll let you know if I ever need help getting into something, then," Piper laughed. "I'm curious – what's the craziest thing you've had to do in order to get into somewhere?"

"Pretended to be a synth," Cait said, a hint of disgust to her voice. "Some raider assholes stole my clothes while I was showering a few years ago when I first started in the Combat Zone, probably because they wanted to ogle me. Lucky for me, one of those creepy old synths with the weird armour was doing whatever the hell it is they do for the Institute in an alleyway behind the Combat Zone. So, I decapitated it, stole the armour and it's weird looking weapon, and went to where the raiders who stole me clothes were living."

Nat's eyes went wide when she looked at Cait. "Really?"

"Really," Cait said, ruffling the teenager's hair. "Scared 'em absolutely shitless into letting me in by threating to return to the Institute and have them replaced, and stole my clothes back before they caught onto the bluff. Also poisoned their gang leader's drink. That group of raiders never came by the Combat Zone again."

"Got to say, I'm impressed," Piper said, waving at Vadim when she saw him talking with Solomon. "Hey, Bobrov! What'd you pick up today?"

"In a moment, I'll show!" He called back, handing a few things and a bag of caps to Solomon before taking a rather large box from him. "This is a fun one!"

"Like the spirit," Cait said, standing up and nudging Piper. "Of all the spontaneous things I do in me life, experimenting with chems is one I'm quite well known for."

"Because those experiments have never fucked you up at all," Piper said dryly. "I think I speak for everyone when I say we love you, but really don't understand some of the things you do."

Cait shrugged. "I celebrated a bit too much after coming back from Goodneighbour, and, in my defence, it was because I got to let loose on the motherfuckers in the Combat Zone. Cleared the whole place out with help from one of Nora's friends. He's a good person…but also not much of a risk taker."

"What was it you did?" Nat asked, a bit too excited. "You've done a lot of weird things before."

"I'm at a point in my life where I'll try everything twice," Cait said. "And, now, I know I'll never take mentats and daytripper at the same time again."

Piper raised an eyebrow. "I still don't know what compelled you to try that. You ended up trying to teach people how to dance in the Colonial Taphouse before you got kicked out for being 'a public nuisance.'"

"The Taphouse is no fun," Vadim said, tucking his box of chems under his arm as he approached the group. "I ask Cooke if he'll sell my moonshine – well, it's Yefim's too, but I hold the record for number of shots done with it – and he says it 'has no appeal' to his 'elite clientele.' I say he's missing out on a great opportunity to sell the nectar of the gods."

"Someone gets it!" Cait said, dramatically waving at Vadim. "I was trying to emulate what pre-War people called 'hippies!' You know, carefree, open to anything –"

"Typically opposed to war and violence," Nat told her, confused. "At least, that's what I've read."

"And you're just about right," Piper said, sending Cait a pointed look. "Didn't you get in a fight with Darcy Pembroke?"

Cait smirked. "I didn't get in a fight. I won a fight."

"Wish it had happened in my bar," Vadim said, turning to Piper. "I would have stopped the fight, and you could publish the first of my tales of heroism! Speaking of which…when are you going to publish a story about the nice bar?"

"Vadim, listen," Piper said, trying not to laugh. "So much as I'd like to talk about you in the Publick, I don't even know what I'd say about it. You and I both know no story about your bar is going to end happily. How many fights have happened there in just the last week?"

"Well, depends," Vadim said with an awkward chuckle. "What would you consider a fight?"

"Wiping the floor with a son of a bitch," Cait said with not a moment of hesitation. "It's always fun to make someone pay for being a piece of shite."

Nat excitedly nodded. "Getting right up in the face of someone who tries to pull the wool over everyone else's eyes!"

"That's the spirit, Nat," Piper said, affectionately elbowing her little sister. "But, Vadim," She shook her head. "We all know there's at least one fight in your bar every damn day."

"Part of the charm," Vadim replied, winking at Cait. "And you drink free. You win all fights."

"Oh, and, believe me," She said, startled by a sudden wave of anger. "I will continue that streak."

Goodneighbour
April the 24th, 2288
19:11

"Duncan? How are you feeling, buddy?"

Very little in the world brought Robert Joseph MacCready more relief than his son smiling at him when he stepped into his room in their apartment. Though it was often difficult to face him, a lingering, terrifying feeling in his mind whispering and reminding him how he could lose him at any time, seeing his son's smile never failed to make him feel a little better. No more than a few steps behind him, Dr. Annette Davis lingered in the doorway to the little boy's room, unsure if she should follow. Always happy to see his dad, Duncan excitedly waved at him and tried to stand up to run over to him but struggled to keep standing, getting dizzy. Anxiety seizing him, MacCready quickly picked up his son, holding the frail four year old steady. Slowly, he began to calm down when, like he usually did, Duncan began babbling about playing with Daisy, and how excited he was for the next shipment of scavenged comics to come in. After a few minutes, though, he noticed his dad was shaking a little as he held onto him. A bit confused by his dad's worry, the four year old reached up and eventually managed to tug his dad's hat off, giggling when it hit the floor, landing near Annette's feet. The little boy stared at it for a minute before looking up and staring at her, curious.

"Who's she?" He looked between his father and Annette. "Is she your friend? Like Daisy?"

"She's…" MacCready fell silent. Lucy, please, don't…I hope you don't think I'm betraying – He startled when Duncan began tugging at his sleeves. "This is Annette. She's a…special friend," He said after a brief pause. "One I…I spend a lot of time alone with."

The four year old nodded. "She's pretty."

Annette laughed a little. "You're very sweet," She said, hesitating a moment before stepping towards the two of them when MacCready helped his shivering son get under his blankets. "How are you feeling?"

"She's a doctor," MacCready explained when his son stared at the two of them in confusion. "She wants to try and help you feel better."

"Oh…" Duncan glanced between his father and Annette. "Well," He mumbled. "Everything still feels icky. And I get dizzy. The spots hurt my arms."

"Hey," Annette pulled over a chair and sat down next to the little boy, reassuringly patting his hands. "I know it doesn't feel good. If you and your dad are okay with it, I want him to start using an anti-inflammatory gel on the spots."

Duncan gave her a funny look. "Why?"

"It should help reduce some of the swelling and pain," She said, reaching into her bag. "See, this?" She pulled out a bottle and popped the cap up to squeeze a tiny bit of the gel out. "You can feel it first. It may be cold and smell strange, but it should help."

"You want to try it, buddy?" MacCready let out a sigh of relief when Duncan lightly nodded after poking at the bit of gel Annette had on her finger. "Okay," He nervously took the bottle from Annette. "You ready?"

"Yeah," Duncan flinched when his dad slowly tugged up one of the long sleeves of his shirt. "Daddy?" He whispered. "Is everything going to be okay?"

"It…" MacCready briefly set down the bottle, hands shaking. "It'll be okay," He eventually said. "You know you're a strong kid, right?"

Duncan hesitantly nodded. "It's not going to hurt?"

"Of course not," Annette assured him, managing a small smile when the four year old smiled at her. "I know it's scary because it's new, but you can do it."

"I can do it," Duncan flinched again when his dad, after trying to calm his nerves, picked up the bottle again and started with a little bit of ointment on one of the worst boils near his elbow. "I can do it."

"You're being very brave," Annette said gently, though she took in a sharp breath when it occurred to her just how much more fragile and bony the four year old looked with a sleeve rolled up. "How are you feeling so far?"

"It's kinda tingly," Duncan said, staring at the spots his dad was applying the gel to. "And cold. Not bad. Just weird."

"It'll take a few days of regular application before you'll be able to see any difference," Annette reached over to gently rest a hand on MacCready's shoulder. "If it's not working, let me know. I have a few others that could work. The other thing I want you to try are medications to treat allergies. It's possible what he's suffering with is related to an allergy or is being exacerbated by one."

"Alright," MacCready said, delicately rolling down the first sleeve and turning to his son's other arm. "You still doing okay, buddy?" He pressed, carefully rolling up the other sleeve. "It doesn't hurt, does it? We can take a break if you need to."

Duncan shook his head. "It's doesn't hurt. Just a little cold."

"You'll get used to it," Annette encouragingly said, setting down the medications she had brought for him on the small table by his bed. "And I know your dad will take good care of you."

"Daisy will too, don't worry," MacCready managed a small smile when his son perked up. "She gave us a place to stay when we came here, and she looks after you when I have to work, after all."

"Daisy's funny," Duncan said, giggling. "She reads me comic books and does voices for the characters. Her Grognak is silly, good silly!"

"And she's a much better influence than Hancock," MacCready whispered to Annette, who raised an eyebrow. "He was the one who talked Daisy into letting us live in the apartment next to hers no one's lived in for years because of it being smaller than most of the others in town and technically being owned by her. I'll admit…I was hesitant about it at first, but she's actually really nice. And, you know, she doesn't leave hard drugs laying around."

Annette tried not to laugh. "Hancock's a strange person, isn't he?"

"Hancock is…" MacCready paused, taking a close look at his son's arm. This side isn't as bad as it usually is. Hopefully that's a good sign. "Well, strange may be putting it lightly," He said, returning back to gently applying the ointment to the boils. "You still okay, Duncan?"

The four year old nodded. "Why's Hancock strange?"

"He wears clothes he stole from a historical exhibit, you know, those places where people would stare at old things before the War," MacCready said, smiling when his son started laughing. "And he wears a flag as a sash."

"He tried to teach me a song," Duncan absentmindedly remarked. "But I don't remember it very well."

"He probably doesn't either," MacCready told him, closing the cap and setting aside the bottle of anti-inflammatory gel. "Hancock can be…scatterbrained."

"That's a funny word," The four year old said, trying not to yawn when his dad began to roll his sleeve back down. "Scatter. Brained. Scatterbrained."

"Someone feeling sleepy?" MacCready sighed when his son nodded. "Let's get you to sleep, then," He turned to Annette. "I'll meet you in the kitchen in a few," He briefly took her hand when she stood up. "I have something to ask you about."

Annette nodded, heading out of the room, only pausing to smile at Duncan when the four year old waved at her. In no more than a few seconds, she was gone down the hall. I hope to God any of this helps…no kid should go through this. He should be able to run around, play with other kids…and here he is, barely able to stand on his own for very long. Leaning back a little on one of the counters once she stepped into the kitchen, barely aware of it, she began to tap her heels lightly against each other on the floor in steady rhythm. The second she noticed it, she forced herself to stop, taken aback by the nervous habit. Nervous. She wasn't the only one. For as relieved as he was that his son fell peacefully asleep rather quickly, a pang of guilt struck him when he stood up to turn off the lights. No, no I…why do I ever…if I can't see – His fingers lingered over the switch, and he stepped away from it, his mind spinning. I can't even do this for him…he likes it to be dark but…after… Closing his eyes for a few seconds, MacCready steadied himself against the doorframe. When he finally opened his eyes again, he realised he still hadn't picked his hat up from on the floor. After another brief moment of hesitation, not wanting to risk waking his four year old son up, he quickly swept up the hat, set it back on his head, and walked down the hall as quietly as possible, letting out a sigh of relief when he saw Annette was still there, waiting for him.

"Is everything alright?" Annette said softly, noticing the tension in his shoulders when he came over to her. "I hope I…I hope I didn't overstep. After spending so much of my life working as a doctor, I wanted to…knowing your baby boy is sick, I –"

"You haven't done anything wrong," MacCready said, taking her hand and gently squeezing it. "I was just surprised. I didn't want to pressure you into doing anything."

"I'm happy to help. He's lucky to have you as his father," She paused when she saw anxiety cross his face again. "Is –"

"I don't really know how to say this," MacCready said slowly. "But I…I got a job offer out of Diamond City…and I was wondering if you want to go with me."

Annette hesitated. "Are you sure you want me there?"

"Travelling with someone else would be a lot better than travelling alone," He paused. "If you don't want to, it's alright, but…I wouldn't mind travelling with you. Honestly…I'd like the company."

Annette nodded. "In that case…I'd like that too. When do we leave?"

"A few days," MacCready said, trying not to let on how relieved he was. "And…thanks again. For everything with Duncan. I…I didn't expect it at all but, really…it means a lot."

More than she knows.