Chapter 3 – Room Mates

The next knock on the cabin door was Cait as it was her turn to drive and an opportunity for Nate to take a break. Cait came into the wheelhouse and after a quick hand over, Nate left just as the girls started up a conversation.

"So, is he easier or tougher on you because you are dating?" Nate heard Valkyrie ask as he closed the door.

The rest of the journey went by without incident, the team arriving back at their mooring outside Hangman's Alley at seven in the evening. By the time the team had transported all of their finds back to home plate it was close to nine and Curie immediately began preparing the evening meal.

"I'll show you around," Cait offered, and she grabbed Valkyrie's arm to pull her through to the armoury.

"How about getting the poor girl some clothes and letting her settle in." Nate suggested as he helped Piper stash the gear they would have to sell the next day.

"I guess you'll be happy to bunk downstairs with us lot." Cait enthused, "we have one bed free."

"So, I get to keep my double bed all to myself then." Nate smiled, enjoying Cait's look of realisation. "Yeah, forgot we were an item did you?" He teased.

The team had a late dinner and were all in bed before midnight, Cait deciding on joining Nate for their first night together.

The next morning and whilst the team were all sat at the dining table, Nate set out his plans.

"We have a huge amount of stuff to sort and get rid of, we have a complete wardrobe to buy for V, there is her weapons and equipment we have to purchase and then we have us to talk about." Nate indicating to himself and Cait.

"The last bit has to be tonight, wine and whisky, right?" Piper smiled. She then looked over to Valkyrie, "that's what we call our team meetings, because, well, they involve wine and whisky." She shrugged.

"I knew I would like this team." Valkyrie laughed.

"Curie?" Nate looked to his right. Now that there were five in the team, Nate had grabbed the office chair and made a fifth place at the head of the table where he was now sat.

"I have some shopping to do but I was thinking of a pie this evening. Steak and Ale sound ok?" Curie asked.

"Oh, and you will very soon get to know just how good a cook she is." Cait looked over to Valkyrie whilst pointing at Curie.

"Oh my god, you should have tried the baked Brahmin cheese thing," Piper beamed.

Nate leant over to Valkyrie, "Baked Camembert."

"Ah, my mouth is watering already." Valkyrie responded. "Makes you fat though, you know that." She smiled at Nate.

"All those in favour of me introducing a spanking for anyone with a smart mouth." Nate smiled and then raised his own hand. He looked around the table, "no, just me then. Pity."

"So, you literally just have the spankings for the patrol stuff then?" Valkyrie looked a little surprised, "I had you down as the head of household for here as well."

Cait shook her head, "No that's not us, although we did watch a documentary about that when we first started our new arrangement."

"They still make documentaries now?" Valkyrie looked sceptical.

"Non, it was a recording of a PBS program from before the war." Curie answered.

"Oh, that gripping channel." Valkyrie rolled her eyes. "But hang on, this was a spanking documentary?" Valkyrie suddenly changed her tune.

"Domestic Discipline Couples," Nate answered.

"I apologise PBS." Valkyrie nodded, obviously impressed.

"Yeah, after our first spanking," Piper indicated to herself, Cait and Curie, "we were interested in exactly where Nate got his … skills from."

"Yes, we had only introduced the idea of him spanking us the evening before and then the very next morning we woke up to Mr Bossy, disciplinarian extraordinaire." Cait nodded appreciatively.

"Yeah," Valkyrie said nodding slowly, "this is the naked bit, isn't it?"

"Yup," Cait nodded, "we were stripped, scolded, well spanked and then scooped up by someone who seemed to have been born to this stuff, so we wanted to know where …"

"Mr Bossy got his bossy from." Curie completed Cait's sentence.

"And it was from PBS!" Valkyrie looked pleasantly surprised, "Well who knew."

"Yeah, but you have nothing to worry about," dismissed Piper, "you are all commando like Nate, so you won't be seeing much of Mr Bossy." She then snapped her fingers as she thought of something, "but you can help us, right, keep us away from his shovely hands."

"See." Nate gave a knowing look to Valkyrie.

She nodded and then turned to Piper, "Shovely?" she asked looking confused.

Cait smiled and as she was one of the two sat closest to Nate lifted up his arm and splayed out his hand against hers. "Like shovels, it was an expression Nora used."

"Oh, so you spanked Nora as well?" Valkyrie asked animatedly.

"Ha, no I didn't … well no not really, but this is not a now conversation, as we have a ton of stuff to do." Nate looked at Valkyrie, "If you are happy to come with me, I'll introduce you to Arturo. We have weapons to sell and one to buy, and I can show you round a bit. When we get back here at lunch I'll answer that question fully, ok?" Valkyrie nodded at that.

"I'll get the ammo counted and stored," Cait volunteered.

"And I'll get the kit cleaned and stowed." Piper grimaced, "I get all the great jobs."

"Last time you were super keen to do the standing up jobs," Cait laughed.

"Yes, I still remember that. Thanks Cait." Piper gave her Irish friend a knowing look.

The team worked solidly for the next several hours, carrying most of their finds out to shop owners Myrna and Arturo, storing the ammo they had found and preparing their kit for the next time they would be on the road. Nate and Valkyrie spent a little time selecting a suitable weapon for her and the whole team met back at Home Plate for a break over lunch.

For the first twenty minutes Nate and Valkyrie were hunched over his desk in the living room, counting all the caps they had received from the various sales that they had made.

"Come on guys, we are starving here," shouted Piper as Curie served up. "And we are dying to know what that haul earned us." She rubbed her hands together.

"See, I told you she was bossy." Nate said quietly to Valkyrie. They then took their seats and the team tucked into the sandwiches and cold meats Curie had prepared.

"Ok kids," Nate smiled as the girls all pulled faces at him, "starting off with the Swan, we made 465 caps from his little haul. I am subtracting Curie's shopping and our new weapon for V."

"Swan?" Piper asked.

"The Behemoth in Boston Common." Cait responded. Piper gave her a look to show she still didn't understand.

"A small haul of drugs from just outside Bunker Hill, that was 211." Nate listed off figures from his Pipboy. "The caravan was the biggest …." He looked up to everyone. "Anyone care to guess?"

Piper gave a sly look to Cait, "Care to make a bet?"

"oh, ha ha!" Cait threw a sarcastic smile back at her friend. "No one is coming near me for a while, I can tell you. I can still feel my last encounter with his lordship, and as a result I am steering clear of any bets, and I am on my best behaviour." Cait beamed a smile at Nate.

"Can I have that in writing, please." Nate teased back.

"Yeah, they are some Impressive marks." Valkyrie blew out a breath, "that must have been some session." She was genuinely impressed.

"It was," Piper agreed, then she looked up. "Well, you all know we sneaked a peak, so I can just come right out and say it."

Nate looked surprised, "You showed V your marks?" he asked Cait.

"Yeah, she's part of the team now and someone who gets me, so why not. I like that I have someone I can talk to about this who has previous experience." Cait looked genuinely appreciative.

Nate turned to Curie, "Maybe she needs more arnica, if the marks are still there."

"She didn't want any after the first lot I gave her on the boat." Curie shrugged.

"Keeping them, are we." Piper asked mischievously.

Cait blushed, "for a little longer, yes. It's only been three days, but they are fading fast enough without help." Cait sounding disappointed at that fact.

"Ok, so no bets." Nate smiled at Cait. He looked at his Pipboy once again. "The caravan was 5,690, which was very close to Curie's estimation, we sold the trinkets and weapons from the iron works for 2,240 and we got a total of 2,000 from Jack." Curie, Cait and Piper sat wide mouthed as Nate read the figures. "So that is a total of 10,606 caps to add to our account balance." Nate then looked over to Valkyrie, "and what's more, we have a new team member."

"Fuck, that is definitely wine and whisky tonight then?" Enthused Cait, a huge smile on her face.

"I am going to have to get used to the currency equivalents, my mind still works in dollars." Valkyrie stated.

Nate looked at Valkyrie, "Our agreement is that we split anything we find equally except whatever is needed for home plate. We will now split everything by five instead of four, but what you girls already have," Nate signalled to Piper, Cait and Curie, "you keep. Ok?"

"But now we have a serious amount of caps saved up, what about getting V some armour?" Cait asked, "we pay for that, right?"

"Of course," Nate answered and was about to say something else when Valkyrie jumped in.

"If you don't mind, I'd like to head back to my old apartment and see what's left of it. I realise it's a longshot, but there are some personal effects I'd like to pick up, and also my old military gear on the off chance it's still there."

"I just wish we had another Sirius Suit to let you have." Nate stated, "but sure, we can head over there and take a look around. You guys want to stay here?" Nate asked the other girls.

They all nodded and Nate got up to help clear the plates.

"You can tell me all about your shovel hands and where that name came from as we walk over." Valkyrie asked cheekily.

"Oh yes, I did promise you an answer to that." Nate smiled, "I want to stop off to have a quick chat with Nick but let's grab some kit and get going."

"Oh, what did you go for in the end, V?" Cait asked as she too got up from the table.

"Hmm?" Valkyrie asked.

"From Arturo, what weapon did you go for?" Cait clarified.

"Oh, I have gone for the RU556, its Russian but super sturdy and super lightweight. Just perfect for me." Valkyrie went over to her bunk bed, underneath Curies and took the rifle from where it was lying on the bed.

In seeing that Nate said, "We keep all weapons in the armoury, V, just to let you know." He lightly scolded.

"Oh sorry, my bad, I guess there will be a bunch of rules I will need to get used to." Valkyrie replied heading for the stairs.

"Don't worry about it now," Nate stated, "just for next time." Valkyrie nodded.