Chapter Text
3 months, 2 weeks, and 6 days since I left the vault.
“You keep waving that gun in my face, and it’s gonna involve me.”
I squared my shoulders and stared down the barrel of Wolfgang’s rifle. He didn’t fucking scare me. I’ve only been out of the vault for 3 months, and the world’s already trying my patience. “Alright, alright! No need to get crazy.” He hurriedly turned on the safety and put the gun down. “There. This is just a business dispute, nothing more.”
“Right, because bringing a gun to a business meeting is bound to solve things.” I rolled my eyes, shoving past him. “I need supplies, so either kill yourself or move.” Wolfgang tried grabbing my arm, “You bitch!” Dogmeat intercepted him, growling. “Hey, lady, call off your mutt!” I glanced at him, “Hmm, no.”
I walked into the diner, reminiscing on eating here years before. Nate and I had our, what, second date here? I loved their fries. “Saw you talking to that scumbag out there. Well, he ain’t getting his money.” The woman behind the counter quipped at me. “I don’t care what he wants. I just need some stimpacks and a few rounds of ammo, if you have them.” I shouldered off my satchel, digging for caps. The woman huffed, “You’ve got spunk, girlie. Tell you what, you get rid of Wolfgang, I’ll give you all the stimpacks I’ve got for free.” Now, that is how you do business. “Deal. Hot or cold?”
“Dead.”
-
After finishing off Wolfgang, I started back on my trek to Diamond City. After I woke up, I just felt so much anger. The only clue I have is that man. There doesn’t seem to be any internet service or a mail carrier anywhere around here, so wanted posters might not pan out. Trudy, the lady who runs Drumlin Diner, also gave me information about the “settlements” not far from here. Diamond City seems like my best bet to ask around for more information on that bald-headed freak.
When I find him, I will make his death slow and painful.
3 months, 3 weeks, and 6 days since I left the vault.
“So, what were you doing before the war?” Nick placed a glass of Nuka Cola Dark in front of me. I took it and smiled. “Nothing much. I had a law degree, but I was a detective.” Nick leaned back in his seat, “A detective, huh?”
“Yup. I wasn’t stationed in Massachusetts, though. They shuffled me around New York for a while before I got pregnant and landed in Boston.”
“Well, that’s a darn shame, then. We might’ve known each other back then.”
“Eh, well. I was on maternity leave when the bombs hit, so I never got to take on any cases.”
I took a heavy swig of my drink, lounging back in my chair. Nick and I had scrounged as many caps as possible to buy Home Plate from Guinevere. I needed a house away from Sanctuary, and Nick needed to give Ellie privacy since she started seeing Danny Sullivan. This place turned out nice. Even if there’s a bunch of case files lying around.
I turned my head towards the corkboard on the wall. Nick was helping me put together a board of possible Kellogg locations and affiliates. So far, we’ve ruled out the obvious, like the Super Mutants. I get the feeling the most likely answer is this “Institute,” but I don’t have enough information on them and their motives to pin Shaun’s kidnapping on them. “Why do I get the feeling the answer to this is right in front of me?” I murmured, pressing the lid of my drink to my lips. “The biggest mysteries have the most obvious answers,” Nick replied, looking at the board. “And those answers are always the hardest to find.” I lifted my foot off the ottoman, sitting up. “I’m sure I’ll find him. I do not doubt that,” I ran a hand through my hair. “I just don’t know what I’ll do if I find him and Shaun isn’t there.”
“What are you suggesting?”
I sighed, “I won’t be able to control what I do to him if I don’t find my son.”