Chapter Text
Sitting down with a flop on a dusty old couch that has found its way to the top of a building overlooking Boston, Nora leans her head back, closes her eyes, and smiles a little at the relief she feels. It had been a long hard fought battle while trying to get the serum to cure MacCready's sick son Duncan, and she was looking forward to this downtime and a drink. They have all been long hard battles, but this one was a little more difficult for Nora since it hit close to home, and Piper wasn't with her. She was always with her, and always knew how to comfort her if something reminded her of Shaun, but not this time.
This time someone else had a problem they needed help with and as always they went to Nora for assistance. It was MacCready who was the one to ask for her help and Nora could not refuse due to the reason behind the mercenaries request. She was reluctant at first, but his son was sick and that's all the sole survivor of Vault 111 needed to hear.
This mission felt endless as they searched through the extremely large Med-Tek Research building that was filled with Feral Ghouls so after retrieving the cure they both agreed that they needed rest before heading to Goodneighbor, then back to Sanctuary. Currently sitting on the roof of one of the many destroyed buildings around the Commonwealth, sharing a bottle of whiskey, looking out over what used to be the great city of Boston while watching the sun go down on another day, the two companions nod at each other, smile and take a drink. Feeling the burn of the whiskey and how her body and senses react to the drink allows her to relax, but at that moment a feeling of dread overtakes everything else. As happy as she should be for the mercenary, something just doesn't feel right. Normally it's her intuition telling her to stay out of sight as a band of Super mutants are patrolling the area, or to look twice at the body in the road because it's actually a Feral Ghoul instead of a lifeless corpse. She can even sense any traps set up by Raiders, but this is different. This time it's her gut telling her that something has happened and they need to get home.
"Something's wrong," Nora states, taking another quick drink from the bottle she is holding and stands up.
"You hear something?" Robert grabs for his weapon as he tries to listen for whatever seems to have spooked his companion.
He hasn't traveled with her much, but it didn't take long for MacCready to figure out that if she says something is off, then something is off.
"No..." She shakes her head as she looks out towards Sanctuary. The chill that runs through her body on the warm summer day only solidifies the feeling that is telling her to get back home.
"But I need to leave now!"
"Wait. Nora hold on." Robert calls out for her and grabs her arm when she attempts to leave. He lets go as soon as she gives him a look that says 'let go' but steps in front of her in hopes that she hears him out.
"I appreciate the help, I really do, but I was hoping to get this cure to Goodneighbor..."
"So then go!" Her expression and voice are laced with annoyance and she moves around MacCready to leave. The lone Vault 111 survivor has about enough of people asking her for help with shit.
"I did my part dammit!" Nora says over her shoulder but then stops midway down the steps. She regrets the words as soon as she says them, but she is scared.
She stops, sighs, and turns around to face her friend and hopes he will forgive her.
"Look I'm sorry, but something is telling me to get back to Sanctuary and these feelings that I get haven't been wrong so far, so I need to do this for my own sanity." She smiles in appreciation when he agrees with her which relieves part of her stress, but not much.
He also agrees that if they both leave now then they can get to their destinations before it gets too dark. Traveling under the cover of darkness has its advantages but she's already experienced first hand how dangerous it can be. The two companions part ways after they shake hands and only after MacCready promises to return to Sanctuary when he's done.
Nora gets to the street level quickly and begins her run back to her home. She's been through this area of the Commonwealth before and knows the safest route to take but it doesn't mean that it stays that way. She gets lucky this time as she catches herself moving out into the open without so much as a glance at the above buildings. She berates herself for her foolishness and begins to think that splitting up wasn't the best idea. No matter, since neither one of them would have been able to convince the other to ignore what they felt they needed to do.
She wishes this would go away but each time she tries to convince herself that everything is probably fine it gets worse. The worry has become so sickening that she is now running at nearly full speed to get to her destination quicker. Being a long distance runner in school, Nora would normally be able to make the treck rather easily, but her weapon and pack are weighing her down.
Grabbing a stimpack and water, she drops her bag and continues to pace herself a little easier now, but her breathing and heart rate are still erratic. She is panicking, and she needs to get into a rhythm or risk collapsing before she gets half way there. Slowing her pace momentarily, Nora begins to get her breathing into her pattern of inhale three steps and exhale two. With her rifle secured to her back, she increases her speed while repeating to herself that she has to breathe, or she won't make it.
The closer Nora gets to Sanctuary the more relaxed she feels, and she exhales a little more in relief when she sees the big "Red Rocket" sign. Passing by the former gas station, now settlement, ignoring the waves from the people there that recognize her, Nora increases to a full-on sprint, knowing that Sanctuary is near, desperately wanting to get there.
"General?" Preston is the first to meet up with her. He had run down the main road to meet her before she reached the gate as the Minutemen must have noticed her as soon as she passed the statue near the bridge, and Nora is grateful and exhausted.
"Is there something wrong?" The worry is clear in his voice, having never seen the leader of the Minutemen act like this before.
"Yes..." She says finally after a few deep breaths. "Have you seen Piper?"
Time seems to stand still after she asks the question that has made her wrought with fear, and run halfway across the Commonwealth. It is mainly due to a lack of an answer from Preston who is looking back at her confused. Nora begins to wonder if she is so out of breath that she spoke incoherently, but Garvey finally answers her and it sends her mind racing.
"I thought she was with you." He says to the leader of the Minutemen and she forgets all about her fatigue and shortness of breath. "She said she had to check on something in Diamond City and then the two of you were going to meet up."
She tries to relax a little after hearing what he has to say, but a stray thought runs through her mind.
"When did she leave? Did she leave with anyone?" Nora asks quickly.
"Uh, three days ago." He says immediately or tries to. "And yeah actually she did leave with someone." Preston is trying to think quickly since the look on Nora's face is one of impatience.
"There was a Ghoul that said he was leaving to go to another settlement...The Slog, I think he said. He a...he wore a yellow coat and hat..."
"Wait, the Vault -tec rep guy? Three days?!"
"I guess that's him. They were supposed to travel with Carla I think, so it's more than just the two of them. What's this all about anyway?" The concern in his question is genuine and it's mainly due to never seeing the Vault 111 survivor panic like this before. "She should be at Diamond City."
"I think Piper's in trouble." Nora should really be feeling better with everything he is saying but she's not. "It's just a feeling but..."
"Your feelings are never wrong." He finishes her sentence and understands everything now. "Look, it's too dark now, but I'll send the word out to the Castle to broadcast for everyone to be on the lookout for her. There are Minutemen all over the Commonwealth now General, so it will only be a matter of time. Okay?" Seeing that she is not fully convinced he continues but not before she interrupts.
"How could I have forgotten this Preston?"
"Listen to me." He says a little sternly since her attention is facing back to where she just ran from. "You're exhausted, and bleeding." He states as he motions to the trail of blood running down the front of her shirt. Probably from a wound suffered on the last mission. "And probably hungry as well, so come back with me, and we will get you stitched up and you can head out at first light. You've traveled this route before and it takes time to get there and send word, so let's try not to jump the gun."
She nods and reluctantly, allows him to lead her away from where she really wants to go. Nora doubts she will be able to eat or sleep and is set on getting bandaged up by the Doc and heading to Diamond City as soon as possible. She needs to know that Piper is okay, and it can't wait for the light of day.
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Piper loves traveling around the Commonwealth. She has been doing it for her entire life, and most of the time she was alone. In fact, right up until she met the Vault 111 survivor when Danny or the mayor tried to lock her out of Diamond City, she had missed it since she hadn't been outside of the walls in months; taking care of Nat. She was always investigating any story that she caught wind of, no matter how small it may have seemed, and that particular day she had overheard someone talk about a firefight near the wreck of the USS Riptide that had apparently happened. Everyone who knew anything about that area had sense enough to stay away from there. Sure it had countless military supplies, and it was a straight shot across the river, but the Raiders who lived there were already using what was there to rob unsuspecting travelers who crossed anywhere near their territory. But when Piper heard about it she didn't even think about the danger involved; it was a story and she needed to investigate it.
It had been so long since she went anywhere that the walls of Diamond City felt like they were closing in on her and Piper was about go stir crazy. So she grabbed her gun, notepad, and pencil, said goodbye to Nat and ran out of the gates. By the time she arrived to where the shootout had occurred, it was cleared of everything, except the bodies of the Raiders. Even the dead were stripped down to their undergarments, and Piper could only wonder who would take everything that wasn't nailed down, but she soon found out who was responsible; it had been Blue.
Of course, the pack-rat of the Commonwealth took everything she could carry and it made sense when Piper had thought back to the day they first met since Blue had an awful lot of Raider armor and weapons to sell. The Diamond City reporter was just happy that she knew all of the shortcuts to areas all over and somehow made it to the bridge and back to her home a little before Blue arrived. Eventually, Piper was able to show the Vault 111 survivor those shortcuts she had learned over the years, and more after she gave her the interview of the century, and agreed to watch her back while she looked for her son; and the Publick Occurrences reporter has been on cloud nine ever since. She was able to see the Commonwealth in a whole new light when she traveled with Blue. Piper was able to watch a woman create homes and help people she didn't know, and not ask for anything in return; other than support for the Minutemen.
Piper soon looked at her in awe whenever Blue would help a settlement get started by planting crops, or create clean water stations for people who were in desperate need. She even helped raise multi-level shelters, make beds, and build defense turrets in order to keep the settlements happy, out of the harsh elements, and safe. It was an amazing thing to see, and Piper is honored that she was along for the journey. She and Blue traveled together extensively, with a few exceptions, and Piper knew that she could not take up all of her preserved relic's time, and now was no different. She knows that it will only be a short time apart and she's doing the right thing by escorting the Ghoul from Goodneighbor to his new settlement, who amazingly enough knows Blue from before the war, but Piper misses her and wants to get back to Sanctuary as soon as she can.
But for now, Piper, along with the Vault-tec rep, have spent the past couple of days traveling with Trashcan Carla on her supply route to The Slog. It's where the Ghoul in yellow felt like he could get a fresh start since it was run by other Ghouls like him, and Piper agreed to accompany him since he looked scared to venture out on his own. Piper and Carla are supposed to continue on and head to Diamond City, but they arrived late and made the decision to stay at The Slog for a night. Piper decided to set up a makeshift camp on the roof of the pool house since there wasn't much room on the inside. Strong is here and may "accidentally" step on her again in her sleep, (the reason for his temporary banishment after she made her remark on killing more just like him), but the main attraction she found is the panoramic view of the Commonwealth. She could be alone with her thoughts, a pencil, and watch the sun set on another day while memories of her lover run through her mind.
"Absence makes the heart grow fonder." She says and lets out a long sigh while looking out over the Commonwealth. It's what Blue had said to her the first time they were apart after revealing their feelings for each other.
Piper had never heard of that saying before and soon understood it, but no more than right now. Looking out at the Sun as it lowers, Piper pulls the blanket she carries everywhere a little tighter around her body as a slight breeze has picked up, and she doesn't have the warmth of another to hold her. The fire along with the whiskey- nukacola mixture that she is drinking, that some surprisingly well preserved two hundred-year-old woman got her turned onto helps, but nothing compares to her Blue. She sighs a little when the light from another day slips behind the mountains off in the distance and she is left to put her thoughts into words by the light of the fire. When her eyes begin to strain she soon has to be content with waiting until she can see again. Piper stuffs her new notebook that was a gift into her bag, so she can be ready to leave at a moments notice if need be, smiling while she does it. It's just another one of Blue's rules that she tells everyone who travels with her.
"Travel light, and make sure you can pick up camp in under fifteen seconds, even in the dark," Piper says loud enough so only she can hear while mimicking the Vault 111 survivor.
Ranks right up there in importance to "Keep moving"... "Always carry a backup weapon"...and "Always, always, always, take your weapon with you when you use the bathroom. And for God sakes check the entire area before you drop trough."
Piper remembers the confused, disgusted face she had made at that last one, shaking her head at how serious she emphasized the latter rule until she had an incident with a Yao guan with her pants around her ankles, and nothing but a pocket knife to defend herself with. Nora had ended up saving a very shaken up and embarrassed half naked Piper and the reporter began to listen to all of Blue's rules from that day forward. There weren't that many mutated Black bears roaming around but one is enough. Plus, Blue promised to keep that incident to herself if she promised to follow her rules more carefully, but thinking about all of this makes her long for the hero of the Commonwealth a little more. Sitting there with her knees pulled up to her chest, arms wrapped around, and resting her chin on them, she is about to close her eyes when she hears footsteps come up from behind.
In an instant, she throws off the blanket, and has her pistol aimed at whoever is trying to sneak up on her, but she relaxes when she sees who it is.
"Oh god please don't shoot!" The Vault-Tec rep cries out, throwing his arms up in surrender, and falling to the ground.
"Sorry." Piper points her revolver up and away but is annoyed at the interruption. "Didn't anyone ever tell you not to sneak up on people? It's how you get yourself shot." Another Blue rule.
"It doesn't matter if we are in a settlement." Piper continues to berate the visibly shaken Ghoul. "Everything is trying to kill you here." Christ, another of her rules.
"Remember that, and you'll live longer." God, I sound just like her.
She offers a hand and helps him to his feet and begins to feel bad for laying into him the way she did after the adrenaline wears off. Then she hears what he has to say, and she regrets not pulling the trigger.
"I'm sorry for that." He says in shaky grave voice. "I was just looking for you...had to tell you something." He pauses for a moment until he sees her brow raise and her body language say to continue.
"Uh, well...I guess they don't have room for me here." He says to the now visibly annoyed reporter.
Her arms fall to her side, eyes close tight, and head looks up as an audible groan comes from her.
"Did they say why they can't just make the room?" She asks through gritted teeth. Piper is not sure what he is about to say to her but she isn't going to like it at all.
"Well no, but I think I know why." He says sheepishly.
"Everything was fine and they really seemed to like me...Until I told them that I don't have any skills other than selling Vaults." He jumps a little when he hears the loud slap after Piper puts her face in her palms, then he twitches a little while she says some muffled choice words into her hands.
"You didn't learn anything from your time at Sanctuary?" She asks after her arms swing down to her side. When she receives only a shake of the head in return, she continues.
"So now what?" If nothing else the Diamond City reporter has learned one very valuable lesson during her time with Blue, and that is don't ask a question you don't want the answer to, and this is one of those times, and she flinches at each of his answers, wishing she could turn back time.
"Well I had heard from some of the others about another settlement...that was new...I think it was called Croup Manor."
Piper holds up a hand to stop him from saying anything else. Of course, he would want to go there. It is one of the worst places that Blue has decided to set up shop at. The place was scary as shit. They were constantly fighting off Ghouls, and even Strong hated it there. This is not what she needs, but even though it was going to take an extra days travel, and made no sense to bring him to a new settlement when an old established one didn't want him, Piper could just hear Blue's voice chastising her, throwing her own words back at her.
"Most people are just looking for a hand. It's up to us to give it to them."
"Fine." She groans out and turns back to her bed in a huff. "But it will only be us since Carla is heading a different way."
"That's great, thank you so..."
"Tomorrow." Piper cuts him off.
"Right now I need my sleep." Her patience is gone but doesn't want to take it out on the appreciative Vault-Tec salesman. She repositions herself under her blanket, with her chin on her arms, and returns to looking back out into the still night hoping that this set back wouldn't delay her from seeing Blue for too much longer.
That was three days ago, and as Piper sits in the locked room she is being held in, trying not to think about the bodies she is surrounded by or the Vault-Tec salesman, her hope that Blue will rescue her soon is starting to fade with each passing moment. Her worst fears are becoming reality. That she will die in this room and she'll never see the two most important people in her life again. She takes out her pad and begins to write what will probably her final thoughts.