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As Sole was about to leave vault 118 after solving the weirdest murder mystery of the wastes, she remembered the “beach”. She turned to the former paladin stomping behind her, wide eyed.
“Danse! The beach!”
“Pardon?” He stopped, almost tripping. “What about the beach?”
“Have you ever been swimming? Like properly enjoying yourself not getting irradiated swimming?” She holstered her gun on her back and made a stupid mime of swimming like a frog.
He chuckled. “No. I’ve never come across a body of water that was safe to immerse myself in for recreation. Why?”
Sole’s smile grew. “I don’t remember seeing any kind of body of water in the Institute, either.”
Danse still looked like a radstag in the headlights. “I’m…sorry to hear that?”
“Shaun! We never got to take him swimming! He was still a baby during the summer before all this.” Her eyes dropped to the ground. Determined to not get sad about the past again, she looked back up at Danse, who still looked confused.
“That beach in there has pure water. There’s no way that’s irradiated. The robobrains don’t drink any pure water so it has to be! Right?!”
His eyes widened as he caught on. “You’re right! Vaults are obviously meant to keep the habitants protected from the radiation so everything in here should be rad-free!”
Sole’s smile grew more seeing Danse grow happier too.
“How would you like to go get our boy and have a nice day at the beach?” She stepped forward and placed a hand on his cold metal arm, as if it was his warm skin.
“I think that would be great.” His smile felt like a hug and his eyes softened with affection.
“Let’s head out, soldier” Sole joked, Danse chuckled again and they left the vault back to the surface.
~
“MOM!” Shaun shouted, running alongside Dogmeat as Sole and Danse finished their greetings of the settlers at Nordhagen Beach.
Sole knelt and hugged the boy tight, always as if it would be the last hug she ever got from him. Each time she returned, she was grateful he was still there. Dogmeat jumped up and put his paws on her and Shaun’s shoulders and kissed both of them sloppily. Sole laughed and gently nudged him down.
“Hi, Dad!” Shaun said, letting his mother go and heading over to Danse, just as he stepped out of his suit of power armor.
Sole always had to catch her breath when he got out of it. He wasn’t wearing the Brotherhood of Steel jumpsuit anymore, but the flannel with the rolled up sleeves and jeans just a little too tight for him were still a stunning sight. The big smile that erupted on his face as he knelt down and lifted Shaun in a wonderful Danse-only bear hug was so heartwarming she needed to keep from tearing up.
Both of them were still getting used to Shaun calling Danse “Dad”. But once Shaun had told them that he wanted to, they were thrilled. She and Danse had a quick private conversation to make sure he was comfortable with it, which he was a little hesitant, not realizing how important he had become to Shaun. Only after a year of Shaun being out of the Institute, and 200 years after entering the vault, Sole finally had another proper family.
“Shaun” Danse started, setting him back down and giving Dogmeat a ton of head rubs. “Your mother and I found some place that we’d like to take you” Danse looked back at Sole to let her continue.
“I know we never take you anywhere and I feel awful about it. You know how dangerous it is.” Shaun nodded as he listened. “But Danse-er-your Dad and I would like to surprise you with some place that will make it all worth it!”
Shaun gasped and started hopping around. “I get to leave? I can come with you??”
“Yes! We’re going to take a vertibird to the Nakanos up north, then a boat to Far Harbor and then-” Sole started until Danse popped up from kneeling.
“Then I’m going to give you the best piggyback ride you will ever have!” Sole turned to look at him, he winked at Sole and laughed when Shaun launched himself at Danse for another hug.
“This is so exciting! When are we going?”
“In a couple days, when I’m done with a couple things!” Sole answered, glancing over at the german shepherd sitting obediently but shaking from the intense tail wagging. “Dogmeat’s coming too!” Then patted her knees so the dog jumped up on her, paws on her thighs to get the best hugs and give the best kisses.
~
The day they were set to leave was a perfect day for traveling. The sun was shining, there was a gentle wind, just perfect. Shaun had a small backpack with snacks and extra clothes, as well as a ball for Dogmeat. Sole had a bigger pack on her back with more food, extra clothes and what soap she could find in storage. Danse had the weapons attached to his side and legs for easy retrieval just in case.
They said goodbye to the settlers when they heard the beat of propellers in the distance.
Once it landed, out hopped (almost) everyone’s favorite railroad spy, Deacon.
“Hey, guys! Your verti-chariot awaits, little man!” He bowed and pointed to the vertibird, after high fiving Shaun, who ran up to hug him. Danse clearly struggled to hide his mild jealousy. Sole nudged his metal shell and smirked, and he softened.
Deacon helped Shaun onto the vertibird and Dogmeat jumped on with no problem right after him. Danse helped Sole up and then climbed aboard himself. The vertibird sank into the sand on his side a little and Deacon looked back, tipping his sunglasses down.
“Put on a few pounds since becoming a dad, I see!” He turned back before Danse could respond with a look. Sole couldn’t help but laugh out loud.
“Ready, buddy?” Deacon shouted back to Shaun.
“Yeah!” He responded.
The engine started and the propellers slowly came to life and they took off heading north.
Sole noticed they had removed the minigun since “obtaining” this vertibird and hoped Danse wouldn’t notice. She knew that would open an old wound so she knocked on his knee and drew his gaze from the view of the wasteland beneath them. He turned quickly, immediately showing concern then softened when Sole mouthed the words “I love you” He mouthed them back to her and leaned over to kiss her on the cheek without pushing her overboard.
~
They landed at the house with the port within an hour where the Nakanos were waiting for them on the porch. Kenji and Rei slowly made their way towards Sole and her family while they disembarked the vertibird, while Kasumi, their daughter Sole had brought back, ran up.
“Hi! It’s so good to see you guys again! Is this your son?” Shaun was petting one of the cats on the dock and stood at the mention of his presence.
“Yes, Kasumi, this is Shaun. Shaun, this is Kasumi. I met her in Far Harbor, where we’re going!”
Shaun stepped forward and shook Kasumi’s hand. Kasumi knelt down to face him.
“Your mom actually rescued me. I was kidnapped by bad guys that I thought were good guys. Your mom is a hero!” She lowered her voice so her parents couldn’t hear. Shaun’s eyes widened and looked up at Sole. Sole just smiled and nodded subtly.
Danse had walked toward Kasumi’s parents and shook their hands in greeting. Sole glanced at him talking with them and felt a small jump in her heart. He’d come such a long way from when he was in the Brotherhood and so closed minded about the world. He was so much warmer and kinder to new people.
Deacon had jumped off the vertibird to say goodbye to Shaun and Dogmeat, and then walked over to Sole, still watching Danse laugh with the Nakanos.
“Still can’t believe he’s actually human.” Deacon said quietly. Sole turned to look at him and got a wink in return. “In all seriousness, he’s a great guy. We all see it. Sure, Preston might be a little grumpy because of the massive crush on you, and Hancock might still be a little salty about the ghoul comments from before. But we see he’s grown so much because of you” Deacon placed his hand on her shoulder. “Take good care of this one, too” He said, ruffling Shaun’s hair and hopping back on board the vertibird.
“See ya later, Danses with Dogmeat!” He called, before starting up the engine and taking off.
Sole looked back at Danse after that comment and he was trying to look smug to hide a slight smile. It was a good joke after all.
~
After a short break to use the restrooms, Kasumi helped Shaun onto the boat before Sole and Danse climbed aboard. Once again, the vessel dipped a little once Danse was fully on board.
He gave an apologetic look to Kasumi and she chuckled before waving it off.
Dogmeat was resting at Shaun’s side, who was standing next to Kasumi in the cabin, while Sole and Danse were near the rear, leaning against the stern. They were looking out to sea, feeling the wind and mist on their faces.
“Why wasn’t it this pleasant on our first couple trips here?” Danse asked.
Sole smiled with her eyes closed. “We didn’t know we would be vacationing here, did we?”
When she opened her eyes, Danse was looking at her.
“No, it is because now we’re a family.” Sole felt another jump in her heart and her eyes grew hot. Tears started to form and she tried to blink them away, blaming it on the wind.
She rested her head on his hard metal shoulder, patiently waiting for when she could hold his warm body.
~
They pulled up to the dock at the shore of Far Harbor, still holding on to some fog from before DiMA had helped this island. It was also near dusk, Sole noticed. Getting to the hotel might be difficult if they don’t pick up the pace.
Avery was walking down the steps from behind the hull when Danse lifted Shaun out of the boat and stepped onto the dock with him.
“Avery!” Sole called, waving. Dogmeat hopped off the boat with some egging on by Shaun.
“Hello, Mainlander! Is this your son?” She waved back.
“Yes, this is Shaun. Shaun, this is Captain Avery. She lives here on this island. She’s a great leader.” Shaun extended a hand and shook Avery’s while she laughed.
“What a proper gentleman. Shaun, I’m sure so many people have told you how amazing your mom is, but believe me. Without her, we would all probably be a lot worse off. We owe her a lot. So anything you guys need, let me know!” Shaun smiled again and nodded. He looked up at her, with the same look of admiration as when Kasumi sang her praises, too. She warmed to the realization that her son was proud of her.
Kasumi came over to give Avery a hug. Sole looked around, Danse had the bags by his feet and smiled at her. He jerked his head back, indicating that they should probably go. Sole nodded and said “Well, ladies, we gotta get going. Don’t want to travel when it’s too dark.” She placed one hand on each lady’s shoulder. Kasumi and Avery pulled Sole into a big group hug and said their goodbyes.
“I’ll be waiting here when you are ready to head back.” Kasumi said and let go.
Avery and Kasumi began walking back up the stairs to the safety of the hull around the pier and Sole grabbed her backpack. Shaun put his on and looked at Danse.
“Ready, buddy?” He said getting down on one knee and patting his shoulders with loud clangs.
Shaun laughed and climbed onto Danse’s back armor. There were perfect pieces to hold onto with his hands and places to put his feet to keep steady. “You secure, soldier?”
“Yeah, let’s go!” Shaun called. Danse laughed and they all started off into the forest.
For a long while, they didn’t run into anything. Dogmeat was a great guard dog, his body language was very telling, even when not making a sound. Sole felt safe, jogging through the fog.
Then, she heard a bark from behind her. She stopped and heard Danse’s metal stomps slow to a stop also. Dogmeat let out a small growl. Danse released the assault rifle Sole had brought from his leg and tossed it to her. In one smooth motion, she brought the scope to her eye and finger on the trigger where Dogmeat was looking. He started barking more, but not moving to chase something. She saw movement, but nothing alarming.
She lowered the rifle from her eye, finger still on the trigger and looked back at Danse.
“What do you think?” Shaun’s eyes were barely visible from behind Danse’s armor and Sole felt worse. They shouldn’t start something. Just get him to the hotel. Danse seemed to notice her expressed change and said, “Let’s just get moving.”
Sole kept hold of her rifle and called back to Dogmeat, who came trotting back up to their group and jogged along.
“Everything’s ok, Shaun. We won’t let anything happen to you. I promise.” Danse said through deep breaths as they kept jogging. Sole could barely hear Shaun make a noise of acknowledgement over their footfalls. He was still clinging close to Danse, not relaxed like they were before.
“We’re close, honey. Really soon. See that dome? That’s it!” Sole called, pointing to the top part of the hotel building. She shocked herself to see it as soon as she started talking. “A couple minutes!”
Sole noticed the road that was leading to the Cliff’s Edge Hotel, relieved to have asphalt under her feet instead of rocks and earth. They weaved between the cars in the parking lot and entered the hotel lobby. Danse stopped, causing Sole to stop as well.
“You guys stay here, I’m going to scope the area. Make sure we have a clear path.” Shaun hesitantly stepped off his armor and shot over to Sole’s side. Dogmeat stayed glued to Shaun.
“Be careful, Danse” Sole found herself saying, out of habit. He was always the most careful, but she was saying it more as affection. He smirked back and winked at her before pulling his laser rifle from his hip and carefully stepping further in.
Not a minute later, he reappeared and Sole felt both herself and Shaun let out their breath.
Once he got close enough, he said “All right, let’s move,” He started walking down the hall that had the elevator down to the vault, but Sole noticed Shaun hadn’t started walking.
“Hey, why don’t we make it a race? See who gets to the elevator first?” She said kneeling down next to Shaun. He looked apprehensive. “Remember what your dad said? We won’t let anything happen to you. Ever,” Shaun looked down the hall and saw Danse standing where he stopped. She appreciated that he clearly knew this was a mom thing.
Dogmeat also seemed to know that this was a situation where Shaun needed him; he walked up and pushed his nose under Shaun’s arm and gave him a few small kisses.
“You have 3 people here who love you and will keep you safe. Once we get in that elevator, we’re good. You can do it, honey.” Shaun smiled and wrapped his arms around Sole’s neck for a deep hug. Sole hugged back, feeling the tension leave Shaun’s body.
“Ok, let’s go” He said quietly and started to walk.
Before Sole even had a chance to stand up, Shaun broke into a sprint toward Danse and the elevator. “I’m gonna win!” He shouted. Dogmeat shot after him, almost propelled by his wagging tail.
Sole laughed and took off after him, looking back only once to check for ghouls. Nothing.
She gained on him but Shaun made it to Danse first, who picked him up and ran the rest of the way to the elevator. His childish giggles caused the two adults to laugh as well.
Danse pushed the button for the elevator as Sole slowed her run outside the opening door.
“Cheater!” She whispered and gently nudged him inside with her close behind him; Dogmeat and Danse followed.
When the elevator doors opened again, a gust of cool air hit them and Shaun gasped.
“This is a vault!?” They all stepped out onto the platform and walked down the stairs onto the earth and past the oddly placed linen covered tables.
“This is vault 118” a voice announced over the intercom. “Welcome back, Detective” And with that, the vault door began to roll away from the opening and Shaun started shaking both Sole’s and Danse’s hands.
They began walking again towards the opening, Shaun making excited noises between them.
The Mr Handy and Miss Nanny floated towards the family, extended greetings and led Shaun on a tour of the vault. Before he got out of eye sight, Sole and Danse stayed behind.
“You know, we’re safe now. You can get out of the armor” Sole said, looking up at him.
“Say no more,” Danse smiled and initiated the release process. When he stepped out, still adjusting his clothes from bunching in the armor, Sole wrapped her arms around his waist and rested her head on his chest. He was very warm and slightly damp from sweat. She was used to this and drank it in. She closed her eyes and felt his warm arms wrap around her shoulders. He planted a long kiss on her head and then rested his chin on it.
After a minute or so, he lifted his head and whispered, “Let’s go to the beach” Her head was still against his chest and his words vibrated against her face.
“Sounds good” She sighed with a smile and let go of him. Their fingers laced and they walked off after the tour. The concierge Mr Handys grabbed their bags and guns, and followed the couple.
~
Once the tour was finished and Shaun was reunited with them, they met outside of Ezra Parker’s room. Sole didn’t feel the need to tell Shaun the story behind her discovery of this place. None of the other robots mentioned it, besides calling her “Detective”.
They showed Shaun around the room at all the “artifacts” as the concierge Mr Handys dropped off their bags and weapons.
“Ok, Shaun” Danse said, once the concierge had left. “Ready to go swimming?”
“YES!” Shaun shouted, causing Dogmeat to hop up and let out a gentle bark.
They headed out toward the end of the hall that had the beach painting next to the door, made their way through the showers and through the faux cottage doorway. Even though Sole and Danse had seen it before, together, the mood was much different with an excited child with them.
“Can I? Please?” He looked up at Sole, with pleading eyes. She glanced up at Danse, who was already grinning like a fool.
“Take off your shirt, shoes and socks. Then, yes. You can go” In under half a minute, Shaun was undressed and sprinting toward the water. Dogmeat was barking and dove in as Shaun’s little legs crashed into the clear, blue water. He screamed with laughter but kept going until all that was above water were his arms and head. Dogmeat was paddling circles around him.
“Wait for us to help you before you go too deep!” Sole called. “Yes, mom!” Shaun called back.
Sole turned to Danse and was pleasantly surprised to see he was already in just his briefs. Sole couldn't help but widen her eyes and the very pleasing sight before her.
“Come on!” He said, more eager and giddy than she’d ever seen him in her life. She didn’t need to be told twice. She pulled her shirt, pants, shoes and socks off until she was just in her bra and underwear. The air felt cool on her still damp body from the leftover sweat of running to this hotel. Danse grabbed her by the waist and pulled her close for a deep but brief kiss.
“I love you so much.” He said, resting his forehead against hers.
“I love you too” She whispered back, closing her eyes for a second.
“COME ON” Shaun yelled, trying to splash them. They looked up at each other, smiled and then ran towards the water.
Sole jumped in, making a ball with her body as Danse hoisted Shaun onto his shoulders.
When she reemerged, she saw Dogmeat trotting up to shore and shaking before laying down in the sand. Danse kept dipping under the surface with Shaun still on his shoulders, screaming with joy. She smiled, knowing this would be the first of many purely happy moments for this family.