Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

A/N: Where to begin? Not sure who’s going to read this besides my wife (!), so a background of both universes: Fallout is a game set in the post-nuclear future, and Rizzoli & Isles is a show involving a female detective (Jane Rizzoli) and a female medical examiner (Maura Isles). This is an attempt to bring both worlds together, hopefully in a way that entertains people! I’m not going to list every reference I use in this story- I’m hoping those who play the game will pick up on the references, and those who don’t will at least be able to ‘get’ it as it unfolds. But certainly, if you have questions about anything, please ask! I would love to talk to you about it! (Of course, I extend the same invitation to fans of the game who might want to know more about the show.)

The most important thing to know is, although the Fallout universe takes place in the far future, the setting of the universe is very much 1940s with a nuclear/futuristic twist (“Retro futurism”). This is why the technology is dated- there is no internet, no cell phones, no DVDs, etc.

For those who play the game, there are spoilers for 3 quests, but I’ve also veered away from some of the game canon in order to streamline the plot.

For those who are reading it for Rizzles, I’m going to tell you right now, there is no Rizzles in this story outside of flashbacks and inner thoughts. This is a story of Jane trying to find Maura. I hope that won’t dissuade you from reading, but I’ll understand if it does.

Chapter 1 is longer than I normally post in order to try and set up the story. Will be updating at least every other day until complete, taking up no more than 8 weeks.

Jane Rizzoli, Maura Isles, and any names associated with either belong to the Rizzoli & Isles canon and Tess Gerritsen/TNT/Warner Brothers. Piper Wright, Nat Wright, Dogmeat, and all names attached to the Fallout universe belong to Bethesda.

For my Vault Girl, happycamper5

…..

Rain. Goddamn rain. There was no mirth in her grin at the memory the blasphemous adjective provoked. ‘Janie! What’d I tell you about using the Lord’s name like that?’ As she looked out from under a makeshift canopy, she wondered what Ma would think of her god now.

The rain was a hazy blanket over head, but it couldn’t hide the devastation left behind after the bomb dropped. The bomb. The war. It all changed in the blink of an eye. Her heart thundered at the memory - how they almost didn’t make it, how they willed the platform to move faster, how the deafening roar of the shockwave made her ears ring, how she had looked up from the elevator shaft and watched the destruction blot out the sky.

In the end, everyone was there. Everyone except- She slammed the door on the memory. Twenty four hours ago, she had staggered out of her cryo tube to find nothing mattered anymore. They were dead. All of them. Every tube bore death: her brothers, Frankie and Tommy, her nephew, her mother. Friends and family. Why she survived...how she survived...were questions left unanswered. She only knew something had gone horribly wrong and there was no one around to tell her what it was.

The thing on her arm beeped, breaking her from her reverie. Glancing down at the large electronic band around her wrist, she had yet to figure out what it was for, but since she’d found it on what was left of a scientist, it had to be important. Unfortunately, the glowing green screen wasn’t much of a training guide. She flicked through a few of the dials and came to the conclusion it was some kind of personal tracker. Her health. A map. Her possessions.

She snorted. She didn’t need a paperweight on her arm for that. Possessions. A backpack that contained one 10 millimeter pistol. One vault suit. Two stimpaks. A map to tell her what she already knew - she was on her way to Boston, having just left Sanctuary Hills. The name drew out a one-note laugh. Her mother had insisted on the move to be closer to the vault, a precautionary decision that ended up all for naught. She had walked through her old neighbourhood, shell-shocked, numb to the homes now in various stages of decay, waiting for owners who were never coming back.

As for her health, that was simple, too. Cold. Hungry. Tired. Lost. Mentally, not geographically. Dead, yet still very much alive. The only one.

The device - the Pip Boy - beeped again and she slapped it hard. When that didn’t seem to help, she turned the dials at random until she hit upon a radio station. Classical. Great. The gentle strings of some composer she didn’t know wafted through the rain and her sarcasm, infusing her with a small amount of warmth at the thought of the one person who would have known the name of the composer.

Maura.

…..

It didn’t take a detective to figure out things weren’t quite right. Beyond the obvious destruction, everything was...different. The size of the roaches in the vault was a big clue, but it was more than that. There was an emptiness that touched everything. An entire day traveling on foot and she hadn’t come across a single person. Not a live one, anyway. The gas station just ahead appeared to offer nothing but the same. Where had they all gone? Was she the only-

A twig snapped and she spun around, gun at the ready. Branches moved in a hedge along the side of the road, but that was all.

“Come out slowly,” Jane commanded. “Don’t make me shoot.”

The twigs crackled again, and her finger pressed against the trigger just as the noise presented itself in the form of a German Shephard.

Jane’s shoulders sagged in relief. “Jesus,” she whispered. To the dog, she said, “You almost got yourself killed.”

The dog’s response was a playful bark.

She shook her head. “No. No,” she repeated with some force. “No room at the inn for a dog. Shoo. Beat it. I’ll be lucky if this gas station has enough for me, let alone two of us. Scram.” She looked away when the dog dropped its head and whined.

Gun raised once more, she cautiously stepped into the Red Rocket. As she expected, like everything else, it had long been abandoned. When, it was hard to say, though she did recognize some of the meager offerings left behind. Two boxes of Sugar Bombs, a can of Cram, and she nearly wept with joy at finding 2 cans of water. It took everything in her to not down both in an instant. Drawing on patience she never had before the war, she set to picking the lock of the safe in the small office. A screwdriver was easily found, and it didn’t take long to scrounge up a few bobby pins. She crouched and went about her business.

The first pin broke.

Sitting back on her haunches, she glared at the dog who was watching her with interest. “You know, you’re not helping by staring at me. Go. Make yourself useful.”

She was moderately surprised when the dog scrambled to its feet and bounded out the door. The silence settled and Jane turned back to the safe. Taking greater care, she heard the last ‘click’ of the lock. The joy was somewhat diffused by the contents: ammo for a gun she didn’t have, $200, and a silver fork.

“Who puts a fork in a safe?” she asked no one.

Sighing, she stood and gave the room a final look. She tried to find the bright side but, so far, the water was the brightest thing she’d seen since coming out of the vault. Rainwater cupped in her hands did little for her thirst. This, though lukewarm, was nothing short of heaven. The seat creaked under her as she sat back for a moment’s respite. She got a moment and a half before the dog startled her from her half sleep. Quick reflexes saved her from toppling backwards.

“Dog! I swear!”

Her admonishment rolled off the animal’s back, as it continued to whine and paw at her.

“Okay, okay,” she said, stepping outside. “Keep it down. Now, what is it?”

What it was explained the ammo in the safe: a hunting rifle had been wedged between some old oil cans. She gave the dog a begrudging nod. “Good call. Doesn’t mean we’re friends.”

The dog did a circle then sat back in a begging position. Jane pretended not to notice while she loaded the rifle. Some loose rope made a passable sling on her pack to hold the long gun, and she practiced drawing the weapon from over her shoulder a few times until she was happy with it. The dog barked its approval, much to her dismay.

“Shh!”

…..

They walked together for over an hour, and despite the small success at the Red Rocket, each step seemed to drag Jane down a little further. Even the dog knew enough to keep its distance, trotting close but not too close, content to meander in and out of the brush that lined the road. In a literal sense, she knew where she was going. Having been born and raised in Boston, she knew the area like the back of her hand. Figuratively, however, was another matter. What was she going to do when she got into the city? What if the city was just as empty as everything else? Why was she pushing on when she had left everything she loved behind her? Dead. What was the point? The faint orchestra drifted nonchalantly around her and she stopped in her tracks.

Maura.

She immediately tried to banish the hope from her mind, but her heart was having none of it.

Why not Maura? You made it. What makes you so special?

Just because Maura wasn’t in the vault didn’t mean she didn’t make it, Jane knew. There had been repeated arguments between Maura and Constance about staying in the Isles Foundation vault. It was prestigious and filled with only the pillars of Boston society. Jane snorted at the idea, which, while a less lady-like response than the one Maura gave her mother, summarized the situation about the same. Maura had scoffed at the idea of choosing society over friends and had been adamant in her conviction to be with the Rizzolis and their collected riff-raff. But the warning from the Wartime Broadcasting System had come too late, leaving people scrambling to get to their vaults, or having to find an immediate alternative.

Maura had an immediate alternative, her heart whispered. She had a second option.

The dog growled and Jane looked down. “What? You got something against Boston?” When the dog barked again, she stopped in her tracks. Crouching, she turned off the radio and scanned the area, using the dog as her guide. Feral lips curled back to reveal canine teeth, and Jane tensed in anticipation. Then, about 20 feet away, she saw it. Fresh soil began to erupt from the ground to reveal the largest…

Jane whispered. “Is that a rat?”

The dog gruffed out a reply, its eyes never leaving the creature. Slowly holstering her gun, she reached out for the large stick that was at hand. While she knew the gun would make a quicker job of things, she hesitated to make that much noise. True, she hadn’t seen anyone yet, but there was no reason to advertise her position. Her fingers curled around the branch just as the creature leapt at her. In a flash, the dog was at her side, its teeth clamped onto the rat’s fleshy neck. Jane’s praise was cut short by the arrival of two more rats. One ran directly at her while the other circled around in an attempt to separate woman and dog. She tried to keep her eye on the fight in front of her, but eventually, she had to give in to the divide-and-conquer strategy. Turning away from the dog, she began swinging the branch, her attack direct and calm, even as panicked turmoil threatened to overtake her. The weapon hit with a sickening sound, but she persisted until the rat stopped moving. Then she hit it once more more good measure.

A whimper got her attention, and she spun around, only to find the dog wasn’t quite a match for the two attackers. Though it’d been able to hold its own during Jane’s battle, it was clear the dog was fading fast. It wobbled once before dropping to the ground, mouth open and panting. A darkness came over Jane and she grit her teeth.

“Hey!” she shouted. The two rats stopped long enough to turn towards the voice. “Why don’t you pick on someone your own size?” She tapped the branch into her palm with a menace. The instant they moved forward, she was on the injured one, taking out the weakest link first with a resounding, crunching thud. The second rat nipped at her leg, and for the first time since she left the vault, she was reminded of what danger really was. The bite wasn’t deadly, but the warm blood that seeped through her pant leg was like a slap to the face. Squeezing the stick even tighter, she swung it with renewed venom, connecting once, twice, before the threat stopped in its tracks. With a two-handed grip, she brought the weapon down so hard, it broke in half.

The only sounds that broke the silence were laboured breathing and a tiny whimper. She gulped lungfuls of air as she darted over.

“You okay, boy?” She stroked the dog’s head. “Sorry. Girl?” With hardly a second thought, she reached into her bag. “I’ve only got 2 of these, so you owe me one, understand?” The animal let out a small bark. “Okay.”

She didn’t have to prep the syringe beyond a couple of quick shakes, and for that she was grateful, but now, with the stimpak in hand, she wasn’t sure what to do. The location didn’t seem to matter for people, but for animals? Shrugging, she pressed the tip into the dog’s hind leg and heard a sharp hiss as the medicine injected. The effect was almost immediate. “Stay,” she said when the dog tried to get up. “We’re not in a hurry.”

A thunder crack in the distance only made her point. “The only thing we need to do is come up with some shelter, huh?” The dog clamoured to its feet. “Looks like you’re feeling better. Yeah, yeah, okay, okay!” she said, trying to fend off a wave of thankful paws and licks. “I guess we’re friends. Now will you get off me?”

The dog hopped down and ran in a circle before darting away just long enough to find a stick to drop at Jane’s feet. She couldn’t help but chuckle. “I think we’re going to need more than that. Especially since we’re gonna have to make room for two.”

…..

She had contemplated scavenging some meat from the rats, but after considering the size of them, she was pretty sure it wasn’t a good sign. Besides, she wasn’t keen on starting a fire. The rain would make it a bitch to keep one going, and she still wasn’t comfortable with the idea of someone being able to locate her. So, she and the dog sat under a lean-to, warm from the late autumn and each other, enjoying their canned meat dinner and the company. The radio was on low, just barely above the cascading downpour. She ruffled her hand through the dog’s thick coat and drifted off to sleep.

Her head lolled forward sharply and immediately, her eyes snapped open, only to close again when the sun hit her retinas. Using her hand as a shield, she tried again. The rain had stopped and it was nothing but blue skies. She was amazed at how deeply she had slept. Under the protest of creaking bones, she stood and stretched and wondered where her companion had gone. She had just gathered her meager belongings together when the dog bounded out of the brush.

“What have you got?” she asked. The dog dutifully dropped its prize. She couldn’t help but chuckle. “You know, when I told you that you owed me, I didn’t mean it literally.” She picked up the stimpak. “Where did you get this, anyway?”

The dog bounced and wagged its tail in excitement. It ran ahead 10 feet before turning back to make sure she was following.

“Alright, alright, I’m coming,” she said, slinging the bag over her shoulder.

They hadn’t gone very far before she got her answer, partially hidden about 20 yards into the bush. Instinctively, she drew her gun, though the state of the body didn’t warrant the caution. With sun-bleached bones sticking out from torn cuffs, it had long passed any chance of being a danger. A bag laying next to it had clearly been the source of the dog’s discovery. Taking a quick look around Jane knelt down to search the body. Though she loathed the idea of raiding a dead person, she knew survival trumped any revulsion she might have had, so with a heavy breath, she removed the leather jacket and rummaged through the bag. A handful of bottle caps, another can of water along with a veritable pharmacy of drugs that the cop in her recognized: Jet, Buffout, Psycho and another stimpak. There was one that she didn’t know. Turning the label around, she read, “Rad-X.” A thought occurred to her. Clicking off the radio, she heard the soft clicking that had been with her since she put the Pip-Boy on. She cracked open the water, downed two Rad-X pills and waited. The dog watched her curiously.

“Wait for it,” she said, holding up a finger. Sure enough, within minutes, the clicking stopped. She shook her head. “Stupid. Of course I had radiation poisoning,” she said. “Hello, nuclear fallout.” The dog huffed a reply, though she wasn’t sure if it was agreeing with the first part or the second.

“No food,” she told her, “but something’s better than nothing, I guess. We’d better find something today, though, before I start thinking of a Dog-kebob. C’mon. Let’s go.”

…..

They heard the gunfire before they saw it. Jane didn’t know whether to be happy or not that it meant people nearby, but she didn’t have much time to think about it before a bullet whizzed past her ear. The dog barked and ran towards the sound.

“Dog!” she hissed, but it was too late. Groaning, she crouched, weapon in hand and in pursuit.

If she had any second thoughts about shooting someone, they went out the window when a second shot grazed her arm. Sure, she wanted them alive to get some answers, but they obviously wanted her dead, and so long as there was a chance of finding Maura, there was only going to be one outcome. Her police training carried an advantage, if the ratio of shots-to-hits for either side was anything to go by. She was economical in her firing, a sharp contrast to the scatter shot of at least two of the shooters. They had fired off a good 50 rounds to her 5, and ended up hitting nothing but inanimate objects. Her aim was truer. There was little time to celebrate, however, as another shot rang past, high and to the right.

She holstered the weapon the reached back for the long gun. Another shot rang out from the same location, pinpointing the gunman’s position. Jane brought the barrel up, held her breath and squeezed the trigger. The heavy thud of a body hitting the ground assured her the present danger was gone, even if the sounds coming from inside the building told her it wasn’t over. The gunfire sounded contained enough that Jane considered the option of simply walking away. It wasn’t her fight. It took one look at the dog who stood in judgment in the museum doorway to make up her mind.

“Yeah, yeah, I wasn’t going anywhere.”

She was halfway up the steps when a voice called out: “Help us, please! They’ve got us pinned in here!”

The dog barked at her. “I said I was coming.” She passed a body on the way up the steps. A laser musket, a stimpak, and 10 bottle caps. They had some leather armour she liked but knew she didn’t have time to remove it.

“Remind me later to come back for that,” she told the dog.

They entered the museum together, both on high alert.

“Don’t go running off,” she said. “Stay with me.”

The first room was clear, giving her time to check her weapons. Satisfied that the laser was charged and working, she returned the rifle to its sling. The musket was heavy in her hands, but she found the weight comforting. The dog quickly dispatched a gunman in the second room who had been hiding in a corner.

“Good dog,” she whispered.

They continued like this all the way to the top floor, working in tandem when needed, moving as one. It brought back odd memories of her time as a cop. As they neared the final room, her focus was tight, knowing from experience that the last room could be the deadliest. She looked at the dog for some indication of a threat, but the canine only barked and bounded into the room.

“Shit!” she hissed.

She considered calling her back, but it was too late. The movement got the attention of someone in the room, and Jane braced herself for the confrontation. Instead, she heard, “Dogmeat!”

Jane frowned, and though she held the musket at the ready, her hands clenched and unclenched, uncertain of the next move. Fortunately, someone else made the decision.

Stepping cautiously into the doorway, a dark young man held up his hands. “Don’t shoot. I’m one of the good guys.”

Jane would have laughed if the situation hadn’t been so serious. The idea of good guys and bad guys seemed absurd after her last two days, but the dog’s judgment made up her mind. She gave the room a quick scan before lowering her weapon.

“Who are you?”

“Preston Garvey, ma’am,” he introduced, tipping his militia cap.

“Mmm-hmmm,” she answered, still uncertain. “And who exactly are you? I mean, with the get-up?”

“We’re with the Minutemen. I mean, I suppose I’m the last one. But we’re building it back up.”

“The Minutemen?”

“Commonwealth Minutemen - we’re here to protect the vulnerable and help those in need.”

She looked at the ramshackle group. “These ones vulnerable and in need?”

He shrugged. “We’re all vulnerable and in need, aren’t we?” Nodding his head towards them, he said, “Marcy and Jun Long. Lost their son, Kyle. Sturges is the Jack-of-all-Trades. Can fix just about anything. And Mama Murphy… well, we think that’s why those damn raiders have us trapped up here.”

Taking in the old woman who had all of the dog’s attention, Jane narrowed her eyes. “Her? All that firepower out there is to get her?”

“I know it sounds crazy,” he said, “but she’s got the power of far-sight.”

Jane snorted. “She can see into the future?”

“She can see all kinds of things.” His reply didn’t change her demeanour, and he nodded. “I know, it’s hard to believe, but she’s been incredibly accurate.”

“It’s Bayes’ Theorem,” she said. “The probability of guessing an outcome-” she stopped abruptly. It was something Maura would say, and it startled her. “Anyway. Give me a crystal ball and I’ll predict your future, too.”

“I don’t need a crystal ball if you’ve got a chem or two in that bag,” the old woman spoke, her voice rich and warm.

Jane’s eyes flicked down to the woman’s feet then back up to the turban on her head. “You know, I might not be the right person to ask. I was a cop once.”

Mama Murphy laughed. “Kid, we were all something once.”

Jane thought about it for a moment before relenting. “What the hell, right?” She handed over a cannister of Jet and stood back while the woman inhaled as much as her lungs would allow.

Though her eyes were cloudy, she seemed to look at Jane with unsettling clarity. “Oh. You’ve stepped out of the mists of time. There’s a weight on your shoulder and a quest in your heart. You’re looking for someone.”

Despite her scepticism, Jane leaned forward. “Is she alive?”

“Ah, kid, I don’t know specifics. I can only tell you what’s on the edge of my vision.”

She rolled back again. “Convenient.”

Ignoring the jibe, Mama Murphy continued. “There’s something out there waiting for you. It’s… it’s like something from a nightmare. Big. Dark.”

“That’s comforting.”

Another woman spoke up. “Crazy old woman. If she has the vision, why didn’t she see the attack on our settlement before half of us were slaughtered?”

Jane looked to Preston. “There were 20 of us,” he said.

“Shit,” Jane whispered.

“We’re just looking for a place to settle down,” he told her. “But we gotta get out of here first.”

She clenched her teeth and drew in a deep breath. “What’s your story?” she asked the man Preston identified as the handyman.

He cut a hard profile with his strong jaw and pompadour hair. “Me? I got lotsa stories. But the biggest one is the Vertibird on the rooftop that’s got a sweet mini gun. If we can get it.”

“What’s the problem?” she asked.

“The raiders got the top tied up tighter than a Butcher’s Knot. Can’t get to the ‘bird, never mind think about gettin’ that mini.”

There was something in his grin that made her nod. “But you have a plan.”

“Hell yeah. There’s a T-45 Power Armour suit on the roof. The fusion core’s in the basement.”

She was familiar with the armour; anyone who lived through the Great War would be. “Wish you would’ve told me that when I was down there,” she said.

“Yeah, well you cleared it out pretty good. Shouldn’t take anything to go back and get it.”

She rolled her eyes at his nonchalance. “Right. And then what? Clear out these raiders?”

“If you can get Gristle, the rest will fall back,” Preston said.

“What?”

“Jared’s right hand man. Second-in-command for the raiders in this area,” he explained.

It made sense. “Cut the root and the tree will die,” she said.

“Exactly.”

“Fine.” As if the word was a command, the dog got to its feet and went to her side. Looking at Mama Murphy, she said, “I thought she was your dog.”

The old woman smiled. “Dogmeat’s her own dog. But if she wants to go with you, it means she trusts you. You’re a good person, kid.”

“Yeah,” she replied. “A good person.” She blew out a deep breath. “Okay, Dog...meat. Let’s do this.”

…..

Chapter Text

A/N: To give a better understanding of the setting, the year is 2287, and the atomic bomb dropped in 2077. Jane is from the pre-bomb world, having been in cryostasis all this time. The idea of a vault- a human underground bomb shelter- was all the rage, and anyone worried about a nuclear war could purchase entry into one. The game starts with a vault insurance salesman coming to your door. The bomb drops, you find your way to your vault where you’re given blue jumpsuits and a medical examination, then you’re put into stasis, though you’re unaware of a much larger experiment. (All vaults seemed to have nefarious ulterior motives to them.) You wake up, only to realize you’re the only survivor left in your vault. You stumble out into the new world (“The Wasteland”), and there you go.

For those who play the game, I’ll assure you now I’m not going to deal with The Institute, so don’t worry- Maura is Maura. :) As mentioned in my previous author’s note, I’ll be streamlining certain quest details and sometimes outright avoiding certain storylines for the sake of my own story.

…..

The trip to the basement was fairly uneventful, Dogmeat dispatching the only raider bored enough to sneak inside the museum. The rest of his crew looked more willing to wait it out; a war of attrition that was heavily in their favour. She patted down the unlucky raider and took what little he had. More bottle caps. What’s with the bottle caps? Crouching beside the dog, she whispered, “If I were a fusion core, where would I be, dog?” The canine surprised her by taking off down the hall. “Okay,” she murmured.

Dogmeat knew exactly where to go, and stood proudly outside a door. She tried the handle but it didn’t yield. “Remember what I said - look away.” The dog barked playfully, but did as she was told. “Thank you.”

It didn’t take much to jimmy the lock, especially without a set of eyes looking over her shoulder. With a satisfying ‘click’, the door swung open, revealing its prize. “Good fucking dog,” she praised in awe. She tossed the small core in the air, palming it in her hand. Though she knew she couldn’t tell if it was charged by the weight, she went with her gut and Sturges’ assurance.

“Back up top,” she told her companion.

If the trip down was uneventful, the return held even less action, not that she was complaining. She was sure she hadn’t shot her weapon as much in her 15 years on the police force as she had in the last 2 days. The fact that a majority of her targets were human would be something she’d have to deal with at some point, but right now, she had other things to worry about. The door to the roof opened with a menacing squeal, but the area was clear. With her eyes adjusting to the light, it took her a moment to see it, but when she did, she couldn’t help but smile.

The T-45 Power Armour.

“Hell yeah.” She climbed inside, but not before dropping the fusion core into the channel. The armour powered up and enclosed her in its near-impenetrable shell. She knew why Sturges told her to get the armour; fighting advantage aside, there was no other way to utilize the minigun due to its weight and size. Lumbering her way to the helicopter, she took a moment to practice some movements. She’d been lucky enough to have a virtual test run back when BPD was the base for the National Guard, but it hardly compared to actually wearing the nearly 100 pound steel suit. The dog watched her with open curiosity as she swung her arms back and forth, bending her knees and twisting her waist. She was looking forward to giving it a real test later, but her primary focus was the Vertibird.

Her movements must have caught the attention from the street because a hail of bullets pinged off the suit. She flinched inwardly, a reactive response despite the fact the armour would more than hold up against the standard firearm. Dogmeat barked furiously and Jane nodded, even if it couldn’t be seen. “I hear ya, girl.”

Unlatching the gun from the chopper was a bit more cumbersome than she had anticipated, but thick metal fingers finally set it free. The massive weapon felt like a feather in her hands and she tucked the 500 round clip against her hip. Dogmeat barked her approval. Taking a bullet off the helmet for her trouble, Jane leaned over the edge of the roof and weighed her options.

“Well, looks like I have two choices: I can stomp my way back down stairs, or…” She looked again. “What do you think?”

When the dog barked again, it was all the encouragement she needed.

She’d read all the manuals and training guides. There wasn’t any real danger. Even a jump from Trinity Tower would have little effect on the power suit. She tried to remind herself of that in the second it took for her to make it from roof to ground where she landed with a resounding thud. It took another second for her to catch her breath, and one more to start up the whirring gun. The small cluster of raiders didn’t have a chance.

The barrel began to glow but it never relented.

She had no idea how many there were or how to find their leader, so she methodically swept the gun back and forth as she made her way down the street. Beyond the first batch of shooters, the street was eerily quiet. Dogmeat ran to her side to offer her some comfort but stopped dead in her tracks. Jane watched as the dog’s nose lifted in the air, smelling a danger Jane could feel in her bones.

“What is it, girl?”

Rather than answer, the dog raced around the corner, and Jane tried to follow as best she could, the suit surprisingly more limber than she would have thought. She had just picked up some speed when she saw what Dogmeat had sniffed out. Her stop was so abrupt she almost fell backwards. Mama Murphy’s words drifted across her mind.

“...it’s like something from a nightmare. Big. Dark.”

“No shit,” Jane whispered.

It was huge, bigger than any creature she had ever seen up close. It had a lizard quality to it with a head that could only be described as demon in nature.

In nature. There was nothing like this in nature.

The remaining raiders were doing their best to hold it off, and Jane stood back, letting them do as much damage as they could, but anyone could see it wasn’t going to be much of a standoff. If their weapons had little effect on the power armour, what chance would they have against this nightmare? A shot in the back toppled her over.

“What the hell?”

Dogmeat spun towards the attacker and lunged. Jane clamoured to her feet.

“Are you crazy?” she asked. “You do know this is a nuclear core suit, right? Which means you hit me in the back one more time, asshole, and it’s the Great War all over again.”

“Great War? What the fuck you talkin’ about?” He tried to fend off the dog with little success. “I’m gonna kill this fuckin’ dog, then you, then everyone inside that building. Protectin’ that old woman is gonna kill all of you.”

“Mama Murphy?” Jane asked, taking in his demeanour and his white mohawk. “Let me guess. ‘Gristle’?”

He kicked Dogmeat and raised his gun to Jane. “I see my reputation proceeds me.”

He punctuated his bravado with a staccato of bullets. She flinched in reflex, even as the armour brushed aside the firepower like a swarm of mosquitoes. Seeing how little effect his barrage had, Gristle let out a frustrated battle cry and lunged towards her. The insanity of the move caught her off guard so that the best she could do in return was sidestep him. He tripped and spun around, ready for round two. With shaking hands, she brought the gun to life once more and unleashed whatever the chamber could manage.

He threw his head back and laughed. “Shit. You need some glasses behind that visor, girl? You didn’t hit me once.”

“I’m not trying to hit you,” she replied with more assurance than she felt.

“Huh?” He turned to see her true target, but by the time his fight-or-flight response could kick in, it was too late. “Shit!”

The creature had dispatched the last of the raiders and had lumbered towards them, stuttering backwards in the face of the minigun’s rage. It had trouble absorbing the damage, but even 100 rounds hadn’t been enough to stop it completely. Gristle was merely another annoyance for the thing to dispatch. She forced herself not to look away at the sight of limbs being torn like a rag doll; there was no time for queasiness or sympathy. Her lungs burned from her shallow breathing, and she brought a hand up to her face to wipe the sweat from her brow, realizing the futility when the metal fingers tapped against the visor. Dogmeat had less reservations. With a steel trap jaw, the dog locked her teeth around the creature’s Achilles tendon and hung on for dear life, as the mutated reptile swung around in rage. It gave Jane just enough time to pull herself together and squeeze the trigger. Though she could feel the gun’s vibrations, she was thankful the suit was built to take the recoil. The chamber burned but she felt nothing. Shells littered around her like confetti, and the creature howled in pain, but she didn’t stop.This was not a thing to be reasoned with; it gave no indication it reacted in any way other than instinctual. She replied in kind. Her only concern was running out of bullets, but she soon realized an oversight - as the slew of ammo finally began to cut the beast down it toppled forward in its death throes.

“No, no, no!” she swore, stumbling backwards. A curb caught her heel and down she went, the giant nightmare following suit. They both landed with an earth-shattering thud, the weight of steel and animal so great that it left a crack in the concrete. The carcass completely covered her visor and she laid for several minutes in the dark. Her heart pounded in her ears, and it was only when things began to return to normal that she noticed the radio had clicked on in the fall. Soothing strings walked her through a calming breathing exercise until she almost felt normal again. Using the power in the steel arms, she counted to three then pushed off the half-ton corpse before staggering to her feet. Dogmeat circled her legs and barked. Though she couldn’t feel through the gloves, she gave the dog a thankful pat.

“Piece of cake, right?”

Jane gave the area a final look around, and was glad to see it clear. After the last 10 minutes, she wasn’t sure she had it in her to go another round. They must have made quite a pair, she thought - the eager dog and the battered metal soldier. When they reached the steps of the museum, she bent back as best she could and gazed up at the building.

“Guess we can’t go up the way I came down, huh?” The exhaustion weighed down her voice. “Damn.”

…..

Chapter Text

Sturges was the first to greet her. “Holy shit, you made it! I mean… of course you made it. Never doubted it.”

She stepped out of the metal shell, thankful to breath fresh air again. Preston handed her a can of water which she gratefully accepted. “Uh-huh,” she said to the handy man.

He shrugged with a sheepish grin. “Those raiders are fuckin’ savages.”

“The raiders weren’t the problem.” She turned to Mama Murphy. “Listen. The next time you want to warn me about something, can you be more specific so I don’t shit myself when I see it?”

“Deathclaw,” the old woman whispered.

Jane frowned at the name. “Deathclaw? No. No way. I know people in the military. Deathclaws were meant to take the place of soldiers in battle. They were meant to be manageable replacements. No one is going to manage those things!”

Mama Murphy narrowed her eyes as if seeing Jane for the first time. Whatever conclusions she came to, she kept to herself. Instead, she said, “I don’t know what you’ve been told, kid, but now you know.”

“Blah, blah, blah,” Marcy Long piped up. “What does it matter? We’re all gonna die here and Miss Know-It-All ain’t gonna help.”

Preston ignored the outburst, though it allowed him to say, “I hate to ask another favour, but…”

She dropped into a chair, welcoming the dog who curled at her side. “But?”

“But we’re only delaying the inevitable if we stay here,” Sturges finished. “Jared ain’t gonna stay away forever.”

“So what do you want from me?”

“We’re just looking for a home.”

“I just left one,” Jane replied. Before Preston could ask her what she meant, she continued, “There’s a good place up in Sanctuary Hills.”

He looked off to the side. “I know of it. Not far. North, right?”

She nodded. “Yeah. I took the long way here, but it shouldn’t take you more than an hour or two.”

“‘You’,” he repeated. “You’re not coming?”

“We could use the extra set of hands,” Sturges said.

She ignored the hopefulness in his voice and stood. “You can only get to the Hills by a bridge. Set up some defenses there and it’ll be the safest place you’ll ever find. The houses are still there, depending on your definition of ‘house’. It’ll take a lot of work, but I think it’ll be worth it.” Before Preston could protest her absence, she said, “I’ll come help later. But there’s something I have to do first.”

“Later,” Marcy snorted. “Just another way of saying she isn’t coming back.”

Preston held up a hand in an attempt to stop the disgruntled woman from saying anything more. “Out of all this,” he said to Jane, “I never thought to ask if there was something we could do for you.”

“I’m just looking for someone.”

“Does this someone have a name?”

She smirked at his dry humour. “Yeah. Maura. Dr. Maura Isles.”

He closed his eyes to let the name roam through his memory. His expression told her the answer before he said it. “I’m sorry. The name doesn’t ring a bell. But if you were thinking of heading to Boston, you might want to find Piper Wright. If anyone can help you find your friend, it’ll be her.”

She adjusted her backpack. “Thanks, Preston.” Jerking her chin towards Marcy, she stage whispered, “And don’t worry about Gloomy Gloria. I told you I’d come back and I will.”

“Hey,” Sturges called out when she got to the door.

“Yeah?” His eyes flicked to the power armour in the corner and she laughed. “Take it.”

“You serious?”

“It needs some work. Where am I going to find someone to fix it out here? Besides, it weighs a ton.” She looked at the dog. “So what’s it gonna be?”

Dogmeat glanced between her and Mama Murphy. “Go on,” the woman said. “She’s gonna need you more than I will. Come back and tell an old woman all about your adventures.” The dog licked her hand before trotting over to Jane. “Take care of each other, kid.”

Nodding, she said, “We’ll do our best.”

…..

“Maybe we should’ve stuck around ‘til morning,” she said to the dog, two hours out of Concord. Though she had been anxious to get back on the road, she had known even then that they’d never make Boston before night fall. A tree offered her weary body a temporary leaning post. “It’s kinda beautiful, isn’t it? I mean, if you ignore the nuclear fallout.”

“Oh, there you are! Your mother’s been looking all over for you.”

The bottle of beer hesitated near her lips. “And she couldn’t walk the 20 steps to the back yard?”

Maura shrugged with a smile. “I’m only the messenger.”

Jane shifted in her patio swing, allowing room for Maura to sit. “Oh god. A message. Wait, let me guess. ‘We never spend enough time together, Janie. It’s Sunday dinner, Janie. Don’t ignore your family, Janie.’” She looked at Maura for confirmation.

The blonde chuckled softly. “I’m frightened by how much you sound like your mother.”

“You? How do you think I feel? So, the message?”

“A combination of all three.”

“Yeah, well.” She took another pull from the bottle. “Eternity wouldn’t be long enough for her. Sunday dinner was finished an hour ago - which was delicious, by the way,” she patted her belly. “And I’m not ignoring them. I’m just…”

“Temporarily absent.”

“Yes!” Jane said, pointing a finger at Maura. “Temporarily absent.” She warmed when Maura leaned into her shoulder. “Besides, c’mon, look at this sunset.” The burnt orange ball was just setting along the edge of Maura’s fence, painting the sky in a kaleidoscope of pink and yellow hues. The evening was unseasonably warm and the air was quiet, as if showing its reverence to the sun.

“It is beautiful,” Maura agreed.

She wondered what kind of picture they made, sitting side by side in the lingering light. Despite the war and all the uncertainty it brought, when it came to their feelings and their future, they had set up camp at the fork in the road between confession and denial. There was a time when she thought they were both equally content with that decision, but in moments like this, she wondered if that was true.

“Do you think it will always be like this?”

Maura, oblivious to the deeper meaning, simply sighed. “We can’t think otherwise, can we?”

She finished the beer with one final swig. “No, I guess not.”

It was the dog’s bark that broke her from her reverie. The canine had been rummaging through the nearby brush while she had been distracted by a memory. She pushed off the tree and nodded. “Yeah, yeah, I know. Let’s make it to that house,” she said, directing the dog’s attention with her chin. “We’ll set up for the night and start first thing, okay?”

…..

Whatever mysteries the world held for her outside the vault, day and night still came and went as usual, and when the sun rose, so did Dogmeat, much to Jane’s chagrin.

“Another five minutes,” she mumbled. When the dog barked again, she groaned. “Fine. Fine. Don’t know why I have to get up. Not like I have to take you out to go to the bathroom.” The house they had found, while suitable for a quick sleep, was bereft of doors and windows. Her feet hit the floor before her eyes had even opened. Brows furrowed over closed lids.

No birds.

Her eyes snapped open, senses on alert. She was about to reach for her gun when she saw the dog. Instead of mimicking her companion, Dogmeat sat casually at the foot of the bed. Then it dawned on her.

“They’ve been gone the whole time, haven’t they?” In all those days since leaving the vault, she realized she hadn’t seen a single bird. “Wow. That’s weird.” She heard her words and laughed. “Like everything else, huh, Dogmeat?” A quick rummage through her backpack produced some Cram and a snack cake. “Breakfast of champions.” The dog could only shake her head. “Foodie,” she accused. Then, she remembered someone else she had given that label. She gulped down the food out of necessity rather than taste, checked her weapons, and walked out of the house. With a singular mission in mind, they started towards Boston.

…..

Chapter Text

 .....

She knew something was wrong before she had made it into the city. Despite being born and raised in Boston, it suddenly felt unfamiliar and strange. She had expected a change; she figured the effects of a nuclear bomb wouldn’t go unnoticed, but this was different. It was life built on top of destruction, not a genuine rebuilding, but clearly efforts had been made to pick up the pieces. Efforts that already seemed aged. If she wanted to give it more than a superficial thought, her brain, tired from the day’s journey on foot, put a stop to what it considered wasted energy. So, rather than think about the landscape around her, she trudged on. Thankfully, the first person she saw today didn’t seem to want to kill her.

“Hey!” Jane called out to the hastily retreating man. “I’m not going to hurt you. I’m looking for someone. Hey!”

He stopped and slowly turned. Raising his hands in surrender, the sleeves revealed narrow wrists. “I… I don’t want any trouble.”

“Good,” she said, “because I’m all out.” She coughed when her joke fell flat. “Anyway… I’m looking for someone. Piper Wright?”

His sunken eyes caught a spark of life. “Piper? Yeah I know her. She’s a reporter in Diamond City.”

“Diamond City?” she repeated.

“You… you know- the Great Green Jewel. The settlement in Boston.”

He didn’t appear to have much more to offer her, so she nodded her thanks. His gaze flitted to her backpack and she got the hint. Reaching behind her, she pulled out a can. She held out the pork ‘n’ beans and asked, “You have something to open this with?” He nodded vigorously. “It’s yours,” she said, lightly tossing it to him. His spindly arms caught it like a football.

“Th...thank you!” He cradled the can close to his chest and took off like a shot.

“Hey wait!” she called out, but it was too late. Sighing, she looked down at the dog. “‘In Boston’, he tells me, like it’s nothing. Where in Boston?” She shouldn’t have been surprised when the dog barked and began leading the way. “Of course you know.”

…..

“You can never go home again,” Jane whispered. The old adage had never seemed truer than that moment. She stopped for a moment to catch her bearings at Kenmore Square, where Commonwealth Avenue met Brookline. Though she knew she couldn’t see it at this distance, Jane couldn’t help but look towards Beacon Hill.

“Wow!” Jane marvelled.

They stood in the doorway of the two-storey home. Maura’s hand froze over the key hook. “What is it?”

“Nothing,” Jane replied, shaking her head. “I mean, you live here?”

The doctor looked around the room as if double-checking her surroundings. “Yes,” she answered, dragging out the word with some hesitation.

Jane realized how she must have sounded. Laughing, she stepped in and closed the door. “Sorry. I just wasn’t expecting it to be so big. Guess the Commonwealth pays its chief medical examiners well, huh?”

Maura finished putting her things away before drawing Jane into the open kitchen. “Not really, no. I mean, that wasn’t my incentive to take the position.”

Jane plopped down on one of the stools at the granite island. “So how did you afford all this?”

Without an invitation, Maura placed a coaster in front of Jane and put a beer on top. “My family has a number of financial investments,” she shrugged, avoiding eye contact.

“Hey,” Jane said, “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to make you feel uncomfortable.”

Maura waved away the apology. “No, it’s fine.”

Though she suspected it was anything but fine, Jane decided to let it go. “You don’t seem the beer type,” she said, raising the bottle. “How did you know?”

The merlot Maura poured into her own glass was rich and red. “You’ve been nice enough to invite me to the Dirty Robber on occasion. I must have remembered.”

Jane’s eyes narrowed. “I’ve invited you 6 times and you came twice. You mean to tell me you remembered what beer I drank?”

Maura lowered her eyes again, but this time with playful embarrassment rather than shame. “I suppose I have a very good memory for these things.”

“Mmm-hmm,” she murmured. “And you just happened to have it in your fridge.”

“Jane,” Maura said, “I’ve had it in my fridge since the first time I accepted your invitation. I’ve just been waiting for you to accept mine.”

There had been something in the way she’d said it, something Jane hadn’t recognized at the time. She had taken it as a simple invitation, but now, replaying the moment, it seemed like the first step to so much more. A first step she never really took. A breeze came down Beacon Street that warmed her face. Her attention turned forward where she could see Fenway Park over the turnpike.

“Just 10 more minutes, girl,” she said to the attentive dog. “Ready?”

…..

Amid the rubble and debris, Fenway stood like a fortress, but what caught her attention was the woman shouting at the door. She was about Jane’s height and build, and in another life they might have been mistaken for sisters. Only the short dark bob that peeked out from the flat cap separated their immediate resemblance.

“C’mon,” the woman pleaded into the speaker. “That’s all water under the bridge.”

A reply crackled through the voice box. “I’m not supposed to let you in. You know that.” There was a pause before the voice spoke again. “Listen, if it were up to me, you know there wouldn’t be a problem. But it isn’t. The mayor said-”

“The mayor’s a two-bit crook who’s trying to silence the truth!”

When there was no further response, Jane stepped forward. “Might not have been the best way to persuade him.”

The brunette turned. She gave Jane a quick once-over, then said, “Tell me what you think of this one.” She pressed the intercom button and waited.

“Yeah?”

“There’s someone here who needs to be let in.”

“Aww, man. Piper, what did I tell you?”

Jane’s eyebrows rose at the name.

“Wait, wait… I’m serious, Danny. Looks like a trader. Big caravan.” She winked at Jane. “What would the mayor say if you turned away all this profit?”

Jane could imagine the wheels turning in the guard’s head.

“Is that true, trader?”

Realizing this was her cue, Jane replied with authority, “That’s right.”

“Your name?”

“Jane. Jane Rizzoli.” She prayed there wasn’t any sort of list. Her fears were quickly alleviated.

“All right, fine. Come on in. Will it matter if I ask you to stay out, Piper?”

The slight woman had already slipped through the partially opened gate. Jane leaned into the speaker. “I’m going to say ‘no’.”

“I’m in so much trouble,” he grumbled.

By the time Jane entered the park, Piper was nearly out of sight. She was saved from chasing her when a middle-aged man in a brown suit and hat stepped in Piper’s path.

“Piper Wright!” he bellowed. “Like a radroach, you come back to Diamond City time and time again.”

“Aww, I missed you, too, Mayor McDonough,” she said, her tone a contrast to her words. “But you can’t keep the press away forever.”

Jane was processing the tidbits of information when she suddenly found herself under Piper’s scrutiny.

“What do you think of the press, vault dweller?”

She blinked at the directness of the question. “I… uh…” She remembered various altercations with the media when she was a cop, and none of them were good. She was certain this wasn’t what the woman wanted to hear and, considering she needed her to find Maura, she chose a more diplomatic answer. “Sometimes the only truth is the press.”

Piper’s face lit up and she beamed at the mayor. “There you have it - a vote of confidence from the public.”

Displeased but mindful of his position, he pasted a smile on his face. “And who might you be?” he asked Jane.

“Obviously a wastelander who’s heard good things about Diamond City,” Piper interjected, sharing a look with Jane.

“Just looking for a home, mayor,” she added.

“Mmm.” She wasn’t sure what kind of impression she made under his narrow scrutiny, but whatever it was appeared to pass some kind of test. “Welcome to Diamond City. We only have one rule: no ghouls. Everything else is open for you to explore, if you have the bottle caps, of course.”

She thought of the 12 pieces of tin in her pocket. Rather than ask about their purpose, she covered her confusion and simply nodded. “I’ve got enough.”

“Good, good,” he clapped his hands gleefully. “But one word of advice: be careful who you make friends with.” He shot a pointed glare at Piper, then went on his way.

“Thanks for covering for me, Blue. If you need anything, ask for me at Publick Occurrences.”

“Wait!” Jane said. “I…” Her head felt light at how quickly things were developing. “I have so many questions.”

“Not sure I can help you. I’m usually the one asking the questions. You know, being a reporter and all.” She smiled. “But, go ahead.”

Jane tried to sort things out by their importance, but everything now seemed to have equal weight. Maura. Diamond City. Ghouls. Bottle caps. ‘Blue’. She wanted to ask about Maura, but knew she had to get her bearings first.

“Okay. Let’s start with ‘Diamond City’.”

“What about it?”

“This is Fenway Park.”

Piper pulled back in surprise. “Wow, ‘Fenway’. I don’t think Diamond City’s been called that in over 200 years.”

Jane’s stomach began to roil. “Two… two hundred years?”

“Yeah,” Piper replied. “I’ve only read about it in the archives. You okay? You’re lookin’ a little green, Blue.” She smiled at the play on words.

For Jane, there was no humour. Little pieces were falling into place in a puzzle she didn’t want to finish. Dogmeat whimpered at her side, clearly sensing her distress. Even Piper looked concerned.

“Hey,” she said, her voice soft and serious. “You okay?”

“What… what year is this?”

Piper opened her mouth, a sarcastic retort at the ready, but Jane’s pained expression must have changed her mind. “It’s 2287.”

“Oh, god.” The little food she had in her stomach came up and landed at her feet. She reached out blindly, looking for anything to steady her vertigo. She found it when Piper took her hand.

“Hey, hey, c’mon. We’re going to go for a little walk, okay? Can you do that?”

Jane felt an arm around her shoulder and leaned into the support. She couldn’t find her voice, her head swirling, her vision blurred. She could only nod.

“Good. You’re doing great. Trust me, I know just the place.”

…..

Chapter Text

 A/N: Probably goes without saying, but flashbacks are in italics.

.....

They somehow made it to the newspaper shop. Piper guided Jane to a small couch and gently pushed on her shoulders to get her to sit. Rummaging through her meager kitchen possessions, she dug up some tea, turned her hot plate on high and set out her best mug, despite Jane’s lack of interest. The canned water began to boil, and Piper carefully poured it into the cup.

“Here, have some of this,” she offered, holding out the drink. “I know we just met and all, but I’m pretty sure your eyes aren’t supposed to look like that.” She waved her hand in front of Jane’s face. Under her breath, she muttered, “Then again, I’m not 200 years old, so what do I know?” The tea remained untouched. With a sigh, Piper put it down. Crouching, she placed a hand on Jane’s knee and looked up into unresponsive eyes. “C’mon, Blue. Let me-”

“My name is Jane.”

The curtness of the statement rolled off Piper’s back. “Jane Rizzoli, right?” A flicker of life sparked in Jane’s eyes. “Hey, I’m a reporter, remember? I’m like a sponge.” She tried for the drink again. “It’s just tea.”

“I used to know someone who liked tea.”

Piper looked into the cup. “I’m betting they wouldn’t have much to say about this one.”

Jane’s laughed was brittle. “I bet she’d have a lot to say.”

The meaning behind the comment was lost on Piper, but a picture was beginning to develop. “Ah,” she said, “things are starting to make some sense.”

For the first time since they arrived, Jane looked at Piper directly. “Are they?” she asked flatly. “Because nothing’s made sense since I left that fucking vault.”

“I have a hundred questions for you,” Piper admitted. Jane’s blank expression dampened the enthusiasm. “Which I wouldn’t even dream of asking right now. Now, you just need to…” she looked around helplessly. “I dunno. Help me out here.”

“I’m tired.”

“Okay, that’s a start. It’s the middle of the day but my grandmother always told me an afternoon nap does wonders for the ol’ noggin. I don’t have much space, but whatever I have is yours.” Jane shifted down on the couch until she was almost flat. “Or you could just sleep here,” Piper said. “I’ll give you some peace and quiet. If you need anything, just ask.”

Dogmeat nudged at Jane until she made some space. The small couch didn’t leave much room for the two of them, but Jane welcomed the comfort. When she heard Piper go upstairs, she buried her face in Dogmeat’s thick fur and cried.

…..

“Is she really 200 years old?”

“Quiet, Nat. She’s been through hell.”

“I like her dog. Can we get a dog?”

“And where exactly is a dog going to fit?”

“I’ll get rid of my dresser. A dog can live there.”

“Where are your clothes going to go?”

“In your dresser.”

“Like I’m going to let you snoop around in my dresser.”

“Why? What’s in your dresser?”

Jane groaned into Dogmeat’s shoulder. “Saved by the bell,” Piper said. “Or the sleeping 200 year old woman.”

She tried to roll over, but only succeeded in pushing the dog off the couch. Dogmeat didn’t seem to take offense and immediately went to the young girl.

“Do not get any ideas, Nat,” Piper warned.

“I’m just petting him!”

“Her,” Jane said, slowly sitting up. She rubbed her eyes with the heels of her hands.

“Despite the state of the couch that might be just as old as you are, you seemed to have slept well. You hungry?” Piper asked. “I could send Nat down to Power Noodles. Best noodles in the Commonwealth.”

“Why do I have to go?” Nat protested.

“Why do you have to whine?” Piper retorted. “If you ask nicely, maybe Jane will let you take…” She glanced at the dog.

“Dogmeat,” Jane supplied.

Nat wrinkled her nose. “‘Dogmeat?’ That’s not a very good name.”

“Hey!” Piper said.

Jane shook her head. “It’s okay. I didn’t name her. Yeah, you can take her if you want.”

Nat’s face lit up. “Thanks, lady!” She held out her hand to Piper. “Bottle caps, please.”

“Here. If there’s extra, you can buy yourself some gumdrops.” She watched the two new friends bolt for the door. “Be care...ful.” They were already out of sight before the words left her mouth. Sighing, she turned to Jane. “Sorry about that.”

“Your sister?” Jane asked.

“Yeah, how did you know?”

“She looks just like you.”

Piper snorted. “Don’t tell her that. You have any siblings?”

“I did,” she replied. “Two brothers.”

The past tense made Piper wince. “That was a stupid question. Wasn’t thinking.” Jane shrugged. “And hey, I didn’t get a chance to say I’m sorry. About having to be the one to tell you.”

She pinched the bridge of her nose. “Yeah, well, I asked. At least you were straightforward with me.”

With a chuckle, Piper said, “I think you’ll find I don’t know how to be anything else. Listen, I probably made a mistake by telling Nat she could get some candy. I’ll try not to be surprised if takes her longer than usual to get back. Is there anything you want in the meantime? It might take me awhile to get a bath going, but…” her voice trailed off. “Or how about a tea? You never did drink that first cup.”

She’d always been partial to showers, but suddenly she was overcome with the idea of soaking in hot water and washing everything away. “You know, that sounds good. The bath, I mean. If it’s not too much trouble.”

“No trouble at all, Blue.”

“Why do you keep calling me that?”

Piper gestured to the jumpsuit under Jane’s jacket. “Blue.”

Jane looked down at herself and couldn’t help but smile.

…..

“See, just admit it, this is very relaxing.”

Jane replied with a half-hearted grunt that made Maura laugh. “It’s better than that dirt bath you made me take.”

“Dirt bath? It was a clay bath and you were very even-tempered for the rest of the week.”

“Are you saying I’m not always even-tempered? Hmph.” She settled deeper into the steam, the hot water doing more for her aching muscles than she would ever admit. She cracked open an eye to glance at the woman in the tub beside her. Maura’s eyes weren’t open, but a smile graced her face. It was a beatific expression that warmed Jane where the water couldn’t reach. She took a long moment to gaze before saying, “I’ll have you know, I’m notorious for my even-temperedness.”

It only made Maura’s smile broader.

…..

“You haven’t drowned in there, have you?” Piper asked, half serious.

“Yeah,” she replied. “You’re hearing my voice from the afterlife.”

“Oh, humour. Nice. Didn’t think the afterlife was interested in waterlogged relics, but to each their own.”

“Our fingers wrinkle so we can grab things better underwater.”

There was a brief silence on the other side of the door. “Wow, look at you - a brainiac, too.”

Jane sighed, the cooled water no longer a solace. “No. No, that was someone else.”

Piper seemed to pick up on the tone because she eased the subject to a different topic. “Nat just came back. There’s a towel on the toilet. It’s the best one I have, which isn’t saying much. There’s some clothes there, too. We’re about the same size and… well… I thought you might feel better in something clean. We’ll wait for you.”

She stood with some reluctance, the water rippling off her limbs and pooling into the tub. The towel was within arm’s reach, and whatever reservations Piper may have had about it went unnoticed by Jane the minute the soft fabric touched her skin. Looking back at the tub, she was more than a little embarrassed by how grimy she must have been, if the black water spiralling down the drain was anything to go by. A small mirror caught her reflection. Pausing to take stock of herself, she almost looked like a new person, but the reality weighed heavily on her shoulders. Outside the bathroom door, she could hear Nat and Dogmeat playing some kind of game, and Piper admonishing them both. A normal, everyday moment. Inside the bathroom, Jane felt anything but normal. Tamping down the emotions that seemed to be right at the surface, she pulled her hair back into a ponytail and slipped into the clothes Piper had laid out. The reporter had been right; they were nearly the same size. Jane was a little taller, but also a little thinner which seemed to work out in the end. She took a deep breath and one last look at herself before she opened the door.

…..

The first to greet her was Dogmeat who nuzzled her hand until she gave a sufficient amount of pets and scratches.

“Yeah, yeah, good dog,” Jane said, though she couldn’t hide her smile. There was something comforting about having the canine around that gave her a measure of peace.

“She’s a great dog!” Nat exclaimed. “We walked all through the market and not one person bothered us.”

Jane frowned. “Do you normally get bothered when you’re by yourself?”

“Ah, it’s nothing,” the young girl said. “It’s because I’m a kid. And a girl.”

“And because you’re Piper Wright’s sister,” Jane finished.

“Hey!” Piper protested.

A smirk traced her lips. “I saw you with the mayor. I had to lie to get you back into this place.”

“All right, all right. Point proven. Can we eat now? I’m starving and if I’m paying 55 caps for overpriced noodles, I’d like to eat them while they’re still hot.”

The three sat at a small table that was barely big enough for two. The aroma of the noodles hit her nose and suddenly, Jane was famished. She didn’t know if 55 caps was too much to pay, but her stomach didn’t care. She tried not to devour the dish immediately.

Piper looked on in amusement. “They didn’t feed you in the vault?” The spoon froze before it touched Jane’s lips and the reporter winced. “Sorry.”

Jane accepted it by not making a big deal out of it. “You paid for this with… bottle caps?”

“Yep. Currency of the Commonwealth.”

“Any kind?”

“Sure, but Nuka Cola is the most common.”

The name drew out a chuckle. “Is that stuff still around?” She looked at Nat who had been transfixed the minute they sat down. “I was 3 years old when Nuka Cola was invented.”

As expected, the girl’s eyes widened and her mouth dropped. “No way!”

“I was born in 2041.”

Nat contemplated what that meant. “You’d be rich if you kept all your caps!”

Jane shook her head. “We didn’t use… ‘caps’ back then.” Before the spellbound girl could ask, Jane turned to Piper. “Where did you put my clothes?”

Puzzled but curious, Piper replied, “There’s a basket in the bathroom. I figured we’d get them washed tomorrow.”

Jane stood and darted up the stairs. It only took her moments to return. “Here,” she said, handing Piper the bottle caps that had been forgotten in her pocket. “And this is for you,” she told Nat, holding out the bundle of paper money. “Looks like that’s useless now.”

If she was shocked before, Nat was completely gobsmacked now. “Old world money,” she whispered. “I’ve only ever seen this in books.” She fanned the bills like cards. “Wow,” she marvelled, “you are old.” The thump from Piper’s kick moved the table. “Ow!”

“Don’t mind her,” she said to Jane. “Sometimes she doesn’t know when to be quiet.”

“Gee, I wonder where she gets that from?” Jane said.

“Yeah, yeah. Eat your noodles.”

…..

Despite her heated objections, Nat trudged off to bed, but only after Jane promised to tell her more of the ‘old world’ tomorrow. With the young girl asleep and the small home quiet once more, Piper had given Jane some space, but watching her sit forlornly on the couch was too much.

“C’mon, Blue, let’s get some air.” She walked upstairs and waited by the door until Jane reluctantly followed. Out on the roof, the warm night greeted them even as the dark crept in.

“You come here often?”

Piper lit a nearby oil lamp, pulled a crate to the edge of the roof and sat, letting her feet hang over. She looked at the other crate then at Jane, inviting her with her eyes. “Sometimes a girl just needs some time alone.” Realizing the current scenario was the opposite of solitary, she hastily added, “With her dog and a new friend.”

Jane raised an eyebrow. “Nice save.” She moved the box and sat down. The market’s neon lights lit up the darkness. “Are they open all night?”

“Most, yeah. Diamond City attracts people who prefer to do their business at night, if you get my meaning.”

Jane snorted. “I wouldn’t have thought the mayor would allow that kind of business.”

Piper’s face hardened. “He’s just as bad as the rest of them. If somebody told me he’s behind half those ‘businesses’, it wouldn’t surprise me.

“No police in Diamond City?” The name tripped awkwardly off her tongue.

“Pfft. Oh sure, we have security. Guess who’s the boss?”

“Mayor McDonough.”

“You know it.”

She blew out a long breath. “I used to be a cop. Back then.”

“Really?”

“Yeah. A detective. Homicide.”

“You’re full of surprises, Blue. But I guess 200 years gives you a lot of time to collect them.”

She slowly turned her head. “You are a ballsy one, aren’t you?”

Piper shrugged. “I may have been accused of that once or a billion times.” The two shared a laugh. “Can I ask you something?”

“I bet most people don’t get that option,” she said. “So yeah, go ahead. Ask.”

“This person you’re missing - who is she?”

Jane’s eyes didn’t waver from the market. “All the questions you could’ve asked me and that’s the one?”

“What can I say? I’m a reporter, I go for the human element. Besides, you don’t think this is the last question I’m going to ask, do you?”

A wan smile broke her profile. Drawing her legs up, she wrapped her arms around her knees. “She was a friend.”

Piper turned on the crate, leaving one leg to hang over the edge. “I don’t believe you.”

“You don’t even know me.”

“No, you’re right,” she admitted. “But I know people. The thing with the tea? That got to you and I’m sorry, but I heard you say a name in the bathroom.”

“You were spying on me?”

“I was just checking to make sure you were all right. I was only half joking when I asked if you’d drowned. So who is she? Maura.”

Jane’s head snapped around at the name. A bitter retort curled on the tip of her tongue, but it dissolved in the face of Piper’s genuine curiosity. “She was… the best thing that ever happened to me.” The admission lifted a weight from her heart.

“Were you… married?”

“No, nothing like that. I was… things were good the way they were. I didn’t want to do anything to risk it.”

Piper sifted through the words and found their deeper meaning. “You never told her. About the way you felt about her, I mean.”

Jane didn’t answer. She didn’t have to.

“Aw, Blue.” Piper touched Jane’s shoulder.

“Did you know I came here to find you?” she asked. When Piper tilted her head at the question, she continued, “Preston Garvey said if anyone could help me find Maura, it would be you. Should’ve asked him what year it was first.”

“Wait. Preston Garvey? The Minutemen? You’re that vault dweller!” Jane looked at her blankly. “Right. You need more than that. You were in Concord two days ago. You killed that raider and a Deathclaw. Holy crap!”

“Actually, Dogmeat killed the guy.”

Piper waved away the technicality. “Now I have 100 more questions.” She reigned in her excitement momentarily. “But that can wait. Tell me more about this Maura.”

“Not much to tell.”

“Yeah, okay. I mean, besides the fact that she was obviously the love of your life.”

Try as she might, Jane couldn’t fight the hot sting of tears. To hear those words spoken so simply squeezed the breath from her lungs. Struggling to keep the waver out of her voice, she said, “What does it matter now? I’m 200 years too late.”

“Now wait a minute. Do you know that for certain?”

Jane frowned. “What do you mean?”

“I mean, no offense, Blue, but what makes you so special? Was Maura in your vault?”

“No,” she replied.

“Was she in a vault?”

She nodded. “I think so. Her family had connections. They wanted her to stay with them.”

“Ah,” Piper said, “the ol’ ‘keep the high society together to rebuild the future’ angle, huh?”

Jane’s expression hardened. “She wasn’t like that.”

“Considering how sweet you were on her, I wouldn’t think so.” The dark did little to hide Jane’s blush, and Piper nudged her with her knee to let her know it didn’t go by unnoticed. “But it’s not a new story. Every crumbling civilization’s done it. So you think Maura made it to her family’s vault.”

“Yeah.”

“So who’s to say she’s not out there, just like you?”

Jane opened her mouth to object, but found no words. Piper took that moment to reach into her jacket pocket. Mischievously, she leaned over. The light from the oil lamp glinted off the glass bottle, revealing the logo. “Thought you might like one of these. It’s about as old as you, but still just as sweet. Top it off with some gumdrops and the world starts looking liveable again.”

…..

Chapter Text

She always hated the twilight hours of the night, that time between 2 and 4 where her brain decided to do its best work. As a detective, any breakthrough she ever got on a case came to her just as she touched the edge of sleep. The house was quiet save for Dogmeat’s light snoring. Piper had long gone to bed, but not before planting the seeds of insomnia in her mind.

“So who’s to say she’s not out there, just like you?”

As ridiculous as the idea sounded at first, the more they talked about it, the more possible it seemed. Not probable, Jane thought, but definitely possible. Her vault had been filled with cryotubes; their intent had been to keep them in stasis until it was safe. Why they weren’t revived sooner, and why Jane was the only one to survive was a mystery, but the facts gave her a sliver of hope. What if Maura’s vault was the same? What if she had been kept in stasis all this time? What if?

What if you go to sleep, brain?

Defying her racing mind, Jane burrowed into the couch and willed herself to go to sleep.

…..

She was certain morning broke the second she closed her eyes. Her catlike stretch and groan was met with a giggle. Cracking open one eye, she saw Nat sitting cross-legged on the floor watching her.

“That’s not creepy at all,” Jane said.

“Aw, cut her some slack. She’s never seen a relic.” Piper was sitting at the table, pen in hand, poring over scraps of paper.

“Ha, ha,” Jane replied, sitting up. “Boston’s full of relics.”

“Yeah, but not a living one,” Nat said. She must have heard how it sounded, because she quickly added, “I’m sorry. That’s kinda rude.”

With a yawn, Jane waved away the apology. “Don’t sweat it. Just one more thing I need to get used to, I guess.”

“Is it really that different?” the young girl asked. “I know it’s been a long time, but Boston’s always been the same to me, and I’m 12.”

Jane’s mouth dropped in feigned shock. “Twelve? That’s ancient!” Her stomach growled loud enough to get everyone’s attention. “I don’t suppose there’s still pizza around?” She was met with two blank stares and a confused dog. “Right. That means beer’s out of the picture.”

Nat shook her head and grinned. “We have beer!”

“By ‘we’ she means the Commonwealth,” Piper corrected. “And you’re not having beer for breakfast. I’ll make you an omelette. We’ve got a long day ahead of us.”

“Whatcha doin’ today?”

Piper looked for Jane’s approval before answering. “We’re going to look for Jane’s… friend.”

“Wow! You mean there could be two of you from before the war?”

The question renewed the doubt in her mind, but Jane pushed through it. “Could be. I hope so.”

“That’s what we’re going to try and find out. Where’s the vault?”

“Scollay Square.”

A furrow formed between Piper’s brows. Jane could tell the name was familiar to the reporter, but it took her a moment to place it.

“Oh, you mean Goodneighbor,” she said, finally making the connection. “There’s a sign in the Third Rail bar that says ‘Scollay Square’. Didn’t realize how old it was.”

“Yeah, well, you should probably start getting used to putting me and old together.”

“Aw, Blue, you’re not old, you’re just…”

“Choose your next word wisely.”

“...seasoned.”

“Nice one.”

Between their banter, Nat had run into her room and returned with a long tube of paper. “A map,” she informed Jane. “You said Goodneighbor used to be Scollay Square.”

“And Diamond City was Fenway Park,” Jane added.

Rolling out the map, Nat waved her over to the table. “Show me more!”

With her paper work now covered by the map, Piper sighed. “I guess I did promise to make an omelette, didn’t I?”

Her question went unanswered as the two new friends bonded over geography.

…..

“Why can’t I go with you?”

Breakfast had been exactly what Jane had needed. There was comfort in a warm meal, and as long as the origin of the eggs remained a mystery, Jane was satisfied. She had gone over the map with Nat and regaled the girl with tales of pre-war Boston. Now, with the better part of the morning behind them, and a full day ahead, both she and Piper began making plans for Goodneighbor. Plans that didn’t include a very annoyed 12 year old.

“Because you haven’t been outside these walls since you were a kid,” Piper said. “You’re not going to start now. Besides, it’s a weekday. You have school.”

“I don’t wanna go to school!” Nat all but stamped her foot.

Jane stepped in. “Hey, maybe you could do something for me.”

“Name it!”

“I know it will be over 200 years old, but I’m betting the can of Slocum’s Joe coffee is still in the back of a filing cabinet in the Boston Police station. Think you could get it for me?”

The girl’s eyes went as wide as saucers. “In the Wasteland?”

Piper’s mouth dropped. “Are you kidding me?? She is not-” she turned from Jane to Nat, “you are not going out in the Wasteland!” The idea stunned Nat so much, she couldn’t reply. “You’re gonna go to school, and we’ll be back before the day’s over. Understand?”

Nat’s attention returned from dreams of adventure to the present. “Yeah, I guess,” she grumbled. Seeing her sister’s expression, she said, “Yeah, okay. School. Before the day’s over. Understood.”

“I’m sorry, Nat,” Jane said. Her glance at Piper was a silent apology. “That’s me, not thinking.” She pointed to her head. “Two hundred year old brain.”

This brought a smile to Nat’s face. “Will you tell me more about old Boston when you get back?”

“Sure, kid,” she replied, ruffling the girl’s hair. “And hey, why don’t you take Dogmeat?”

“Great!”

“In the meantime, you have other things to learn,” Piper said.

The inference wasn’t lost on Nat. “Okay, okay. School. I know.” She slung her small bag over her shoulder. “Bring me back something?”

Piper adjusted her sister’s bag, pretending not to fuss over her. “We’ll see how you do on that math test.” Ignoring Nat’s groan, Piper gently pushed her out the door. “And don’t get detention again!”

…..

“I am sorry.”

Once they had seen Nat off, it had only taken them a matter of minutes before they were on the other side of the wall and on their way to Goodneighbor. Though Jane was familiar with the area, she wasn’t entirely comfortable trusting 200 year old familiarity, and was more than happy to let Piper take point. The reporter lead the way, purpose in her stride but caution in her eyes.

“I told you to stop worrying about it,” Piper said. “You didn’t mean any harm. I get it; the world’s not the same as it was and it’s going to take you awhile to get used to it. In the meantime…”

Jane followed her behind the corner of a dilapidated building. “What is it?”

Piper nudged her chin to a spot about 40 yards away. “Raider.”

It took her a few seconds to see the movement, but when she did, she counted at least three. “More?” she whispered.

Stifling a chuckle, Piper replied, “There’s always more. The question is, do we make it less?”

Jane frowned. “What? You mean kill them?”

“Did you make it to Diamond City without killing anyone?”

She knew the question was a rhetorical. “I never killed anyone that didn’t try to kill me first.”

The edge in her voice rolled off Piper’s back like water. “So stick your head out and let’s get this over with.”

She hesitated, a sliver of her moral conviction evaporating at the challenge. To her alarm, Piper flashed out a hand, then quickly pulled it behind cover again. Jane flinched as shards of brick and mortar exploded around them under a barrage of bullets.

“Don’t ever do that again,” she said.

The woman shrugged. “Just tryin’ to get their attention.”

“And what do I tell Nat when something happens to you?” When no response came, Jane said, “That’s what I thought.” The noise stopped. “Must be reloading. Okay.” Raising her voice, she offered an olive branch. “We just want passage. We’re not looking for trouble.”

She received a cackle for her candour. “You didn’t have to look for it- trouble found you. We’re gonna have so much fun with you, you little bitch.”

“Did he just call me a little bitch?” she asked Piper.

“Sure sounded like it.”

“Your mom teach you to talk like that?” Jane shouted. “Oh, right, Deathclaws can’t talk.”

“Screw you!” The heated reply came with a second wave of firepower.

While the raiders wasted their ammunition, Jane plotted a plan. Buildings that served as a good defense were just as good for offense, and after estimating some distances and angles, she shared her thoughts with her companion.

“How are you with a gun?”

“Are you kidding me? How do you think I’ve lived this long? I wasn’t born in Diamond City.”

“Okay. All I need is some cover.”

“You got it. Where are you going?” Jane’s eyes flicked to a third storey perch across the street. “Nice. Just say the word.”

They choreographed the move perfectly, Piper laying down just enough retaliation to distract the raiders while Jane darted to her destination. The plan seemed sound, though she failed to tell Piper about the lack of experience with the rifle. Handguns? Jane had more than enough experience in her time as a detective. Long guns were another matter entirely. She was thankful for the scope that had come with it.

The scene below had come to another detente, with both sides volleying colourful insults to each other. Grinning at the reporter’s obvious advantage, Jane crouched at a window and rested the barrel on the ledge. Her eyes took a moment to adjust to the scope’s magnification, but when they did, the raider filled the view. The butt of the rifle pressed firmly into her shoulder, her finger without hesitation on the trigger.

The shot broke the verbal war.

“Fuck!” a male voice said. “Billy! Shit!”

She wasn't sure if ‘Billy’ was the speaker or the man she shot- she was already scanning the cover for another raider.

“I’m gonna make you bleed, you bitch!”

The voice helped Jane pinpoint his location. “I don’t think so,” she whispered, letting off another shot.

“Not so tough now, are you?” Piper taunted.

Just as the raider’s voice helped Jane, Piper’s shout guided the final raider. Amidst the gunfire, he had somehow slipped around the building to ambush Piper from behind. He looked all of 16 in Jane’s scope. She clenched her jaw.

The bullet whizzed through the air and ended up in the teen’s thigh. He dropped like a stone. Piper stumbled backward, startled by the attempted ambush, but once her senses came back, she raised her gun.

“No!” Jane shouted, scrambling from her blind.

Though she didn’t shoot, Piper’s aim didn’t waver as she waited for Jane. “He tried to kill us, Blue.”

“I know,” she replied, slightly winded. “But look at him.”

Piper glanced down at the writhing boy. “I don’t see anything but another reason to stick it to the raiders. They wouldn’t have shown us any mercy.”

Jane nodded. “I know. I mean, I’m getting that now. But someone’s gotta try.” To the wounded raider, she said, “We’ve got nothing to offer you but a second chance. What do you say?”

“I say… I say… fuck you.” His hand came from his leg where he must have had another weapon hidden. He barely got it out of the pocket when a final shot rang out.

For a split second, Jane wondered how it could’ve come from her gun. Then she looked at Piper, whose gun was still gently exhaling smoke. The body had barely finished its death throes before Piper was rummaging through the raider’s things. The calm efficiency caught Jane off-guard and she could only watch in silence. Pocketing the meager amount of valuables, Piper stood and realized Jane’s stillness.

“You gonna check the other two or do you want me to do it?” Jane’s hesitancy offered no response. Touching Jane’s arm, she said, “Hey, I understand.”

“Do you?” she asked. “I’m… I was a cop, Piper. I’m supposed to help people. Protect them.”

“And you don't think you protected me?” The question was met with a half-hearted shrug. “I’m gonna take a chance that I might sound like the bad guy here, but there’s something you have to understand- the world is different, and choices you might have made back then… they don’t work here. I’m all for helping people, but you’ve got to be careful who you choose to help. There’s a 12 year old who will kill me if you end up dead.”

It was a weak attempt at humour, but it was enough to draw out a smile from Jane. “Yeah, I guess you’re right. It’s just… it’s just gonna take some time.”

“Says the 200 year old woman.” Piper nudged Jane’s shoulder with hers. “Stick with me, Blue; I have all the time in the world.”

…..

Chapter Text

 A/N: Flashbacks in italics. I mentioned to someone that there would be 3 quests in this story; I was wrong, there are 4. The start of the "Public Knowledge" quest is in this chapter, for those who play the game.

.....

Though not an uncomfortable one, the rest of the trip was taken in silence. The moral struggle between who she was and who she might have to be weighed heavily on Jane.

“That’s a no-brainer; I’d choose you.”

A small laugh escaped Maura’s lips. “You would not choose me over the lives of 5 people.”

Dinner had been over an hour ago, and the house was quiet once again now that friends and family had returned to their own homes. No one was surprised when Jane stayed behind. Settled in comfortably with a cold beer, she half-heartedly watched the Red Sox blow out the A’s while Maura absorbed the latest medical journal.

“What’d you ask me for anyway?” Jane wondered. “That’s not a psychology magazine.”

Maura glanced at the cover as if she was making sure. “No, it isn’t. We were talking about moral dilemmas in the morgue today.”

“You science types really know how to liven the mood.” Her eyes lit up at her unintended pun.

“Very funny. Besides, you’re changing the subject. I don’t think it’s in your nature to not look at the greater good.”

The A’s scored and Jane groaned. “You, the Chief Medical Examiner for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts and all around big brain? The good doesn’t get any greater than that. What we should be asking is, what did those 5 do to get tied to the railroad tracks in this little experiment, anyway?” Seeing Maura’s small shrug, Jane gave a knowing nod. “Yeah, see? Didn’t think of that, did you? I hope being tied to the tracks helps them re-think their choices in life.”

“Jane!” the doctor laughed. “So how did I end up tied to the tracks?”

“Obviously, the guy who did it is a scumbag. And when I catch him, he’ll be thinking about his choices, too.”

“You’re in deep thought,” Piper noted. “You think we could stop off somewhere before we find this vault?”

Jane looked around and realized they had entered what was now known as Goodneighbor. Blinking hard to cast away the memory, she said, “Just thinking about choices. Yeah. What do you need?”

“Just thought I’d introduce you to an old friend.” Piper let out a short but gregarious laugh. “‘Old friend’.” She received a blank stare in return. “Right. You’ll get it later. It’s only a couple minutes away.”

‘It’ was Daisy’s Discounts according to the red and white sign that hung over a large entrance. There was no door, just a portion of demolished wall that led inside the store. From behind the counter, a woman in a tailored suit turned to greet them. Jane sucked in her breath, but otherwise made no outward reaction. Standing before her was… something she couldn’t even begin to describe. The clerk was, for all intents and purposes, human, but her face was that of a corpse.

“Daisy!” Piper exclaimed with a grin.

“Piper Wright,” the woman replied. “Have they finally kicked you out of Diamond City for good?”

She waved a dismissive hand. “Like they could. No, just showing my new friend around.”

Daisy’s eyes rolled over Jane from head to toe, and she had never felt so catalogued. “New friend, huh? Well, I’m flattered you’d come all this way to say hello to old Daisy.”

The word served as a reminder to Piper. “Yeah! ‘Old’. Tell Daisy how old you are, Blue.”

Jane scowled at the name, though Daisy’s interest was piqued. “She wouldn’t be so excited if it wasn’t something interesting,” the shopkeeper said. “I admit, she’s got me curious.”

Sighing and certain she’d get laughed out of the store, Jane replied, “243 years old.”

Rather than laugh in disbelief or ask her if she’d hit her head and needed medical attention, Daisy’s black eyes narrowed. They slid to Piper, silently seeking confirmation. Piper grinned. “Well, what do you know? I’m old enough to be your mother.” She chuckled at Jane’s confusion. “I’m a ghoul, sweetheart. Was around before the Great War, just like you. If what you’re saying is true.”

Jane’s glance at Piper ensured an explanation later. To Daisy, she said, “I remember when this place was Scollay Square. There was a coffee shop on the corner. The Bean. Charged way too much for a coffee.”

A light flitted across the ghoul’s face. “The Boston Bean,” she nodded at the memory. “Well, I never thought I’d see the day: a 200 year old smoothskin.” To Piper, she said, “After you tell her all about ghouls, I expect you to come back and tell me all about her. Now, what really brings you ladies to my establishment?”

“We’re on something of a quest,” Piper told her. “Lookin’ for-” she stopped, uncertain if it was her place to give the information.

“Looking for a vault,” Jane finished. “Vault 98.”

“Hmmm, can’t say it rings a bell. There was one near the courthouse, but I haven’t been around that area in a 100 years.”

“That’s the one. Have you heard anything about it?”

Daisy gave it some thought. “Sorry, sweetheart. Like I said, doesn’t ring any bells. I know these vaults were supposed to protect people until it was all over. But then what? Release them out into the Wasteland? Doesn’t sound like they gave it much thought once they took everyone’s money, does it? Then again, who can say what happened with any of them? I can’t imagine the plan was to let you out 200 years later.”

“My vault… malfunctioned somehow,” Jane said. “I was in stasis, and… I don’t know. I was the only one who made it.”

Even with her disfiguration, the ghoul’s expression was sympathetic. “Ah, I’m sorry. Hell of a world to wake up to. Well, if you need anything, don’t be afraid to ask. Either I’ve got it, or I can get it for you. If you want weapons, I send the business next store.”

“Thanks, Daisy,” Piper said. To Jane, she asked, “You ready to go?”

“Looks like it,” she replied. “Nice meeting you, Daisy.”

“You, too, Vault Dweller. Don’t be a stranger. Would love to swap stories of the old days with you.”

Jane couldn’t help but smile. “Yeah, me too.” They got to the window before Jane turned. “Hey, do you need anything?”

The ghoul looked surprised at the offer. “Well, I don’t have many willing to ask.” Reaching under the counter, she held out a book. “Can you return this book to the public library? It’s overdue by about a century. But the library was one of my favourite places when I was a child… and human.”

Piper wrinkled her nose. “I heard that place is full of super mutants.”

“It is.”

Jane looked between the two women. “Super mutants?”

“It’s okay, sweetheart, I understand.” She was about to put the book back when Jane held out her hand.

“I’ll do it. I’ll take it back.” Daisy looked up in surprise. With a shrug, Jane explained, “The library means a lot to someone I know, too.”

“All right. I appreciate it. And to show my gratitude for your offer as well as recognizing the danger, why don’t I give you some caps for it? Say… 243, in honour of your age?”

Jane shook her head. “I can’t take your money. Or caps. Whatever it’s called.”

“Maybe you can’t, but you will. Here.” Daisy pulled out a small bag from her register. “100 caps now, the rest the next time I see you.”

Pondering the offer, Jane said, “You trust me to return the book?”

Daisy chuckled. “I trust her,” she said, jerking her head towards Piper. “But there’s something about you that makes me think I can trust you, too. So take it.”

Reluctantly, Jane accepted the caps and put them in her bag.

“Now can we go?” Piper whined.

…..

“You handled the whole Daisy thing really well,” Piper said.

“You mean about…” Jane circled her face with her index finger. Piper nodded. “I don’t know. Maybe after seeing that Deathclaw, seeing a woman without a nose pales in comparison. Do you know what happened to her?”

“Story has it, she didn’t have a vault to go to when the bomb dropped. But obviously, it didn’t kill her. She survived, but the radiation slowly started seeping into her DNA. Hence the....” Piper mirrored Jane’s earlier motion. “No idea how she’s lived this long. Something to do with the biological change? You’d need a doctor to tell you more.”

“I know just the one,” Jane smiled. “But in the meantime, what are we doing here?”

“If we’re going to clear out the library of super mutants, we’re going to need bigger guns. Can’t get them much bigger than at a place called ‘Kill or Be Killed’.”

Jane glanced up at the sign she recognized from before the war. “Yeah, it’s more creative than ‘Guns Guns Guns’. Used to come in here a lot when I was a detective.”

“You’re full of surprises, Blue.” She grinned suddenly. “Hey! ‘Blue’. Because of your vault suit and because you were a cop.”

“Technically, I was a detective, and you’re never going to stop calling me that, are you?”

Piper pretended to give the question some thought. “Hmmm, nope. Come on, let’s go inside.”

“Wait,” Jane said. “Is there anything you need to tell me about this store owner before we go? You know, things like, ‘Is she human?’ That sort of thing.”

The grin became a smirk. “Well…”

…..

“I get the joke,” Jane said out of the corner of her mouth.

“Welcome,” the shopkeeper greeted. “My name is KL-E-O and I sell the best guns in the Commonwealth.”

“If you don’t mind me asking, what, uh, what kind of robot are you?”

“She’s new around here,” Piper said, then seemed to reconsider her words. “Old new.”

“Yes, I can see. Always happy to welcome new customers. I’m an Assaultron, though I identify as female. That is what I am; what I do is sell guns. Very big guns.”

Though the red lens in the middle of the Assaultron’s ‘face’ was mechanical, Jane could swear the robot was staring her down. She shrugged off the feeling and nonchalantly said, “Looks like we’ve come to the right place. Haven’t been around here for a long time. What would you recommend?”

“For you, I have all kinds of ideas.”

“Are you flirting with me?”

“A girl can dream. Why don’t you tell me what you want and I’ll tell you if I can give it to you.”

Jane pulled out her handgun and laid it on the counter. “What would you give me for that?”

The Assaultron lifted the weapon with the 3 prongs at the end of her wrist. With a look that Jane would swear was disdain, KL-E-O said, “I’d give you my sympathy.”

“What about that?” Piper asked, pointing to the power armour in the corner.

“Considering the price of noodles,” Jane remarked, “I don’t think we can afford that.”

Piper shooed her skepticism away. “Go.” Jane raised an eyebrow at the insistent tone, but Piper wasn’t deterred. “Go.”

KL-E-O stepped from behind the counter. “Everyone wants a peek, and this one is a stunner. Got it from a man who claimed he was from the Brotherhood of Steel, though it makes no difference to me.”

Despite trying to keep one eye on Piper, Jane was curious about the power armour. “I only saw this right before the bomb dropped.”

If the two century old reference meant anything to the shopkeeper, she didn’t say. Instead, she said, “It’s the T-60 model. The damage resistance is almost twice that of the T-45, but at 7 times the cost. Protection in the Wasteland doesn’t come cheap.”

“And how much is this, exactly?”

“4200 caps. But I bet you could convince me to give you a deal.”

“You are flirting with me,” Jane replied.

“Just because I’m a robot doesn’t mean I’m not wired for a good time. You’d have to show me something more than that 10 mm, though.”

Jane was saved any further blushing when Piper asked, “What if we showed you this?”

Jane almost did a double-take. The gun in Piper’s hands was neither the 10 mm, nor the reporter’s own weapon but rather the very large gun Jane had spied in the corner behind the counter when they first walked in. She quickly glanced at KL-E-O, wondering how she was going to have to take down a robot. To her surprise, the Assaultron examined the weapon and calculated a price.

“400 caps.”

Piper tsked. “Really, KL-E-O? It’s worth 500.”

“Girl’s gotta run a business.”

“Okay,” she replied. “How about… the Gauss, the assault rifle, and 100 caps?” When the robot didn’t reply, Piper added, “We’ll throw in the 10mm and her rifle, of course.”

“Of course.” A second passed before KL-E-O said, “Deal. But don’t spread that around. Don’t need to let everyone know I had my head turned by a pretty face.”

The exchange was made with efficient ease, even if Jane could barely breathe. Once they were well out of the shop’s range, she turned to Piper.

“What the hell was that back there?”

“What was what?”

Raising an index finger, Jane warned, “Don’t get coy. You stole that gun right out from under her nose.”

“Technically, she doesn’t have a nose,” Piper corrected. “Hey, now that I think about it, neither one of the shop owners had noses. Ha!” She coughed when she saw Jane’s stony expression. “Right. Assaultrons are notorious for only being able to see what’s right in front of them. Guess cyclops eye does that to you. I knew she wouldn’t see me.”

Jane frowned. “You stole it.”

“Pah, she overcharges for her weapons. Do you think she really paid street value for that power armour?”

“Doesn’t matter. You broke the law.”

“Aww, look at you being all pre-war cop.” Piper’s grin softened the words. “You gonna arrest me?”

Narrowing her eyes, Jane said, “Why do I think you’d like that too much?”

With a wink, Piper said, “Anyway, what matters is, we’ve got two weapons that are going to give us a fighting chance against the super mutants. Now, where’s this vault?”

…..

Chapter Text

…..

“Considering the state of the place, that was easier than I thought it’d be.”

The rubble had made it difficult to access the underground vault, but it only took Jane two passes before she found the spot. She nodded at Piper as she crouched and swept away a layer of dirt from a control pad.

Piper watched intently, ever curious. “So how do we get in?”

“I was worried we were going to have to find a way to break in,” she confessed. “These pin pads want a 12-digit code to open the vault.” She sat back on her haunches and pointed to the device. “Green light. Means the code’s already been entered.”

“That’s good, right? Means someone’s gotten out.”

Jane’s reply was a noncommittal grunt. She knew it could mean any number of things, not all of them good. “Only one way to know for sure. You coming?”

The question seemed to surprise Piper. “I thought you might want to… I don’t know. Be alone?”

“And keep the Commonwealth’s best reporter away from a story?” The humour was a thin cover for her nerves. “Besides, I remember the size of the roaches in my vault.”

Piper wrinkled her nose. “Eww. I hate roaches.” But despite her protest, she stepped on the vault’s elevator pad. “The things I do for a headline.”

Jane pressed the button and the platform slowly descended. As the darkness of the elevator shaft closed in, her breath quickened. She closed her eyes and swallowed hard, willing the memories away. A soft hand touched her arm.

“You okay?”

Jane took a moment to compose herself. “I just… I wasn’t expecting… it’s like it happened yesterday.”

Piper nodded. “First time back. Even if it’s not your vault.” She squeezed Jane’s arm. “I don’t mean to pry but-” Jane choked back a laugh. “Okay, maybe I do. I just have a short list of people I don’t want to upset and you’re on it. But if you ever want to tell me what it was like, I’d love to hear your story.”

The platform shuddered, announcing their arrival to the ground floor. The big wheeled door exposed the inside of the vault.

“You might be right about someone getting out.” She pointed at the open door. “I’m not avoiding you,” Jane assured her. “One day, I’ll tell you all about it.”

“Just right now, you’ve got more important things to do,” Piper finished. “I hear you.” She took in her surroundings. “Besides, I bet there’s one hell of a story here. Are all the vaults like this?”

Jane could easily guess what she meant. It was big. Very big. Despite the centuries of neglect, it was clear it had been something in its day. Wide open rooms still housed what would have been state of the art computer terminals; the walls were still lined with oversized art pieces. Dust that covered 200 year old furniture couldn’t disguise its opulence. The room branched off into four separate corridors, each helpfully marked, ‘North’, ‘South’, ‘East’ and ‘West’.

Realizing she had yet to answer the question, she said, “No. I mean, mine wasn’t anything like this.”

“The best fallout shelter money can buy,” Piper quipped. “So… you want to split up or do you still need help with that roach problem?”

Jane appreciated the humour. The feeling in the vault did little to comfort her. “Maybe you should come with me. You know, for the roaches.”

Piper dipped her head at the invitation. “Well then,” she said, gesturing to the hallways, “after you.”

…..

It didn’t take long for a thought to plant itself in her mind. That’s how her brain worked - picking up the pieces and putting them together subconsciously. It’s what made her a good detective and, by the time they explored the third hallway, the picture was becoming clear.

It shouldn’t have surprised her when Piper asked, “What is it?”

She almost sidestepped the question, but she knew from experience the benefits of hashing things out. “You asked me if all vaults were like this. I don’t know about the rest, but I can tell you mine wasn’t.”

“So you said.”

“What I mean is, it’s really different.”

The promise of a mystery behind the words caught the reporter’s attention. “In what way?”

“I didn’t realize it until I saw this one.” Her chuckle was a mirthless one. “We didn’t have any amenities.”

“Like the marble sinks and crystal chandeliers?” Piper was clearly unimpressed by the opulence.

“No, I mean none. No bathrooms. No kitchens. No living room. Definitely not enough for 103 people.”

“That’s how many were in your vault.” Jane nodded and Piper whistled. “What do you think it means? Why go through the trouble of cryotubes if they didn’t plan on keeping you alive after the bomb dropped?”

“I don’t know,” Jane admitted. “They wanted to keep us alive, but not alive. An experiment, maybe? Were we guinea pigs?”

Piper marvelled at the implication. “I don’t know what you tell you, Blue.”

“I guess it doesn’t matter right now.” She looked down the final hallway and saw it open into a larger room. Her heavy sigh didn’t go unnoticed.

“Only one way to find out.”

“Yeah, I know. Just not sure I’m ready for what we might find.”

…..

They were lead into the centre of the room by a metal catwalk that looked over a large circular room like the hub of a wheel. They stood above two enormous sections, their shape something familiar to Jane.

“Yin and Yang,” she whispered.

“What?”

“The way they curl into each other,” Jane began. “Never mind. Doesn’t matter.” She looked down at the individual pods which were the shape of cryotubes, but were obviously much, much more. “No,” she said before Piper could ask. “Mine wasn’t like that at all.”

“I don’t see anyone,” Piper said.

It was true. From their vantage point, all the tubes appeared to have been opened. Jane’s heart dropped. As if sensing it, Piper quickly added, “But we won’t know for sure until we get down there, right?”

“Right.”

Their boots thudded on the steel steps, the sound reverberating through the echo chamber. Not that she had expected noise, but there was something unsettling about the clinical silence of it all. Even the computers that clustered in the middle of the room, facing towards the ring of stasis chambers seemed to emit no noise, even as a few lights continued to randomly blink.

“Wonder what those are for?” Piper said. “I mean, if there’s no one here.”

“There were a few still running in my vault. They’re all probably on some kind of pre-programmed shutdown system. Maybe they’re the backup batteries.”

Piper nodded but said nothing. She watched as Jane slowly walked the circle of cryotubes, carefully, almost reverently examining each one. After looking at more than a dozen, Jane turned.

“I don’t know which one was hers. They’re not labelled.”

Piper scanned the room. “There’s got to be some kind of manifest here, right? A check-in list or something.” The only answer appeared to be a small desktop computer. “I could give it a shot, but they’re not really my thing.”

“Not sure I’ll be any better, but why not?” Jane leaned over the keyboard and hit ‘enter’. The monitor immediately came to life, and her eyes tried to keep up as the cursor clicked out the information. “Great. I have to figure out the password.”

“Try ‘password123’,” Piper offered. Jane slowly turned her head to Piper who wilted under the blank stare. “Just trying to help!”

“It’s not that kind of password. It’s like a word game or something.” She typed in one of words from the list. The terminal beeped, and informed her that it was incorrect, though she had 3 of the letters right. “See? I can only choose from these words.”

“Word game? Now we’re talking!” Piper came to stand beside Jane and mirrored her pose. With their heads almost literally together, it only took two more guesses before the computer gave up its contents.

“Good job,” Jane praised. There were three options available: Mission Statement, Clients, and Daily Log. She immediately chose the 2nd. They weren’t in alphabetical order the way Jane had assumed. She gave no thought to what that might have meant, her thoughts too caught up in finding- “‘Isles, Maura’,” she whispered, her finger caressing the fourth name from the bottom of the list. “That’s it. #62.” She didn’t wait for Piper to respond, her eyes already searching the tubes, the numbers silently spilling from her lips. She’d nearly completed a 180 turn when she saw it. Her body moved forward even if her feet felt glued to the floor. It was a pull she couldn’t deny, and if her head called her an idiot for expecting something more than what she had already seen, her heart still held hope.

It was short-lived.

Her discovery from the catwalk was only verified up close. The tubes, though pristine and intact, were empty. All of them. Some were open, some were closed, but all were empty. It was a startling difference to how she’d found her own vault, and she wasn’t sure which one was the most unsettling. She touched the glass of Maura’s chamber, as if such a gesture could bring the two of them closer.

For someone who claimed to be averse to physical contact, she found an abundance of reasons to touch Maura on a regular basis. A guiding hand on a waist to lead them out of the room. Finding a word or phrase in the latest autopsy results that required her to stand next to Maura while she patiently explained the meaning. Gentle nudges on the shoulder after a cringe-worthy pun that Maura had been so proud to execute.

It suddenly occurred to her that maybe the doctor had done those things on purpose.

“... why yours was different.”

The words seeped into her daydream and she shook her head. “Sorry, what?”

Piper pointed to the computer. “Just found a good reason why this vault’s set up like this and why yours was different.”

Jane tugged herself away from the cryotube. “What do you mean?”

Tapping the monitor, she said, “Look for yourself. It’s the logs of the Vault’s last month.”

The ‘last month’ was five years ago, according to the date, and while other entries appeared to be nothing more than tedious day-to-day checklists, the very last entry was surprisingly detailed.

This is all bullshit. The whole idea was bullshit and I don’t care who finds out I’ve said it. Let’s be real, there’s no one left to do anything. Just me and Dennis in charge of the last 5… people? Survivors? Bodies? What do I call them? I mean, really, let’s stop beating around the bush and cut to the chase. The vault’s been keeping them alive for over 200 years and maybe when the bombs dropped it all made sense. Keep the high class society together to repopulate the world. Let them out of their tubes a handful at a time so there’d be enough for decades and eventually, they’d rebuild their little Utopia. Yeah, that worked out so well. Where are they now? Where’s this perfect society? All that money and no one figured out the same DNA could only be used to make so many little high society kids before something fucked up happened. In the end, it’s some nobody from Quincy who’s responsible for finishing what they started. So here I am, logging my last shift and my last duty. There are 5 original occupants left. As per the timetable, they’re released today. Where they’ll go, if they’ll even survive, I don’t know and I don’t really care. Hell, I don’t even know what I’m going to do once I step out of this vault, and I’ve only been here for 16 months. If any of you 5 read this, good luck. Tip: Get a big fucking gun.

Her eyes searched for an archived schedule, something that would tell her who was let out and when, but she came up short.

Piper watched the line between Jane’s brows get deeper. “So now we know why your friend was here.”

Jane blinked. “What? No, she wasn’t like that.”

“She was rich though, right? And a doctor. Sounds like two very important things to be if you wanted to be part of some kind of post-apocalyptic in-charge society.”

The condescending nature of Piper’s tone made Jane set her jaw. “I said, she’s not like that. She was supposed to end up in my vault.”

“But, she didn’t.” Piper didn’t wait for an answer. “Sounds to me like this isn’t any better than the Institute. Just a bunch of crazy people thinking they can make all the decisions about what’s best for the rest of us. Luckily, anyone let out five years ago probably isn’t around anymore to tell us how to live our lives.” The words were out before they could be taken back, though Piper tried. “Shit. I didn’t mean it that way. About Maura. I just don’t take too well to the thought of-”

Jane cut her off with a hard look. “It’s been over 200 years. Guess my people instincts are still rusty. For a second, I thought I could count on you.”

“Aww, Blue.”

But it was too late. Satisfied there wasn’t anything else for her to find, Jane made her way to the catwalk with a determined stride.

“Wait, where are you going?”

She didn’t even give the reporter the courtesy of turning around. “Boston Public Library. Go back to Diamond City, Piper.”

…..

Chapter Text

A/N: Completion of the “Public Knowledge” quest, for those who play the game.

…..

She didn’t have to be a cop to know she was being tailed. While Piper did her best to stay a good distance away, the lack of cover in large areas did nothing to help her conceal her presence. Jane filed it away but pushed on, too caught up in her own thoughts to bother with the reporter. Being a hothead always made “I’m sorry” a hard thing to get from her, stubbornness a vein that ran deep in every Rizzoli. Still, she knew that an apology was on order. She’d taken her frustrations about Maura out on Piper who was only judging the situation based on the information given. Looking at the evidence with a detective’s eye, Jane knew she would have reached the same conclusion. Bunch of rich and powerful people having their own vault with a plan to govern things once it all blew over? Of course she’d think the worst.

But, coupled with her anger was something else. Fear. She didn’t know what she’d expected when she found the vault. No, she thought to herself, that’s a lie. I expected her to be dead. There was something very wrong with the idea that finding Maura dead would have made things easier, that it would have been almost a relief. She’d braced herself for that, tried to be as ready as possible to find someone she loved dead. But now, faced with...something else, she didn’t know if it was the best news or if it only made the emotional albatross even heavier. When she stepped out of the vault, she’d realized she was no closer to finding Maura than she was when she stepped inside. Before, she’d had a destination, a goal that she thought would end with Maura, in one way or another.

She told Piper she was going to the library because she didn’t know what else to do. Sitting in Diamond City would just give her time to think, and right now, she was tired of thinking. She wanted nothing more than to simply react. Returning the book seemed like the perfect opportunity to turn off her brain. Besides, she had made a promise to Daisy.

The library loomed large as she approached. There hadn’t been any trouble on the way which only made the hairs on the back of Jane’s neck more sensitive. If her limited experience in this new world had taught her anything, it was to expect everything. Just as she was about to wonder how she was going to get into the locked building, a crackle came over the intercom.

“The Library is closed today.”

“No shit,” Jane muttered under her breath. Taking a shot in the dark, she said, “I work here.”

The robotic voice cheerfully asked, “What is your 6 digit employee password?”

“Crap.” Jane rolled back on her heels and crossed her arms. Six numbers. Could be anything. A thought occurred to her. Smiling, she said, “123456.”

A millisecond passed before the door clicked open. “Welcome back. Please be ready for your shift promptly.”

She couldn’t help but grin. There were plenty of cops in her day who hated having to memorize all the passwords and combination codes. Simplicity was the easiest and laziest choice. She was glad to find out city employees were all the same.

The entrance was dark and uninviting, the only light coming from a skylight in the middle of the room. Remembering an option on her Pip-Boy, she scrolled through the device’s menu until she found the flashlight. It illuminated the room in a bright green glow and helpfully, the sign that read ‘Return Books Upstairs’.

“Too easy, Rizzoli,” she whispered. Piper’s warning of super mutants echoed in her mind, and she climbed the stairs with caution, new gun now in hand.

With two steps to go, she saw them.

Neither ‘super’ nor ‘mutant’ seemed accurate enough to describe the two monsters that stood together in the corner of the room, oblivious to her presence. She sucked in a breath, contemplating her next move. The easiest choice would be to quietly turn around and forget the whole thing. How would Daisy know? That thought lasted as long as it took to think it. It wasn’t in her nature to go back on her word, whether it was saving someone’s life or just returning a library book. The book return kiosk was in the far corner, away from the mutants. Could she sneak over there and back again?

She made it halfway when she got her answer.

“What is that?” one of them grunted. “That light.”

Glancing down, the green glow beamed up at her. “Shit!” She quickly turned off the light, but it was too late. Her cover was blown.

She had never faced such firepower before, and for the first time since leaving the vault, she genuinely feared for her life. Not even the Deathclaw felt like this. She silently thanked the library for having marble table tops, because bullets would have torn through wood like butter. Shards and chips rained down around her, the noise barely drowning out the roaring of her heart.

“You know, if you did more yoga with me, you’d be a much calmer person.”

She briefly closed her eyes, her memory choosing this moment to draw an image of Maura in her yoga room, a picture of serenity. “Not cool,” she chastised her brain. “Not fucking cool.” And yet, she found herself drawing in a slow deep breath through her nose and exhaling through her mouth. Everything around her went quiet, even though the mutants never stopped firing. Peeking around the table, her eyes found a target in the dark, and her aim was true. The Gauss’ recoil took her by surprise, but she found comfort in the gun’s performance. Three quick shots stopped the mutant in its tracks.

But not for long.

As if shaking off a mild annoyance, it started lumbering forward again. Jane fired three more shots, and once more, the mutant absorbed the damage with little concern. A shot from the stairs caught her attention, and she wasn’t entirely surprised to see Piper on the landing, gun raised, eyes blazing. Jane watched the second mutant go down and nearly called out when she saw Piper stalk towards him, firing every step of the way. When the creature didn’t get up, Jane realized what had happened.

“The legs.” Her training had taught her to always aim for the centre mass. If she ever had to shoot someone in the line of duty, it was never going to be to wound; it was always going to be to kill. That was what led her to shoot the mutant square in the chest. Piper had gone for the legs instead, cutting it down long enough to finish the job close up. While these thoughts went through Jane’s head in slow motion, the mutant was coming at full speed. She turned just in time to see it almost on her, and in a second of pure reaction, she lowered the barrel and squeezed the trigger.

The howl reverberated through the small room as the beast stumbled to one knee. Jane took the small advantage to fire five more rounds, this time aiming for the head. At that range, there was no coming back for the mutant. She was just about to congratulate herself when she was faced with a new horror- the dead weight of the mutant toppled towards her. Knowing the table wouldn’t be enough to protect her, she scrambled from her cover, tripped, cursed, and looked back just in time to see it fall. “Not again,” she groaned, remembering her clash with the Deathclaw. This time, she didn’t have the benefit of a power armour suit, but she did have enough time to get most of her body out of the way before she could be crushed under the weight. Still, she couldn’t avoid it all, and grimaced when the body clipped her shoulder.

“Get. Off. Me,” she grunted. It took two good heaves to move the body, though it was less shifting the mutant than it was sliding herself out from underneath it. Free from the weight and the stench, she laid back and caught her breath. Piper was conspicuously quiet. “I told you to go back to Diamond City.”

“Yeah, well, you know me. I listen as well as that dead mutant. Or maybe you don’t know me.”

The accusation stung, though Jane had to admit it was fair. “Good thinking about shooting the leg. Saved my life.”

Piper recognized her words for what they were. “Saved your ammunition, too,” she said, accepting the apology without further comment.

“Yeah.” Jane gingerly stood. “Nice gun, by the way. Good choice.” She slowly made her way to the kiosk, wondering how much more she would have to face while she adjusted to this new world. The book dropped into the bin with a soft thud. A message scrolled across the monitor that made her smile. “I forgot about this.”

Piper stood beside her. “What is it?”

“It was an incentive to get kids to return books,” Jane explained. “You got tokens for bringing them back. You could use the tokens to buy prizes.”

“Oh,” Piper said, “that’s what these are for!” She pulled out a handful of small metal coins from her pocket. “I’ve been holding on to these for years; thought I could use them somewhere like caps, but no one would take them. How many did you get?”

“Five.”

She quickly added her pile. “I have… holy cow, I have 45.”

“You’ve been carrying around 45 tokens for years?”

“I have big pockets,” Piper said with a pout. “Here. What can you buy with 50 tokens?”

Jane looked at the screen. “Anything they offer. A baseball. A hairbrush.”

“A hairbrush? Not much of a prize.”

“Just as good as the Massachusetts Surgical Journal.”

“Get that one.”

Jane gave Piper a sidelong look. “Really? A surgical journal.”

“Maura’s a doctor, isn’t she? There’s not much to read in the Wasteland. She might like that.”

In the same way Piper knew Jane was apologizing without saying “I’m sorry”, Jane knew this was Piper’s way of extending an olive branch. “Yeah,” she agreed. “She would.” The tokens tinkled into the coin slot, and the book softly fell into the dispenser. Jane took a long look at it before slipping it into her backpack. She was just about to hoist in over her shoulder when a lunchbox caught her eye. “For Nat,” she said simply, adding that to her bag.

They were halfway down the stairs when Jane started to laugh. There in the corner, right beside the entrance, was a book return terminal.

The laugh caught Piper off-guard. “What is it?”

Jane could only shake her head. “Maura always wanted me to come to the library with her. I could’ve avoided nearly being killed if I’d just listened.”

…..

Chapter Text

…..

“Jaaaaaane!!”

She braced herself just in time for a collision with the 12-year old. Thin, strong arms wrapped around her waist nearly toppling her over. “Careful, kid. Two hundred year old bones, remember?”

Nat pulled back immediately. “I’m sorry! I forgot!”

She knelt to give Dogmeat an affectionate rub. “Hey, girl.” To Nat, she said, “I’m just kidding. I’m not much of a hugger, but the bones are just fine. I think.” She patted herself to make sure.

“And I’m okay, too,” Piper said. “You know, just saved your new favourite person from a super mutant, but don’t worry about me.”

“Really??” Nat’s brow furrowed with a concern that was directed solely at Jane. “Are you okay?”

Piper rolled her eyes. “I’ll just collapse in a corner.”

Jane stood and nudged the young girl. “She really did save my life.”

“Of course she did,” Nat replied nonchalantly. “That’s why she’s amazing.”

From the couch, Piper cracked open an eye. “Wow. That might be the sweetest thing you ever said to me, Nat.”

She shrugged. “Did you bring me anything from the Wasteland?”

“And just like that, it’s gone,” Piper drolly replied.

Jane grinned. “Funny you should ask.” Reaching into her bag, she pulled out the lunchbox. “I have no idea if this is age appropriate, but-”

Nat reached for it. “Can I?”

“May I,” Piper corrected.

“May I?” Nat parroted with an eye roll thrown in for punctuation.

“I’d never guess you two were sisters,” Jane said. Their collective ‘Ewww!’ did nothing to change her mind. “Yes, you may.”

Nat held the pristine tin box like a delicate flower. “Wow!”

“Not too young for you?” Jane asked.

“No way!”

“She wouldn’t care anyway,” Piper said, standing and stretching. “She’s the curator of all things Wasteland. Did you want something to drink?”

“Oh!” Nat exclaimed. “I have something for you!” She was barely gone long enough for Jane to shoot Piper a questioning look and for the reporter to shrug in return. “Sorry I didn’t have anything better to wrap it in.”

Piper scrutinized the gift. “Nothing except yesterday’s newspaper.”

Nat ignored her sister’s dismay. “Open it!”

Jane wasn’t much for surprises, but she had to admit the girl’s excitement was contagious, so with an exaggerated rip, she tore open the gift. A cartoon doughnut, all too familiar with cops and baristas alike, smiled up at her. Though she recognized the can a second before Piper, she wasn’t quick enough to get a word in.

“Where did you get that?” Piper demanded. She grabbed Nat’s arm and spun the girl around. “Did you leave Diamond City? After I told you not to? How could you? Do you know how dangerous it is out there?”

Tears welled up in Nat’s eyes. “The Southie caravan came in today. I bought it from them. They wanted so much but I talked them down. You would have been so proud. I paid with my own caps and everything!” She pulled away from Piper and bolted to her room.

Then all was quiet. Even the dog knew something was wrong, her dark soulful eyes darting between the two women. Tentatively, Jane reached out and touched Piper on the shoulder. She couldn’t see her face, but it wasn’t hard to imagine her expression.

“Hey,” she said softly. “You didn’t know.”

“Then I shouldn’t have assumed.”

Jane nodded. “True. And maybe that’s something she needs to know.”

Piper turned but her head remained bowed. “She’s all I have left.”

Ignoring the gaping hole in her heart, the detective in Jane wanted to follow up on the leading statement. There was a story behind the words, and she realized how little she knew of the woman who had taken her in. But, she also knew now wasn’t the time.

“Why don’t you and Dogmeat go get some of those noodles? It’s been a long day.” Piper raised her eyes, the question unspoken. “Let me talk to her first.”

Tugging the press hat down tightly, Piper sighed. “Yeah, okay. We’ll need some purified water for your coffee anyway.” She was almost at the door when Jane stepped in her path.

“Don’t be too hard on yourself. Life’s too short.”

“Says the 200-year old woman.”

Piper’s smile was short but warm, and Jane returned it in kind. Once the door closed, Jane turned toward Nat’s room. Though it would be obvious to anyone in the tiny home, she called out, “She’s gone.” Getting no response, she peeked around the cinder block wall. “Can I come in?” A shrug for an answer was no less that what she expected. Twelve year olds were the same in any millennium. “This is kinda cosy,” Jane said, admiring the comfort the small space offered. “Mind if I sit down?” Another shrug. Sitting crossed-legged beside Nat, Jane leaned back on her hands. “Ugh, this thing.” She unclipped the Pip-Boy and laid it in front of her. “Always gets in the way.” Jane fought a smirk when the young girl almost reached for the device.

Reigning in her curiosity, Nat pretended to be nonchalant when she asked, “Is it heavy?”

“Go on,” Jane encouraged. “I mean, if you want.”

The casual invitation was all Nat needed. “Oh! It is heavy.” A finger tapped on a dial. “Can I?” Jane opened her mouth but Nat beat her to the punch. “I mean, may I?”

They grinned and Jane nodded. The screen immediately came to life. Rather than ask what everything did, Nat simply scrolled through the options. It was a simple fearlessness that Jane admired.

“I used to... I know someone just like you. Curious like crazy.”

Nat looked up from the green glow. “Is it your friend?” Jane tilted her head in surprise. “You told me before you left, remember? You and my sister were going to Goodneighbor to try and find a friend. Did you find her?”

Eyes cast downward, Jane said, “No. No, I didn’t.”

Rather than give a sympathetic word, Nat surprised Jane by saying, “Well, don’t give up. I’ve heard the Commonwealth is huge! You never know, right?”

The encouragement warmed Jane. “Yeah, you’re right. You never know.” She watched Nat continue to pore over the Pip-Boy. “You know, your sister didn’t mean anything by it. Earlier, I mean.” Nat didn’t take her eyes off the screen, but she shrugged in acknowledgment. “She worries about you.”

“I can take care of myself.”

“I bet you can.”

“And she should have trusted me. I’m not stupid.”

“No, I can definitely tell you’re not. But you have to understand - you’re all she has left. And no matter how old you get, she’ll always be your older sister. She’ll always want to protect you. It’s what we do.”

“Do you have a younger sister?” She screwed up her face. “I guess I mean, did you?”

“Yeah, the whole ‘200 years later’ thing messes me up, too.” Jane grinned. “No sister, but I did have two younger brothers.” Her smile slipped, but she continued on. “Not as young as you, but I was still their big sister. Would’ve done anything to protect them. So maybe, you know, don’t be so hard on Piper?”

“I guess.” Nat’s grumble was met with a raised eyebrow to which the younger girl rolled her eyes. “Okay, okay.” Her attention returned to the Pip-Boy. “Did everyone in the vault get one of these?”

“No. Just the people who worked there.” She didn't go into the details of how she came to have one.

“So many options,” Nat said.

Jane leaned over the girl’s shoulder. “I don’t even know what half of them do.”

“Basic health meter,” Nat replied, showing her the menu. “There must be a sensor that goes against your skin, ‘cause you can see your radiation levels and everything. This is to keep track of what you’re carrying, but you gotta input it yourself or it’s not worth it.”

“Yeah, I might need to work on that.”

“This is your map,” the girl continued. “Wow. I think it only maps the places you’ve been. That’s cool!” She touched the screen. “See? Sanctuary Hills, Concord, Diamond City, Goodneighbor and the library. You need to get out more.” Jane chuckled at the order. “You even have a radio.” With a flick of the knob, the radio came to life.

“That one I did know,” Jane said. “Been listening to the classical station.”

Nat raised a disbelieving eyebrow. “Classical, huh? I’m more of a Diamond City radio person myself.”

Just as Nat was about to change the channel, she touched her arm. “Wait.”

“... in G Major, for the woman who helped the Minutemen in Concord. They thank you for your bravery. And so do I.”

The song began, but Jane wasn’t listening. Instead, she looked off, her expression full of wonder and hope.

“What is it?” Nat asked, somewhat alarmed.

“That’s her,” Jane replied. “That’s Maura.” Nat’s head tilt encouraged her to go on. “My friend. The one I’ve been looking for.”

Nat beamed. “Awesome!”

Jane gave her head a shake, as if waking from a dream. “I have to find this radio station. Do you know where it is?”

“No.” Her smile faltered though her encouragement remained. “Piper will know.”

Jane’s stomach chose that moment to make its presence known, and Nat giggled. “Speaking of your sister, where are those damn noodles?”

…..

Chapter Text

A/N: I avoid using actual dialogue from the show or the game, but in this chapter, I did lift a line for Travis; it's the one about Ella Fitzgerald. For those wondering if Maura's really alive...

.....

Interlude

Music wafted warmly through the small room, and she sat back to bask in the comfort. A hot tea sat nearby in a chipped mug, patiently awaiting her attention. The violin’s tap dance along the musical scale pulled the corners of her lips into a smile. She’d made the best with what she had, and considering who she was before the Great War, that might have come as a surprise to a lot of people.

But not Maura Isles.

Life had been good to her then, her status offering her more than most. A good house, a prestigious job, and every amenity she desired. What separated her from her peers was how she viewed her privilege: it was something she accepted with gratitude rather than entitlement. Having things was not the same as expecting them and more than once, she wondered if that difference had helped her stay alive.

She stood and walked the 15 steps it took to cross the room to the miniature green house. Lifting the cover, she gently pushed the leaves aside to examine her experiment. A small cluster of purple globes made her smile. While they might not end up as the tomatoes she once knew, she was certain she would be able to add this to her growing collection of vegetables. The thought made her smile even broader. The Southie caravan always admired her work, even if, in the beginning, it took them a while to trust that she wasn’t trying to poison them. Potatoes, cucumbers, and now tomatoes had long been extinct, but thanks to her diligence, she was able to genetically modify something resembling the original plants. Five persistent years, she reminded herself.

Because of her limited collection, she knew the song well enough to hear it was coming to an end. Normally, she’d change the holotape- playing a varied selection each day was something of a personal challenge- but today, she decided to let it continue to the next song. She was certain no one would notice. The station house was well outside Boston’s city limits, and with the exception of the caravan who showed up every other week to trade, she had no contact with anyone. Some might have found it a lonely life, but even if she didn’t have personal reasons to keep a low profile, it was never in her nature to be surrounded by people. Even before the war, her job as a medical examiner limited her contact with live people to those she worked with, a small handful she admired and trusted.

And loved.

She shook her head to banish the image that immediately sprung to mind, but it was too late. Why? You’ve done so well to forget her. She felt an itch at the base of her neck, a tell-tale sign she was lying. As if you could ever forget her. It didn’t help that the Southie caravan brought news of a brunette who had cleared Concord of its raiders and its Deathclaw. A woman who had helped the Minutemen and had asked for nothing in return. It reminded her of another woman in another time. Jane. She shook her head again, angrier this time. Stop. “Stop it. She’s gone.” The next song began, but the notes were sour to her ears.

…..

“Jane needs to know where the radio station is!”

Piper stepped sideways into the room and closed the door with a hip check after Dogmeat bounded in. Jane walked over to help with the bags while Nat bounced around like a maniac.

“Slow down, sport,” she told her sister. To Jane she said, “Thanks.”

Nat threw her arms around Piper’s waist. “I’m sorry about earlier. We need to help Jane find the radio station.”

Piper smiled at the stream of words. “Yeah, I got that the first time.” She hugged her again, then walked them both to the table. “What’s this about a radio station? Diamond City Radio is right here.”

“No, not that one,” Nat said, slipping into a chair. “The classical one.”

“You know, that only makes me wanna ask more questions.” Piper looked to Jane who was dishing out the noodles from containers to bowls.

Before Jane had a chance to reply, Nat blurted out, “It’s her friend. The one she’s looking for. She’s the voice of the classical station.”

Piper’s eyes went from mild curiosity to outright amazement. “What? How do you know?”

Jane carefully sat the bowls down, barely hiding the excited tremor in her hands. “Yeah,” she said, downplaying the news.

“‘Yeah’,” Piper echoed. “That’s it?”

Her face couldn’t continue the charade and she broke out into a smile as she sat. “Me and Nat were checking out the Pip-Boy.”

“‘Nat and I’,” Piper corrected.

“Nat and I,” Jane repeated drolly.

“It’s really cool!”

Piper held up a hand to Nat. “Later. The radio?”

“I’d never noticed it before,” Jane admitted. “I had the station on and off ever since I left the vault, but I’d never noticed anyone talking. I thought it was all automatic or something.”

“She rarely talks,” Piper concurred. Seeing the disbelief in her sister’s face, she said, “What? I can’t listen to classical music every once in awhile?” When no response came beyond a snort, she asked again, “How do you know it’s her?”

“I just do.” Jane heard her words and shook her head. “I know how that sounds. I can’t explain it; I just know.”

“After everything we saw in the vault?”

The reminder made Jane pause, but her conviction remained. “Yeah.”

“All you gotta do is knock on the door and you’ll find out straight away,” Nat offered between bites. “Easy.”

“I don’t know where it is.” Both sets of eyes landed on her. “What? I know it’ll come as a surprise, but I really don’t know everything. I mean, I know most things, but…”

The room was silent. Nat sat deflated at the apparent roadblock while Piper looked sheepish. It was Jane who spoke first.

“Okay. That’s okay. I was a detective, I can still… detect.” She smiled at Nat’s giggle. “I just need to approach this like I’m looking for a suspect.”

“So what’s our first step?”

Jane lightly snapped her fingers as if jump starting her brain. “Does someone run Diamond City Radio?”

“Travis Miles,” Nat answered immediately.

“Okay. So he’s the first guy to talk to.”

Piper nodded. “Maybe these radio types stick together.”

“Exactly.” She gave the reporter a smirk. “And what’s this about ‘our first step’?”

Piper shrugged off the question. “No way I’m missing a story about another 200 year old woman. Besides,” her voice softened, “I’d feel bad if you went through this alone.”

“I just… you know, don’t want you to think you have to help me. You’ve done so much already.”

Nat scoffed into her bowl. “That’s what she does. She wouldn’t be my sister if she didn’t help people.”

“Aww, now I feel bad for not buying you some gumdrops,” Piper said, flattered at her sister’s assessment.

“You can take her and I’ll take care of Dogmeat.”

“Now, not so bad.”

Jane smiled at the banter. “I just want you to know I appreciate it. I don’t know how I’ll ever repay you, but I’ll think of something.”

“All I ask for is an interview with the both of you.” Piper’s eyes lit up. “Maybe on the radio! Yeah. Piper Wright’s voice cast across the Commonwealth.” She waved a hand above her head as if lighting up a marquee.

“Uh-oh,” Nat said, “she’s talking about herself in the third person.”

Piper lightly slapped the girl’s arm. “Eat your noodles.”

“So… Travis Miles,” Jane said. “What do you know about him?”

“Hmmm, young guy. Seems nice enough, but he’s…”

Nat held up her fork. “A wet noodle.” She rewarded Dogmeat’s patience by giving her the noodle.

Jane tilted her head. “Sorry?”

“You know,” Piper said, “like, he’s got no backbone. Sweet, but you kinda want to shake some confidence in him.”

“How long’s he been with the radio station?”

“As long as I can remember.”

“Hey, are you being a detective right now?” Nat asked.

It hadn’t occurred to Jane, but she admitted, “Yeah, I guess I am.”

“Sounds a lot like being a reporter,” Piper said. “And stop feeding the dog from the table.” The order fell on deaf ears.

Jane could only shake her head. “Yeah, but when I don’t get the answers I want, I can shoot people.”

In unison, the sisters’ eyes widened and their mouths dropped open. With her eyes on her food, Jane pretended not to notice.

“Wow,” Nat whispered, breaking the silence and Jane’s charade.

Seeing Jane’s grin, Piper said, “Okay, you had me there. I was just thinking it’d be nice to be on the other side of trouble for once.”

“You, on the other side of trouble?”

“Yeah, yeah.”

Nat laughed. “Gee, she’s got you pegged, and she’s only known you for like two days. Here, girl.”

Dogmeat snapped at another noodle and barked in agreement while Piper good-naturedly basked in the ribbing.

…..

“Oh! Hey… hey there, Piper.”

Jane followed the reporter into the small trailer where every square inch was maximized to contain some piece of equipment. The room emitted a quiet buzz that hummed under the Billie Holiday tune that drifted out of the speakers. A young man in a red and white letter jacket quickly stood to greet them. His eyebrows appeared to be in a perpetual arch of distress under floppy dark bangs. He had mastered the art of appearing to look at a person by focusing on their forehead. Jane immediately sympathized.

“Hey there, Travis,” Piper replied. “How’s the Cassanova of the Commonwealth?”

“Uh… I don’t know?” He phrased the answer as a question.

Lightly tapping his arm, she said, “I’m talking about you. How’s Scarlett?”

His eyes lit up at the name though his hang dog expression didn’t change. “I don’t… I mean, I haven’t…”

Piper shook her head. “You mean you haven’t gone to see her yet?”

“Well, you know,” he stammered. “She’s amazing and I’m… I’m me.”

“Nothing wrong with being the shy, quiet type.” Jane spoke for the first time. “Lots of women appreciate it.”

“Travis, I’d like you to meet a friend. This is Jane. Jane, this is the voice of Diamond City Radio.”

He tentatively reached out to meet Jane’s extended hand. “Nice to meet you?”

She squeezed it, encouraging him to do the same. “There you go,” she said when he finally returned the gesture with some strength.

“Wait. Are you… You’re the woman who helped the Minutemen in Concord. You fought off a Deathclaw. Holy cow!”

Omitting the part about having a power armour suit, Jane shrugged. “They needed my help.”

“Everyone’s talking about it! Vault Girl and her trusty dog.”

Jane raised an eyebrow. “‘Vault Girl’?”

“Oh,” Piper said dreamily, “I can see the headlines now.”

“Well, I better not see them,” Jane grumbled.

Travis laughed- a real genuine laugh, and Piper nodded her head appreciatively at Jane. “We’re here to see if we can get your help,” she said to the DJ.

“Mine? Hold on a second. I just gotta… the song’s over.” He darted over to the electronic board and flipped a switch. “Billie Holiday, folks,” he said into the microphone. “Up next…” his finger hovered over an assortment of buttons, “Uh…Next is Ella Fitzgerald who doesn’t like when people can’t decide things. Then sings about it.”

As the horns ushered in the song, Jane took another look around the small room. “This is a nice set-up. You run all this yourself?”

“Yeah.”

She smiled. “Nice.”

A red flush stained his cheeks. “Uh, you said you needed my help?”

“We’re trying to find out who runs the classical station,” Piper explained.

“Oh.” Rubbing his hand across his brow, he frowned and said, “I don’t know.”

Jane didn’t let the answer deter her. “Do you know where it is?”

His expression turned sheepish. “No. I… I mean, why would I?”

She clamped down her instinct to push. His reply was clearly a nervous one, not the evasiveness she was so accustomed to from suspects. She tried to put him at ease with a shrug. “We just thought maybe you radio types had a group.”

The image seemed to amuse him because he smiled. “No. No, we pretty much keep to ourselves.” He snapped his fingers. “Uh, you know… based on the signal, it’s gotta be… I mean, I’m pretty sure it’s north of here. I’ve heard it doesn’t get much farther south than Neponset Park, so… I guess that doesn’t help, huh?”

“No, you know what? That does help,” Jane said.

“Re-really?”

“Sure. If I’m going to walk all over the Commonwealth to find it, at least I’ll be in the right area.”

Piper blinked. “You’re going back out there?”

“Wow,” Travis whispered.

“What? How else am I going to find her?”

“She must be something special,” he said. “For you to risk your life like that.”

Such was her nature to risk her life for those she loved that it never occurred to her to give it a second thought. It was the reactions of both Piper and Travis that made her realize the magnitude of her actions. Somewhat humbled by their admiration, Jane glanced down at her feet.

“Yeah, she is.” Looking up at Travis, she remembered what Piper had said when they walked in. “It’s what you do for people you love.”

He must have remembered it, too, because he offered a bashful shrug. “Yeah, well… anyway… if you’re going back out there…” He shuffled through some papers on his desk. Handing a folded piece to Jane, he said, “The caravan gave me this. Sorry I read it, but I… how else would I know what it said?” Jane dipped her head in understanding. “The mechanic of the USS Constitution is looking for help. Kind of funny… like in a coincidental funny… he asked for you specifically… to see if I could pass the message to you. And here you are.”

Jane flipped open the note. Without a word, she passed it to Piper who chortled.

“‘Dear Vault Girl’,” Piper read aloud.

“Maybe he could help you?” Travis ventured. “He must see a lot, right?” He covered a chuckle with a nervous laugh.

“He wants you to go to the ship and help repair it,” Piper continued.

“Sounds simple enough,” Jane replied. “What’s the catch? Deathclaws? Super mutants? Flies as big as my head?”

Piper brushed aside the sarcasm. “Only scavengers. Like, Raider wannabes. Nothing we need to worry about.”

Jane caught the use of the plural and smiled. Travis watched the exchange in wonder.

“You two… you two are great. I can’t imagine just deciding ‘Hey, let’s go walking around the Commonwealth.’ You… you guys are really brave.”

“Or really stupid,” Piper snorted.

Ignoring the jibe, Jane said, “When we come back, you’ll have talked to Scarlett, right?”

He blanched. “What? Me? Oh… no, I don’t…” Jane pinned him with a steely gaze. “What I meant to say was… yeah. I mean yes. Yes, ma’am.”

“Could be worse,” Piper mock-whispered, leaning into Jane’s shoulder. “He could’ve called you ‘Miss Vault Girl’.”

…..

The night was warm on their way back to Publick Occurrences. Though the day had now crept into evening, Diamond City was still bustling with citizens and traders alike. Strings of light stretched from building to building; someone shouted something about haircuts, another displayed weapons. There was a sense of camaraderie that surprised Jane.

“I still can’t believe you made a city out of Fenway.”

“‘Fenway’,” Piper repeated with a smile. “I like that name.”

“Used to come here all the time with Pop and watch the game.” She saw Piper wrinkle her nose. “What?”

“Baseball.”

Jane stopped in her tracks. “What’s wrong with baseball?”

“All that violence. The killing.”

She turned her ear towards Piper. “Pardon?”

“Yeah. Players beating each other to death with baseball bats? No thank you.”

“Wha-? Who told you that’s how baseball was played?”

“Moe Cronin over at Swatters.”

The chuckle began as a small rumble in her throat until it burst forward as a full laugh. “That’s not baseball at all! It’s 9 guys trying to hit a ball-” She realized getting into the specifics of the sport would take more than a few minutes, so she said. “I’ll tell you all about it later. Just know Moe’s talking out of his ass.”

“Good. Because I gotta admit, it didn’t seem to fit the kind of person I think you are.”

They began walking again. “Oh? And just what kind of person do you think I am?”

Piper shrugged. “Loyal. Brave. The kind of person who protects people, not beats them to death with a baseball bat.”

Jane pondered the assessment. “I’ve killed some people.”

“The Raiders in Concord? You didn’t have a choice. They would have killed you. You did it to protect the Minutemen.”

“You’re all about helping people, aren’t you?”

“What do we have left out here if we don’t have our humanity?”

“You know…” She shook her head.

“What?”

“Nothing. Just… you remind me a lot of Maura.”

“She must be an awesome person, because…” Piper pointed to herself and preened.

Jane laughed again. “Yeah, she’s pretty awesome. You’re okay, too.”

“Just ‘okay’? Hmph.” Her outrage was betrayed by her smile. “Saved by our arrival,” she said as they came upon the news building.

A single lamp was left on, but it was an otherwise dark and quiet home. Dogmeat poked her head around the corner of the cinder blocks, and when she discovered who it was, promptly returned to Nat.

“She asleep already?” Jane asked.

Piper checked in on the young girl who was curled up around the dog. “Yeah,” she said. “Hard day for the both of them, I guess.” She took a moment longer to watch her sister before turning back to Jane.

“She’s a good kid.”

Piper agreed. “I’m lucky to have her.”

“You’re lucky to have each other.”

A small but charged exchange passed between them. The dim room couldn’t hide the blush that tinted Piper’s cheeks. She looked away from Jane and coughed. “I wish I had something better to offer you than the couch.”

Jane held onto it just a moment longer before saying, “It’s fine, really. I appreciate it.”

Still looking at her feet, Piper said, “You know, in another time, I would offer…” Her gesture towards the upstairs bedroom filled in for what she couldn’t say. When this got no response, Piper coughed to cover her embarrassment. “Anyway… I’ll be up there if you… need something proofread or anything.”

Piper was three steps up the stairs when Jane called out, “Hey.” The reporter turned, and Jane’s words stumbled under the curious gaze. “I, uh… I just…” She closed her eyes and chastised herself for her insecurity. Drawing in a strong breath, she said, “In another time, I’d accept.”

The smile spread like a welcoming warmth. Jane’s admission gave Piper some of her bravado back. Repeating the self-appraising pose from their walk, she asked rhetorically, “How could you not? Now, go to sleep. We’ve got a long day ahead of us.”

…..

Chapter Text

A/N: Flashbacks in italics. 

…..

She had heard things second-hand.

The sniggering.

The sexism.

The not-so-thinly-veiled insults.

But, she had never said anything, simply because she hadn’t actually seen it for herself. Until today.

“The body temperature was 94.4, which puts it well within the definition of hypothermia.”

A serial killer had gripped Boston in the summer of 2074, and the situation had become so desperate that all units had been called into the case. The first step had been to bring everyone up to speed on the current information, so, with 53 officers and detectives pressed into an office, Dr. Maura Isles walked them through the scientific evidence.

A voice called out from the back. “So you’re saying the female victim was frigid?” A chuckle rippled through the group.

Oblivious to the suggestiveness in the query, she replied, “Yes, I would classify her as frigid.”

“And she’d know!”

The last jibe came from Detective Crowe, the ringleader of a 6-month campaign to subtly undermine the new medical examiner.

“Maybe if you paid attention to Dr. Isles, your solve rate wouldn’t be the worst in the state.” All eyes turned to Jane, including those of the doctor.

Crowe bristled at some of the laughter now directed his way. “What a surprise, lesbo Rizzoli riding in on her white horse to save the day.”

It didn’t surprise Jane to hear the detective throw out that insult. Rather than rise to the bait, she simply retorted with a raised eyebrow. Her refusal to engage brought a pulsing vein to Crow’s temple.

“All things considered,” he tried again, “I’d rather have the doctor riding, if you know what I mean.”

The dart hit its target.

“The only person that needs saving is your wife from your Sugar Bomb addiction.” Jane wiggled her finger at Crowe’s crotch. “Can you even see it anymore?” The second the words were out of her mouth, she winced, angry she had lowered herself to his level.

A murmur spread across the room, some egging on the confrontation, others stepping between the two in an attempt to put out the fire before it spread. Jane nodded at Crowe who was pointing and shouting. Her partner slapped aside the detective’s finger. The office wasn’t big enough to contain the small fracas that was on the verge of boiling over.

“Detectives!”

The room came to an immediate halt. Maura, all 5’4” of her, stood like an imposing sentry, cutting everyone at the knees with her burning gaze. Her expression was one of stern professionalism, betrayed only slightly by the flare of her nostrils.

“Five young women have been brutally murdered. Five families have daughters who will never come home. In the midst of your childish behaviour, perhaps you could keep that in mind.” The group looked suitably ashamed, none more so than Jane. “Now,” Maura said, “shall we continue?”

…..

“Detective Rizzoli, if I could have a word with you in my office.”

It was less of a question than a command, and Maura was in the elevator before Jane could reply. In the examiner’s 6-month tenure, it was the first time Jane could recall her having said anything not case-related. By the time she realized she hadn’t answered, the elevator had closed.

“Dammit.”

“You’re in the doghouse now, Jane.” Korsak smiled from his desk.

“So you heard that, right? I thought maybe I was imagining things.”

He jerked his head towards the stairwell. “Better get going. I’d hate to have to identify your body.”

Jane smirked. “You probably wouldn’t find enough pieces to I.D. me. Back in a sec.”

The morgue was never one of her favourite places - it was always a bit too cool, a bit too sterile, a bit too quiet. She liked warm Saturdays at Fenway with rowdy cheers, spilled popcorn and beer. This was a library where she should be studying for her biology test. Even her knock on the door was subdued. In fact, she was worried it was too soft when the medical examiner didn’t react. Her knuckles were poised to try it a little louder when Maura acknowledged her presence. Without looking up from her stack of paper, the doctor said, “Please, come in.”

“Like Principal Wilson’s office all over again,” Jane muttered under her breath.

Maura lifted her eyes. “Sorry?”

“Nothing. Finish what you’re doing.”

Jane pondered which abstract piece of furniture was meant to be used as a chair, and by the time Maura finished her work, Jane still hadn’t decided. She was saved by Maura’s formal greeting.

“Thank you for stopping by.”

“I didn’t think I had much choice.”

Maura looked somewhat apologetic. “Yes, I can see now how my request might have been interpreted.”

Jane waved away the comment. “Anyway, what can I do for you?”

“Funny you should put it that way,” she replied. “I would like to ask you to not do something for me.”

“Okay…”

“I would consider it a personal favour if you didn’t defend me in the future.”

Jane’s open expression slammed shut. “Pardon?”

“When you defend me in front of people, it puts me in an awkward position.”

Jane couldn’t believe her ears. “Okay, first of all, if I don’t defend you in front of people, who am I going to defend you in front of? A mirror? Second, you’re okay with Crowe making suggestive remarks about you ‘riding’ him, but I get called to the principal’s office for calling him out on it?”

“Oh,” she said softly. “I didn’t know what he… I’m not very good with… Regardless.”

“Regardless? That’s it? ‘Regardless’?” She lifted her hands in frustration and slapped them against her thighs. “I don’t get it.”

Maura fidgeted with a pen before placing it in a cup. Struggling for words, she finally said, “I will never have the respect of Detective Crowe. I could solve this case by myself, catch the killer by myself, and it still wouldn’t be enough for him. In fact, it’s been my experience that the harder I work to impress someone, the less likely it will work.” Jane glowered at the idea. “I have resigned myself to his demeanour so long as it doesn’t affect the cases we work on. He will never respect me, and because of that, I will never respect him. But I respect you, Detective.”

Jane was pleasantly surprised by the comment. “I respect the hell out of you, too, Doc.”

Maura smiled. “I know you do. At least, I hope you do. Which is why I want us to work as equals.”

She pondered the words. “But we’re not equals if I’m jumping up to defend you. Makes you look weak.” The last sentence was barely above a whisper. “I’m sorry.”

Maura stood and made her way around the desk. “Oh, no, please don’t be. I’m extremely touched that you would think enough of me to say something.”

“There’s just a time and place for everything,” Jane finished.

“Yes.”

“Gotcha. Still, I reserve the right to punch Crowe in the face at some point in the future.”

“I’m certain at some point in the future, he’ll give you a reason to do so.”

“Oh, good one!” Jane beamed, pointing a finger at her and winking.

“You loved her even then, didn’t you?”

Jane spun at the voice and nearly jumped out of her skin when she saw Travis standing in the corner. Her eyes darted to Maura who stood frozen in time. “I’m dreaming, aren’t I?”

Travis rolled his eyes. “Of course you are. But you didn’t answer my question.”

“Now I know I’m dreaming because you’re awfully ballsy.” He stared at her blankly. “Fine. Yeah.” She looked at Maura again. “Yeah, I did.”

He had little sympathy for her. “And people think I’m a coward.”

She started towards him, eyes blazing. “Who are you calling-”

“Jane.” Maura’s voice stopped her in her tracks. She turned to look at the doctor who was still smiling. “C’mon, Blue.”

Jane sat up immediately, causing Piper to stagger backwards.

“Hey, sorry!” Piper said. “Looked like someone was about to get a beatdown.”

Sleep’s fog slowly dissipated and Jane’s eyes came into focus. Looking down at her hands, she realized they were clutched into fists. She snorted at the discovery. “Yeah, I was going to kick some ass.”

“Why keep it in your dreams when we can kick some ass in the Commonwealth?”

Jane rubbed her eyes. “I’ve created a monster.”

“Oh, don’t worry. She was always like that.” Nat hoisted a bag over her shoulder before carefully bringing a mug to Jane.

“Is that… coffee??”

“Sure is!” the girl chirped. Her smile faltered slightly when she looked into the dark brew. “Not sure why you’re so excited about it, but okay.” She handed the cup to Jane, then gave her sister a quick hug. “Be careful.”

“Be good at school,” Piper said.

“Yeah, yeah, I will. C’mon Dogmeat, let’s go!” The two friends bolted out the door.

“I can’t believe I was betrayed by my own dog. For noodles.” She glanced down and saw the coffee grinds floating in the cup. “Think we can find coffee filters in the Wasteland?”

…..

“Is it really that different?”

“After I got past the sludge, the coffee was okay.”

Piper grinned. “That’s not what I mean and you know it. Every time we come out here, you look at it like it’s a new world. I mean, I guess it is, but… has it really changed that much?”

They were making their way to the Charlestown Navy Yards, their pace not so much leisurely as cautiously, because of potential confrontations and the uneven terrain. It would take them just over an hour to get to their destination, and they were in no hurry. They hadn’t seen another soul on the road in the last 30 minutes. Jane was thankful, though she knew it was one less person she might ask about Maura. She sighed inwardly. It didn’t help her heart that the most direct path to the yards was up Beacon Street, an area all too familiar with her even in its post-apocalyptic state.

Realizing she hadn’t answered the question, Jane said, “It’s weird. I recognize so much, but it’s really just memories. I mean, none of this is the same, obviously. Weird. Feelings. I don’t know.” She stole a glance at Piper. “You know what else is weird? The fact that, in over 200 years, no one’s decided to clean up this mess.” She gestured to the surroundings. “No one?”

Kicking a small stone, Piper shrugged. “We don’t have a government, no one to take charge. Don’t let the mayor fool you - he’s not much more than a figurehead for authority. He might have been chosen by the folks in Diamond City, but he doesn’t carry much weight.”

“Except for the extra tire around his waist.”

Piper grinned. “He never wants for a box of Fancy Lads, that’s for sure.”

“So why was he chosen?”

“Fear-mongering, plain and simple,” Piper spit out. “There’s a big panic about ghouls coming into Diamond City and taking over. He promised it would never happen under his care. I’ll give him that much. It hasn’t.”

“Ghouls. Like Daisy?” When Piper nodded, Jane could only shake her head. “I can’t say I know much about this life, but it’s nice to see some things don’t change in 200 years.” Her disgusted expression told the true meaning behind her words.

“The world changes but the people stay the same. So tell me what this used to be like.”

“The world or Boston?”

“Whichever. How about Beacon Hill? Seems like you know it well, despite the new look.”

There didn’t seem to be any reason to avoid the truth. “Maura used to live here.”

“Ah.” Piper hesitated for a moment. “Okay, you can tell me to mind my own business - can’t count how many times I’ve heard that in my life - but you and Maura. What’s the story?”

“I was stupid.” The words caught both of them off-guard. Jane covered her embarrassment with a shot of trademark humour. “Yeah, I know that will come as a surprise to you. And if it doesn’t, you better pretend.” Piper touched the brim of her hat in compliance. Jane stopped in front of a hollowed out building. Her eyes took in the ramshackle house, while her memories filled in the missing pieces.

“You came here a lot,” Piper said.

“Yeah. We worked together. But, yeah. It… it was more than that.”

“You never told her.” Piper’s voice was devoid of judgement. “That’s why you said you were stupid.”

Jane fought the pinpricks behind her eyes. “I thought I had all the time in the world.”

“Imagine having a chance 200 years later to make things right.”

The reporter refused to engage in the melancholy, and the hope in her words lifted Jane’s spirit. “And why are you single again?”

Piper blew out a disparaging breath between her lips. “Are you kidding? Have you seen what Diamond City has to offer? Besides, who says I’m not waiting for my own Miss Vault Girl to come find me?”

Whatever despondency that might have lingered was swept away with a grin and a wink, and Jane couldn’t help but laugh. “Whatever, Vault groupie. We’re almost there.”

Piper took the lead, giving Jane an extra moment alone. The remains of what was stood as a reminder of what would never be again. Tucking away her memories, she started on her way, determined to focus on what was ahead instead of what was behind.

…..

Chapter Text

A/N: Spoilers for The Last Voyage of the U.S.S Constitution quest. Those who play the game might notice I’ve condensed the quest. I did that mainly to streamline the chapter so those who don’t play the game could follow along.

…..

“That little shit.”

Jane couldn’t take her eyes off the ship. “Who?”

“Travis,” Piper said. “When he told us about the mechanic of the Constitution. ‘He must see a lot’. Remind me to tell him that wasn’t even a little bit funny.” Her gaze rose to the big ship in the sky. “How do you think it got up there?”

Bringing her hand up to shield the sun, Jane could only shake her head. The ship stood majestically on the roof of the Weatherby Savings & Loan building. “I can tell you this much, that’s not where it was the last time I saw it.”

“Huh. So how do we get up there?”

Jane pointed at a door. “Let’s hope the elevator still works.”

They just stepped inside the entrance when a robot approached them. Both women drew their weapons forcing the machine to raise his two spindly metal arms.

“I am Lookout,” he said. “I am only here to direct. Welcome to the USS Constitution. May I ask the purpose of your visit?”

Content that the situation was safe, Jane holstered her rifle over shoulder. “We’re here to see Bosun. The mechanic?”

A camera-like eye tilted down as if he were nodding. “And you are?”

“Piper Wright,” Jane said, introducing the woman to her left. “I’m Jane Rizzoli. Bosun sent a message to-”

The shutter opened to its fullest range. “Why, yes!” he exclaimed. “My goodness! The esteemed Vault Girl! Bosun sent the message but never expected a reply. He’ll be so pleased.”

“I’m happy for him,” Jane deadpanned. “Where could I find him?”

“Oh, you must talk to the Captain first,” Lookout said. “He’ll be at the very top.”

Jane sighed. “Of course.”

“Please take the elevator at the end of the hall.”

“At least we don’t have to take the stairs,” Piper whispered.

“Keep your guard up,” Jane warned. “I don’t trust it.”

Her caution was all for naught, however, as they made it to the top without incident. The door slid open, letting them directly out onto the ship. A cool breeze greeted them in the open deck, as well as a massive sentry bot. Jane couldn’t help but break into a smile.

“Ironsides?!”

The robot rolled closer, his metal frame gleaming in the sun. “Captain Ironsides, yes.”

“Oh my god. You were the guide when I took the tour. I was 11. Wow.”

“State your name, young lady.”

“Jane. Jane Rizzoli.”

It only took a moment for the name to be found in his memory banks. “You had a brother with the given name ‘Frankie’ and another who was bestowed the moniker of ‘Tommy’. Hmph,” he grunted. “That one was a scallywag.”

“He stole your hat,” Jane said.

“Which is why I have stored your names in my memory all these years. But it has been many years, hasn’t it?”

She nodded. “Do you know? I mean, do you…”

“Do I understand it’s been 236 years since I’ve last set my sensors on you, Miss Rizzoli? Yes, I do. I’m well aware of the world in which we find ourselves. But I must ask: how in the world did YOU find yourself here, two centuries later?”

“To be honest, Ironsides, I don’t know.” She looked up at the big robot. “Sorry. ‘Captain’ Ironsides. I was in a vault, then I woke up.”

“You’ll never make a good reporter,” Piper said. “Better not get paid by the word, that’s for sure.”

“My auditory system may not be what it was, and I beseech you to repeat your claim,” he said. “Did you say you came from a vault?” She nodded her reply. “You’re Miss Vault Girl?!”

“People really need to stop calling me that.”

“My apologies. We were at a loss for a proper title when we sent out the distress message.”

“Well, I got it, and we’re here to help.”

“Then please, have a word with Bosun. He lingers on the third deck.” Just as Jane turned to leave he added, “Please return once you’re finished. I would be incredibly honoured to talk with you about old times.”

…..

“Aw, you made a little robot friend. Or a big robot friend,” Piper said. “Do you really remember him from back then?”

“Ma and Pop gave us some money to entertain ourselves one Saturday. They dropped us off at the Yards and told us to stay out of trouble. Ma said, ‘Janie, you better make sure your brothers don’t fall into the harbour!’” She smiled at the memory. “We nearly got kicked out because Tommy somehow climbed up Ironsides’ back and stole his hat. I’m pretty sure I saw a robot turn red with rage that day.”

Piper grinned. “You told him you were 11. How old were your brothers?”

“Six and four. They were good kids. I mean, the stolen hat thing aside.”

She was saved from further reminiscences when they reached the third deck where they were met by another robot.

“You must be Bosun,” Jane said. “I’m Miss Vault Girl.” She ignored Piper’s snicker. “But why don’t we call me ‘Jane Rizzoli’ from now on, okay?”

“Miss…” he quickly corrected himself, “Rizzoli! You came!”

“Yep, here in the flesh. So what can we do for you?”

“We need some repairs, and as you can see,” he held up the remains of his mechanical arms, “I am in no position to do much of anything.”

Jane narrowed her eyes. “So why did you ask for me? You could’ve gotten anyone to fix whatever it is.”

Somehow, the robot looked sheepish. “There may be a missing piece that requires some bravery in obtaining.”

“Go on.”

“That’s Mr. Navigator’s department,” Bosun said defensively. “In the meantime, it won’t matter for anything if you can’t fix the three power cables needed.”

“Why exactly do you need things fixed?” Piper asked. “It’s not like this ship’s going anywhere any time soon. Or ever.”

“That’s where you’re wrong,” he replied with pride. “The Captain has planned to move the ship.”

Jane pulled back in skeptical surprise. “With what? Rockets?”

“Yes, actually. It’s how we got up here in the first place.”

Piper nodded. “That answers that question.”

“Okay, so where are these cables and what do I have to do to fix them?”

In the end, it was a simple task, though understandably made more difficult by Bosun’s lack of appendages. The cords were located throughout the ship, and it was only a matter of replacing old parts with new. The entire job took them less than an hour to complete, and when it was over, all three stood back proudly.

“It feels good to get my hands dirty again,” Jane admitted.

“You are pretty good with your hands,” Piper said.

Jane blushed at the unintended double entendre. Wiping her hands on her pants, she asked the mechanic, “So what’s next?”

“Mr. Navigator is on the top deck,” he informed them. “I’m sure he’ll be just as pleased with your efforts as I am. I can’t thank you enough.”

Working their way back up top, Piper said, “I kept trying not to ask him if he needed a hand. Because, you know…”

“He didn’t have any,” Jane finished. “You’re horrible.”

“Jane Rizzoli!” Yet another robot greeted them on the top deck.

From the side of her mouth, Piper whispered, “Are there any humans on this ship besides us?”

“Bosun sent up word,” the machine said. “I’m the navigator of this fine vessel.”

“Hence the name ‘Mr. Navigator’,” Piper murmured, barely avoiding an elbow in the ribs from Jane.

“I heard you have some kind of job for us,” Jane said, getting right to the point.

“Direct, I like that. From A to B, just like a good navigator. Yes, I have a job for you. While replacing the power cables is all well and good, the ship will go nowhere without a guidance chip to tell it where to go. Specifically, the NX-42 guidance chip.”

“Okay. Why am I worried you’re about to give me bad news?”

“The last known whereabouts of this chip is with the scavenger scum below.” The robot all but spit out the words.

“On the ground?” Jane asked.

“They have a settlement at the end of the docks.”

“We came from the west,” Piper told him. “Must’ve missed them.”

“I take it they can’t be reasoned with,” Jane surmised. “No money or bottle caps or anything?”

“They only want one thing: this ship. I will fight to my dying breath to prevent that from happening.”

“Do robots breathe?” Piper wondered.

Jane elbowed her again before saying, “Okay. We’ll do it. But you’ve got to do something for me.”

This seemed to pique the navigator’s curiosity, because his mechanical camera eye turned slightly to the left. “Considering what you’ve done already, it seems like a small price to pay, if I can. What can I do?”

“I need some information. I’m looking for someone. A Maura Isles. She would be from a vault, like me.”

“As you can imagine, we don’t get many human visitors.”

She nodded. “I know. Maybe I’d have better luck if I asked you if you’d seen a radio station.”

“Oh yes, I can see one in Diamond City from here.”

“Can you see one anywhere else?”

His internal processors whirred. “Yes.” She leaned forward, encouraging him to go on. “Radio Freedom.”

“It’s at The Castle,” Piper said. “Belongs to the Minutemen. That’s not the one we’re looking for.”

“May I ask what it is you are looking for?” he asked.

“The classical station. I don’t think it has a name. Just plays classical music.”

“I’m afraid I don’t have the information you require. But I will endeavour to help you however I can.”

Jane tried to be thankful instead of disappointed. “Thanks, Navigator.” To Piper she said, “Okay, let’s get this done.”

On the trip back down to ground level, Piper asked, “Exactly how do you propose we get the chip?”

“Only two ways I can see,” she answered. “Persuasion or force.”

“Why do I get the feeling you’re more of a forcefully persuasive person?”

“What? You don’t think I can sweet-talk?”

Piper covered a smirk. “It’s a shame I’ll never find out.”

Jane ignored the comment’s suggestiveness. “Head’s up. We’ve been spotted. Don’t pull your weapon unless you have to.”

A group of four approached, guns drawn. A woman stepped forward and sneered, “State your business!”

“I don’t want trouble,” Jane called out. “I’m just looking for something.”

“Lookin’ for trouble,” a man cackled.

“No,” Jane said, “a chip. A navigation chip.”

The woman frowned. “A what? What’s that for?”

Jane shot a look at Piper, putting a halt to any retort that might have been on the reporter’s lips. Piper recognized the warning and pouted.

“It’s for the ship.” Jane thumbed in the direction of the rooftop.

The man raised his gun directly at Jane. “You’re helpin’ those buckets of bolts?”

“I’m helping myself,” she replied calmly, keeping the situation diffused. “They’ve offered me 200 dol… caps to get it. What they do with it is none of my business.”

The woman rested on her hip. “What makes you think we have it?”

“The bucket of bolts told me.”

This brought a smirk to the scavenger’s face. “You got a sensa humour. I like that. But why should we give it to you?”

Jane seemed to ponder the question. “When they give me the caps, I’ll come back and split it with you.”

Contemplating the offer, the woman said, “I’ll tell ya what - you give me the whole amount and you place this detonator on the ship.”

The suggestion made Jane’s eyebrows go up. “You want me to blow up the ship?”

“We hate those bastards!” someone from the group shouted.

“We’ve been at war with those fuckin’ robots for years,” the woman elaborated. “Nothin’ would make me happier than takin’ their caps and gettin’ rid of that eyesore.” She snapped her fingers at one of her cohorts who stepped forward with two small items in his hands. “The chip and a little surprise.”

“You guys just carry around that stuff on the off-chance you’ll run into someone to do your dirty work for you?”

Jane shot another look at Piper who was clearly unimpressed by the proposal. “I don’t know anything about explosives,” Jane said.

“Don’t worry about it,” the man replied. “That’s what I’m here for.”

“Explosive Eddie,” the spokeswoman said. “Named for his bowel movements and his bomb tech.”

Both Jane and Piper wrinkled their noses. “I could’ve lived my whole life not knowing that,” the reporter grimaced.

“Fine,” Jane agreed, holding out her hands. “How long do I have before this thing goes off?”

“It won’t go off unless you turn it on,” Eddie told her. “After that, it’ll send a signal to my receiver, then boom! I’ll give you five minutes to get out.”

Jane contemplated the plan. “Fine. But it better be five minutes.”

“Or what?” the woman asked, icy cold. “Not like you’ll be around to come find us if it isn’t.”

She conceded the point with hard stare of her own. “Five minutes.” She turned without another word.

…..

“I’m not going to do it, Gloomy Gus.” Piper continued ahead of Jane, pretending not to hear. Well out of range of the scavengers, Jane said, “The bomb? Not going to happen.”

Piper stopped in her tracks. “What do you mean?”

“What do you think I mean? I told Navigator I’d get him the chip. I got the chip.” She held up the device.

“You also told the scavengers you’d set a bomb on the ship.”

“Yeah, well obviously I’m only keeping one of those promises.”

The idea that Jane lied seemed to catch Piper off-guard. “What?”

“Persuasion or force,” Jane reminded her. “I went with persuasion.”

“You went with a lie.”

“Is that a problem?”

Piper frowned. “I just don’t like people lying to me.”

Reaching for Piper’s elbow, Jane said, “Hey. I would never lie to you. You’re the only person I can trust. I’m not going to mess that up. Yes, I lied to the scavengers. I thought it was the best option. Unless you want me to plant the bomb…”

“No!” Piper quickly replied. “That poor mechanic’s already lost enough appendages.” The image made them smile. “Okay, I get it. I’m just not used to playing both sides. I’m pretty black and white.”

Jane’s mouth dropped in feigned shock. “No!” Getting a broader grin from the reporter, she asked, “We good?”

“Yeah, we’re good.”

…..

Despite being a machine, the navigator somehow managed to look surprised when Jane held out the chip.

“You’ve retrieved it!”

“All in a day’s work for Miss Vault Girl!” Piper proudly proclaimed, ignoring Jane’s glare.

“Let us go to the upper deck,” the robot said. “We can install the chip there.”

They were greeted by Ironsides. “Miss Rizzoli!” he bellowed. “I welcome your return both as the captain of this fine vessel and as a nostalgic friend.”

“Right back atcha,” Jane replied.

“She’s returned with the chip,” the other robot announced. “We’re one step closer to launching the ship, Captain!”

“Then I shall endeavour to stay out of your way while you perform what could very well be a historic duty!”

“He doesn’t take anything half-measures, does he?” Piper whispered to Jane.

She smirked but didn’t reply. Instead, she glanced around the deck. “What’s next?”

The navigator lead the women to the corner of the deck. “I think it’s only fitting that you do the honours.” He gestured to a circuitry board and glided to the side.

“No pressure,” Piper mock-whispered.

Stepping forward, Jane touched the chip to its housing before saying, “Here goes nothing.” There was a ‘click’, but nothing more. Puzzled, she looked at the robot. “What happened?”

“Oh, that’s only Phase One, Miss Rizzoli,” he replied with cheer. “Now we need to repair the Poseidon Radar Transmitter.”

“Uh-huh,” Jane muttered. “Why do I feel like a dog chasing its tail?”

“It’s a simple fix,” he assured her, “but one we knew would be fruitless without having the chip first.”

Fortunately for all involved - including Jane’s patience - it wasn’t a lie. The transmitter, which set off to the side, required nothing more than the re-connection of some wires and a tightening of some screws. But when there was no sign of happiness from the navigator, Jane’s eyes narrowed.

“What now?”

Even Piper had reached the end of her rope. “Oh for cryin’ out loud!”

He held up a metallic hand in a conciliatory gesture. “Just one more request, I promise.”

Knowing an emotional outburst would be lost on the machine, Jane inhaled deeply, then asked, “What is it?”

“The FLL3 Turbo Pump.”

The women stared blankly in return. “Spit it out,” Piper said.

Her steely tone brought out an uncharacteristic stammer from the navigator. “We… we don’t have one. Not one that works.”

“What a surprise,” Piper said. “Okay. Where would we find one of these pumps?”

Jane held up a finger. “Wait. You have one here?”

“Yes.”

“Let me see it.”

“But Miss, it’s broken. We’ve tried everything to-”

“Navigator.” Her tone brooked no argument.

“Yes, of course,” he quickly replied. “One moment.”

“This is like Red Menace,” Piper commented drolly. When this got an interested look from Jane, she said, “The game? You know, where you climb ladders to save the princess but when you get to the top, the monster just takes her to another place that has more ladders. I hate that game.”

The navigator returned with two pieces in his clutches. “As requested, Miss.”

Jane turned them over several times, examining them through squinted eyes. “I can fix this.”

“You can?” the robot and Piper asked in unison.

“Sure. My pop was a plumber. This is straight out of the 2070s. Just tell me you have a soldering iron and solder. And I’ll need 3 negative charge wires. They’ve got a yellow housing around them.”

He swivelled back and forth in a motion that resembled excitement. “Yes, yes! We have those.”

As he darted off once more, Piper asked, “You can really fix it?”

Jane nodded. “We haven’t gotten to that part in the interview, have we?” She smiled. “I used to go with Pop on all his jobs. He wanted me to take over the business.” She looked off to the side.

“Don’t do it to yourself, Blue,” Piper said softly, the memories clearly written across Jane’s face.

“Yeah, I know.”

The robot chose that moment to return, much to Jane’s relief. “Anything else?” he asked, depositing the items at her feet. “I have permission from the captain to tear this ship from stem to stern if you require more.”

“Hold up, Gort. That won’t be necessary. Now step back - I’m a semi-trained professional.”

Navigator took her words at face value and slid out of the way, but Piper only stepped closer.

“What?” the reporter asked. “It’s the little details that sell the story, you know.”

“Uh-huh. For the record, if this isn’t the last thing we have to do on this ship, I’m welding that robot’s arms together.”

“I’ll be glad to hold him down for you.”

Jane chuckled, then got to work. Though it had been over 200 years since she had last helped her father, once the tools were in her hands, it felt like it was only yesterday. She wondered if being in stasis for all those years somehow condensed it all in her mind. It was a disconnect with time that kept her feeling off-balance. With a slight shake of her head, she banished the thought and focused on her task at hand. In the end, it was hardly a job at all, and she sat back on her heels with pride.

“Uh, is that good?” Piper asked, scrutinizing the pump.

“Good?” Jane echoed. “Good? That is some of the best work you’ll ever see,” she exclaimed, using the soldering gun to punctuate her words.

“O-kay, if you say so, Blue. I don’t know plumbing from, well, anything.”

“Nor do I, Miss,” the robot admitted, “but I will be pleased to inform the captain the ship is ready to sail.”

Jane and Piper blinked in surprise. “Now?” Jane asked. “Don’t you have to do some kind of dry run?”

Piper snorted. “They’re stuck on top of a building. Not sure how much drier they can get!”

“We’ve been waiting for more than 200 years, Miss. The captain won’t want to waste a minute more.”

The reporter watched Navigator glide to the other side of the deck and share some words with Ironsides. Under her breath, she said to Jane, “We should probably get out while the getting’s good. I’ve never been on a boat before, but I’m pretty sure this isn’t how I want my first experience to go.”

Jane stood and nodded her agreement. “Captain!” she called out. “We’re going to…” she waved vaguely towards the elevator.

He rolled to her side. “Miss Rizzoli! My mechanical heart is overflowing with gratitude at what you’ve done. Let me give you this, as a token of our thanks.” Navigator held out a large weapon. “It is called the Broadsider.”

“It’s a portable cannon,” Piper said in awe.

Jane took the weapon and tried not to flinch when the weight nearly pulled her arms out of her shoulders. “Not so portable,” she grunted.

“Will you stay and witness history?” Ironsides asked.

“We, uh, we thought we’d witness it from the ground,” Piper replied.

“Marvellous idea!” he beamed. “Oh, to see the Constitution in all its glory as it blazes a trail across the sky! Remember this day!”

“It’ll be hard to forget,” Jane deadpanned.

“Tell Bosun if he ever needs a hand to send a message to Diamond City,” Piper said on their way out. “Good luck!”

The elevator door closed behind them and Jane turned to the reporter. “‘Needs a hand’? Really?”

“C’mon, Blue, you know I had to go there.”

The bell dinged, announcing the ground floor. Stepping back into the sunlight, Jane asked, “What do you think their chances are, honestly?”

Piper squinted up into the sky. “I don’t know, but I’m beginning to believe in small miracles.” She looked at Jane and grinned. “Heck, if a 200 year old woman can rise from the ashes of the Great War and kick ass, why can’t a group of robots launch a ship stuck on top of a…” She stopped. “You know, now that I hear myself say the words… we probably shouldn’t be under this building when they launch.”

They made it just out of range when the rockets roared to life.

…..

Chapter Text

A/N: We got an idea of what might have happened in Maura's vault when Jane and Piper found it, but a bit of backstory on what happened to Maura, from her memories.

.....

“Well, that was anti-climatic.”

They had gotten clear of the building when the Constitution launched, rockets hot and red as the ship stuttered to break free from the rooftop hold. For one brief, shining moment, determination had lifted them, perseverance had unshackled them, and hope had guided them towards the Atlantic. Until reality brought them crashing down… onto the rooftop across the street.

“I can’t believe we did all that work,” Piper said, “and got… that.” She looked at the ship and shook her head.

“Well, we did get this,” Jane said, hefting the heavy Broadsider onto her hip.

“You should’ve taken the cannon balls to go with it. What are we gonna do with a weapon that has no bullets?”

“Really? We should be carrying cannon balls around the Wasteland? Or do you have a magic bag for them?”

Piper shrugged. “All right, all right. Point taken. We should find somewhere to offload it. Won’t get as much without the cannon balls…”

Jane narrowed her eyes at the tone that trailed off into a whistle. “Anyway… does that mean we have to go all the way back to Daisy’s?”

“No, there are weapons dealers in Diamond City. Unless you’re thinking of going somewhere else?”

Jane looked into the sky. Helping Ironsides made it seem like the entire day passed, but it couldn’t have been more than mid-afternoon. She hadn’t given any thought to what she would do if it had turned out to be a dead end. Now, facing the rest of the day and an inquisitive reporter, she was at a loss for words.

Piper must have sensed this because she said, “How about this? First, we get the heck out of here before the scavengers find out you’re not coming back. That takes us west. After that, instead of going back to Diamond City, why don’t we head north? Travis said that’s where he thought the station must be.”

“Do we have time to do that and get back to Fenway before it gets dark?”

“Why?” Piper leaned in close. “You afraid of the dark?”

Jane rolled her eyes. “I was thinking about Nat, smartass. Won’t she get worried?”

Piper cast aside the concern with a wave. “She knows why we’re out here. Besides, you’re her hero; you’ll save me from any harm.”

“Yeah,” Jane replied, “I’ll just hit them over the head with this.” She lifted the Broadsider. “And who are you kidding? She thinks the sun shines out of your ass.”

“Are we really going to argue over who’s the most awesome?”

“We are pretty damn awesome.”

“So… north?”

“So, north.”

They just got going when Piper said, “I still say we should’ve brought the cannon balls.”

“Let it go, Pipes.”

“Whatever. Miss Vault Girl.”

…..

She had a respectable number of holotapes in her collection; it started shortly after she stumbled out of the vault and found her footing and a home. It helped that the abandoned building came with a box of them, but her reputation as a fair seller went a long way towards seeing that collection grow. At first, the caravans snickered at her requests. They were used to people who wanted food and weapons. She only ever asked for seeds and holotapes. Occasionally, she’d want some equipment for the station or her experiments, but everyone knew she paid top bottlecap for music. It became something of a game for a few of the traders to see how many they could find, and how many of those she didn’t already have. Some even began making lists. Where they were getting them from, she had no idea. Of course, she had little idea of what was going on outside her the boundaries of her high tower and fences that had taken over a year to reinforce to her liking. In the beginning, she had good reason to keep herself removed from others; now, five years later, it was the way she liked it.

Her fingertips danced across the tapes while she hummed lightly to herself. The cat who had made itself at home 3 weeks ago without Maura’s permission stretched to the soothing sound. She stopped on a label and smiled. Removing it from its sheath, she caught the tail end of Mozart’s ‘Piano Concerto No. 21’ just in time to blend in the opening strings of Mendelssohn’s ‘Violin Concerto E Minor’. She took pride in doing things well, and she never ceased to beam at the radio equipment. Having nearly no experience with electronics, it was something that had to be self taught, much like everything else in the new world. Her smile faltered when a holotape on the top shelf caught her eye.

She was fastidious by nature, and now even more so, because she had little else to do but run experiments and organize. But there had been no proper place she could find for that particular tape. Finding a home for it among her other tapes didn’t seem right- it wasn’t music, after all. But she didn’t have a personal section, so it sat with the tapes but never included, off to the side but never out of sight.

Oh my dearest Maura. I don’t know how much time I have, and I have so much to say. First and most importantly, my darling, I want you to know how much your father and I love you. When we begged you to stay with us, it was only because we thought we were doing the best for you. Darling, I can’t tell you everything, but I can tell you this much- we were wrong. This vault was meant to be a collection of Boston’s finest, the best people, the best minds. It was meant to give society an advantage once it was all over. We were meant to be the building blocks of the future. Or so I thought. I know you’ll have so many questions, Maura. And knowing now what I know, I won’t be there to answer them. For that, I will be eternally sorry. Please forgive me. Forgive us all.

She would never know how her mother got the holotape into her stasis chamber. Constance had been right- she wouldn’t be there to answer her daughter’s questions. If Maura’s calculations were right, Constance missed her emergence from the vault by 75 years. To be fair, so did everyone else except the 4 other ‘survivors’. She never found out their stories- they had found their strength while she was still recovering from hypersleep and had no interest in helping her. They went their separate ways, delirious from the length of the stasis, confused by the world they had to face. Maura never saw them again.

Looking back, she realized how much luck played a role in getting her to where she was. Weak and unprepared, any number of things could have happened between those moments. Her legs had wobbled like a foal on ice, and it took hours for her eyes to adjust completely to the light, as low as it was in the abandoned vault. She made her way around more by touch than sight until she was convinced the remaining chambers were empty and she was indeed alone. Her first action was not a physical one but a mental one. Rather than follow her fellow survivors out of the vault, she strived to find out what had happened within it. The first thing she did was find a working tape player.

What her mother couldn’t reveal, Maura found through the vault’s computer terminal. ‘Boston’s finest, the best people, the best minds’ were meant to rebuild society after the bombs dropped. But only the very finest, the very best knew they were at the front of the line. The bankers, the lawyers, and the politicians were the first to be revived from stasis, with a very orderly release schedule for everyone else. Five people every five years. It was a schedule that was as much an intent to ‘replen’ the small society as it was to keep the classes in line. Even the Isles were not immune to the selection. Despite their money, she was an artist and he was a professor, not nearly as important as those who played the political games best. It was when they were finally awoken and Maura was not that the true nature of the plan was revealed to them. An artist and a professor perhaps, but there were almost 100 other people scheduled ahead of the illegitimate daughter of a mobster, even if she was the Chief Medical Examiner of the Commonwealth.

While Maura found out the real agenda to the vault, she never did find out why it failed. Though she hated guessing, if pressed, she would question whether or not those involved in the plan underestimated how many people were needed to keep the floundering population going through procreation. Five people every five years was never going to be enough, particularly when taking into account how many of those people shared DNA. Or perhaps they overestimated their supplies. It wasn’t hard to believe those that had the hubris to devise such a plan would overindulge until it was too late. Whatever the case, the vault had few answers, and after a day’s worth of thought, Maura knew the only thing she could do was leave it. While she had no idea what the outside world held for her, she knew the vault offered nothing but a slow death. So with a strength she didn’t know she had, she gathered the tape and the few personal items she had and ventured out into the unknown.

Maura smiled now at the memory though it was anything but joy that first time she stepped out of the vault. She hadn’t known what to expect; she was well-versed in the projected scenarios after a nuclear bomb, but nothing to live up to the real thing. Emptiness. That was the first thing that struck her. Buildings that once blocked the view to the harbour were gone, and she could look into the horizon as far as the eye could see. Silence. It was hard to believe the city once held over half a million people. There wasn’t a soul around: not a person, not a vehicle. Nothing. The hair rose on the back of her neck and her ears pinned back as if the silence was the eye of the storm. But the storm never came.

Yet the caution never left.

She wasn’t physically imposing; she was never going to outmuscle someone. What she excelled in was thinking, and she used that to her advantage as she made her way from borough to borough until she got to Beacon Hill. She carried a weapon but not a gun. Once, when she saw someone, she started to call out, but thought better of it. Stealth was the key and she did it well. She tried not to cry when she saw her old neighbourhood. The blast took away everything, leaving only the memories that she clung on to fiercely. The photo in her breast pocket burned into her heart and she never looked back.

A low piano brought her out of her reverie and she realized she missed her cue to change the tape. Bitterly wiping away a tear, she clenched her jaw and refused to look at the picture that leaned against her mother’s last words.

…..

“This is delicious.”

Maura suspiciously narrowed her eyes. “I’m dreaming.”

Jane looked up from the bowl. “I’m eating a kale salad. What do you think?” A wink accompanied the grin. “Kale in the post-apocalyptic world. Figures.”

“I grew that kale myself,” Maura protested.

Rolling her eyes, Jane replied, “Of course you did. How about you grow a steak? I’d be all over that.”

“You can’t grow steak,” she said, then reconsidered. “I suppose the Brahmin I’m raising in the back would constitute ‘growing’, but he’s for emergencies only.”

“Do you hear my stomach, Maura? If that’s not an emergency, I don’t know what is. I don’t suppose you’ve been growing beer?”

Now it was Maura’s turn to roll her eyes. “I’m not even going to reply. You’re only doing that to annoy me.” She took a short trip to her refrigerator before returning with a dark brown bottle. “In fact, I do have beer.”

“Are you kidding me?” Jane exclaimed, grabbing for the bottle. “Where did you-”

“I’ve been keeping it, just in case…” her voice trailed off, but it didn’t escape Jane’s notice.

“Just in case… I showed up after 200 years?”

Hearing the words out loud reminded Maura of how ridiculous it was. Rather than answer the question, she said, “I can’t guarantee the quality.”

Jane held the bottle up and turned it with her fingertips. “200 year old beer, huh? Imagine the stories it could tell. Almost seems wrong to drink it.” She placed it in front of Maura. “Save it. For, you know, when the real me shows up.”

The words, though delivered in Jane’s jesting style, cut to the bone. “Why are you here?”

“You mean, why are you dreaming about me?”

Maura wasn’t interested in semantics. “Why?”

The brunette shoved another forkful of salad into her mouth. “This is really fucking good!” she praised around the leafy greens. Shrugging at Maura’s plaintive stare, she said, “The news from Concord.” When Maura tilted her head, Jane smiled. “The woman who brought down the Deathclaw and helps the Minutemen? You’re a sucker for that kind of story.” Lowering her voice, she added, “Especially if it’s a woman.”

Maura pulled back. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

The indignant tone did nothing to deter Jane’s smirk. “C’mon. One of the reasons you were attracted to me was because I protected people.”

Maura skipped over the first observation to focus on the second. “You were a police officer. They’re supposed to protect people.”

“I was a detective,” Jane corrected. “Not really the same thing, is it? Don’t get me wrong, I’d never let anything happen to someone who needed my help, but the job had nothing to do with it. That’s what you loved- I didn’t need a reason to protect people. I just did.”

Again she avoided the emotional dart Jane had casually tossed into her observation. “It was your nature.”

“It was my nature. Like it must be for this crazy woman who helped the Minutemen. I mean, what was in it for her? Probably nothing.”

Maura shook her head. “She did it because it was the right thing to do. That’s its own reward.”

Jane’s eyebrow shot up. “It was a freakin’ Deathclaw, Maura! They’re like this-” She raised her arms over her head, making herself big. “And they have-” Her hands curled into claws. “And they’re all-” She grimaced and growled.

Maura laughed for the first time in years.

“That was always my reward,” Jane said. “You.”

The laughter died away until there was nothing left but two women looking into each other’s souls.

“I have so many regrets, Jane.”

“Funny,” she replied, “I only have one.” The moment was charged and electric. “It’s over.”

Maura blinked first. “What?”

“The song,” Jane said, gesturing over Maura’s shoulder with her chin. “The song’s over.”

Maura swung her head to the player. “Dammit! I’ll be right-”

When she turned back to Jane, the apparition was gone.

…..

Chapter Text

A/N: For those of you who play the game but not know about Rizzoli & Isles (are there any reading?), the story of Hoyt is show canon. Also, spoilers for the “Returning the Favor” quest. All characters mentioned either belong to the show or the game, with the exception of Flint who is my own creation.

….

“I seem to recall someone asking me if I was afraid of the dark.”

“What?”

Jane shifted on the mattress. “You’re doing an awful lot of pacing. Either someone’s having a baby or you’re scared of the dark.” She said the last bit in a sing-song.

“It’s not so much the dark as the things in it,” Piper corrected.

“Aw, I’m pretty sure that big fly was only interested in your hat.”

Piper shuddered at the memory but refused to engage in Jane’s banter. “The rain came quicker than I thought. Didn’t even think about the weather when we left the harbour.”

“You mean you didn’t think about how quick the night would come.” Jane smirked. “Relax. This isn’t the best place to crash, but at least it’s got walls and a roof. It’s an upgrade to some of the places I’ve slept.”

Piper looked around the old house with a critical eye. Though they were lucky to have avoided any confrontation the rest of the day- bloatfly aside- they hadn’t run into anyone who could help them with information, either. They covered most of the northern borough before reaching an impasse- they needed to decide whether to turn back and start again the next day, or stick it out in the Wasteland and keep going. The incoming storm decided for them. Now, hunkered up in a house that was only missing half the floor, the rain served as a shroud that embraced them from the night.

“I guess this is doable,” Piper conceded, holstering her gun with some reluctance. Sitting on the bed that mirrored Jane’s, she marvelled at the dozing woman. “Two hundred years wasn’t enough sleep for you?”

Jane cracked open an eye. “Maybe I overslept by about 199 and a half years. That always made me drowsy.” She was halfway through adjusting her bag as a pillow when she caught Piper watching her. “What?”

“Nothing.” Jane snorted. “Fine. I was just wondering about you. Back then, I mean. You said oversleeping always made you drowsy. I was just wondering what other little tidbits of Jane Rizzoli you haven’t revealed.”

“I’m a riddle wrapped in a pizza surrounded by mystery. Sorry,” she laughed, seeing Piper’s confusion. “It’s an expression. Back in the day. One I completely mangled. Nevermind.”

“C’mon, Blue, give me something. Consider it a way to keep me from freaking out about the dark.”

“Uh huh. Why do I think you’re sneaking around that interview you want?”

“Because you’re a brilliant detective.”

“Oh, flattery! Keep going.”

Piper laughed at the encouragement. “Really?”

Exhaling melodramatically, Jane sat up against her bag. “Whatever. What do you want to know?”

Given the unexpected opening, Piper stammered, “Well…”

“Can I have a nap while you decide?”

“How did you get those scars on your hands?”

The air left the room. Jane tucked her hands under her arms and glared into the night.

“You’re not going to tell me you’re really the Wasteland saviour, are you?” She held up her hands at Jane’s confusion. “Stigmata?”

“Where would you know about that?”

“Listen, that trip to the library wasn’t my first rodeo. Whatever that is.”

Old habits led her to reply, “Crucifixion was through the wrists, not the hands. Weight of the body…”

“Listen to you, all up in ancient religions.”

“I was a Roman Catholic back when it wasn’t as ancient.” Piper opened her mouth, no doubt to question the term Roman or Catholic or both, but Jane stopped her with a look. She should have known better; reporters were never ones to let something go and she suspected two centuries didn’t make much of a difference.

“So if you’re not the Wasteland saviour…” Piper’s eyes flicked to Jane’s hands.

“I made a mistake. Early years when I was a detective and thought I knew everything.”

Rather than reply with a quip, Piper brought her knees up to her chin and listened intently.

“I was…” She stared into the dark again. “I was in over my head. Was on the trail of a serial killer. Hoyt. Charles Hoyt.” The name slithered through the air. “He, uh, he had this girl in his basement. I got a lead on his whereabouts. First real lead in weeks. So I tracked him. Stupid.” She shook her head at the memory. “It was a trap.”

Piper’s intake was audible.

“Got downstairs. Saw the girl on the floor. Lost my focus. Bam- 2x4 right behind the head.” She tapped the spot. Her recollection was delivered in a monotone and her face was stone, but the memory played out through her eyes. “When I woke up…” She shrugged. “Scalpels. He was a surgeon. Or thought he was.” When Piper gave no response, Jane looked at her. She had expected something, and was unnerved by the reporter’s silence. “You didn’t write any of that down,” Jane said in an attempt to lighten the mood.

“I won’t forget it,” she whispered. “I’m sorry, Blue.” The sound of the rain offered some comfort. “Can I ask… what happened? After, I mean?”

Jane thought of Hoyt’s imprisonment and his apprentice, his escape and his end. And image of Maura flashed through her mind and she touched the thin white scar on her throat that matched hers. “Long story short, I killed him. Not that day, but… I did it in the end.”

Piper’s eyes widened almost to a comic effect. “Whoa.”

“With a scalpel.”

“Double whoa.”

A soft laugh escaped her lips. “Yeah.” Slowly she revealed her hands, palms facing Piper.

The significance wasn’t lost on her. Nodding, she said simply, “Thank you.”

The rain served as a distraction for several moments. “Anyway…” Jane started adjusting her bag again. “I was going to ask you if you had any other questions, then I came to my senses.”

“Ha. Ha.”

“We should try to get out as early as we can. You gonna be okay in the dark?” She smirked then added, “Once the rain goes, that lantern’s gonna be a beacon. I’d rather not wake up with a gun in my face. Or a bloatfly in my hair.”

“Ew! Why did you have to remind me?” Reluctantly, she set her own bag on the bed and reached for the light. “Do me a favour?”

Jane’s voice curled through the dark like a warm blanket. “I’m almost afraid to ask.” A gumdrop hit her in the cheek. Laughing, Jane said, “What?”

“Turn on the radio?”

She didn’t have to clarify which station. A few short clicks and the soft strings of an unknown concerto lulled the two weary travellers to sleep.

…..

Her dreams were filled with Hoyt and scalpels, but if she called out into the dark or disturbed Piper’s sleep, the woman didn’t say. Rolling to a sitting position, Jane torqued her neck from side to side and let out a face-splitting yawn.

“Remind me to tell you about down-filled pillows sometime,” she said.

“Remind me to tell you I don’t know what that means.” Piper raised her hands to the ceiling, much to her back’s appreciation if the cracking sound was anything to go by.

“This is what I mean,” Jane said. “Two hundred years and no one’s decided to fix the beds? It’s criminal.”

Piper smirked. “You’re such a cop. C’mon, if we’re going, we should get going. I don’t want to leave Nat for another night.”

Jane agreed. “Don’t worry, my stomach demands nothing less.” She popped a handful of Potato Crisps into her mouth and drank some water, then offered the meager breakfast to a grateful Piper.

“Yeah, note to self: bring food, not snacks.”

Standing, Jane wiped her hands on her jeans, tightened her ponytail and slung her back over her shoulders. A double-check of her weapon completed the checklist. “Are we good?”

Piper, who had her own mental checklist, nodded in agreement. “We’re good.”

…..

They didn’t have a set plan when they left their shelter, but with Jane’s Pip-Boy and the understanding that they wanted to be back in Diamond City by nightfall, they mapped out a reasonable journey. They continued the northwest direction they had set out when they left the harbour, plotting their return to swing around the south entrance of the city. The silence that started out as comforting was slowly edging towards unsettling.

“Too damn quiet,” Jane muttered.

“Should I start singing?” Piper laughed at the glare. “I dunno, it’s kind of nice. The silence, I mean. My singing’s atrocious.”

“Just not used to it, I guess. And silence means we’re not seeing people.”

“Which means we can’t find any information,” Piper finished.

“Yep.”

“I don’t know the Commonwealth outside of Diamond City. I’m sorry I’m not much help.”

Jane assuaged the concern with a bumping of shoulders. “Don’t worry about it. People keep to themselves, and if I’ve only seen half of what’s out here, I don’t blame them.” She shielded her eyes with her hand. “Hey, our luck might be turning.”

Piper followed her gaze to the small farm house in the distance. “Nice.”

Jane’s arm beeped and she glanced down at the Pip-Boy. “Must be some kind of proximity sensor.” She showed Piper the screen. “Abernathy Farm.”

…..

The first person they saw was a young woman in the garden, and while their weapons were at the ready, they were pointed down. The gardener looked up, a small cry of surprise escaping her lips. Jane raised a hand in a calming manner.

“We’re not here to hurt you, I promise.”

The noise was loud enough to alert two others, a man and a woman, from the home. The man stood in the doorway with a rifle in his hands. His face was filled with fear yet determination.

“What do you raiders want now? We give you everything!”

“Whoa, whoa,” Jane said, slowly holstering her weapon. With both hands held out palms up, she quietly assured, “We’re not raiders and we’re not here for anything other than information.”

He scowled. “What kind of information?”

Jane glanced at Piper, a signal for her to put away her gun. The man seemed surprised at this, and slowly lowered his in kind.

“We’re looking for someone,” Jane replied.

The woman appeared from behind the man. “We don’t know anybody.”

“You’re the first new faces we’ve seen in years,” the man said. “Caravans and raiders, that’s all we get around here.”

“Maybe those caravans have said something?” Piper speculated.

He shook his head. “We trade goods, not gossip. Where are you from, stranger?”

Jane opened her mouth to reply, but realized she didn’t know how to answer the question. Where was she from?

Piper saw her hesitation and said, “Diamond City.”

“Then I’m sorry you came all this way for nothing,” he said.

The woman took some tentative steps towards them. “I’m Connie Abernathy,” she said. “That’s my husband, Blake, and our daughter, Lucy.”

The girl offered a small wave. “Who are you looking for?”

“A friend,” Jane replied. “Maura Isles. We think she runs the classical radio station. Do you know where that might be?”

Lucy’s eyes lit up. “Oh, I love that station. I’ve never heard music like it.”

Connie looked off to the side. “You know, I never thought to wonder where it came from. We listen to it all the time.”

“Yeah,” Blake said, “all the time.” His tone told them all they needed to know and for the first time, they all smiled.

“You thought we were raiders,” Piper said. “You have a raider problem around here?”

The smiles fell away. “You could say that,” he gritted out.

Seeing tears well in Connie’s eyes, Piper immediately apologized. Lucy was the one to tell their tale.

“They came for our food. Have since I can remember.”

“It’s never enough!” Connie spat.

“And you can’t fight back,” Jane surmised. “Too many of them and only 3 of you.”

Blake looked crestfallen. “There were 4 of us.”

“My sister… Mary… she, she tried to stand up to them.” The girl didn’t need to finish.

“I’m so sorry,” Piper whispered.

Jane’s jaw clenched. “Bastards.”

“I know you’ve got no reason to help us,” Blake began.

A sinking feeling crept over Jane. Piper’s immediate response didn’t make her feel any better.

“What can we do?” the reporter asked.

The couple seemed startled at the help, and Blake said, “Well… we appreciate the offer. Our Mary… she had a locket.”

Jane could see where this was going. “Which the raiders took.”

“Yes.”

“Where might we find these raiders?” Piper drew her weapon and tapped it in the palm of her hand in a gesture that would have been comical under any other circumstance.

“Satellite Station Olivia,” Lucy answered.

It was a name Jane recognized. “Is that old thing still standing?” Realizing it might lead to questions she didn’t want to answer, she asked, “How many?”

Connie lifted her shoulders. “Six? That’s how many always come.”

“Their leader’s a woman named Ack-Ack,” Blake said. “She runs them with an iron fist.”

“And a mini-nuke,” Lucy added.

“‘Ack-Ack’,” Piper snorted. “What kind of name is that?”

“It’s war slang for ‘anti-aircraft’,” Jane replied. “‘Ack’ was what the British used for the letter A in World War I.” The information was met with 4 blank stares.

Narrowing his eyes as if seeing her for the first time, Blake asked, “Who are you?”

The question was a loaded one that Jane deftly side-stepped. “I’m someone who’s here to help you. The station shouldn’t be more than 30 minutes away. We can do it and still get back to Fen- Diamond City before dark.”

Piper beamed with pride despite Jane’s eye-roll.

“We can never repay you,” Connie said.

Jane refused the apology. “If there’s a meal waiting for us when we get back, I’d consider us even.” To Piper she sighed, “Shall we?”

…..

“You’re a good person, Blue.”

“Uh-huh,” was all Jane said in return. She was still trying to figure out how she got talked into their current situation, and said as much out loud.

“Because you’re a good person, Bl-” Jane’s glower stopped her mid-word. “Jane.” She made a face. “Doesn’t have the same ring.”

Jane had to laugh. “Want some background for your interview?”

“Always.”

She pointed off to her left. “Sanctuary Hills is that way. Maybe 20 minutes. My vault’s there.”

“Really??”

“Yep. It’s where I sent Preston Garvey and his crew after the whole Deathclaw thing.”

Piper smiled. “‘The whole Deathclaw thing’. You say that like it’s no big deal. Take some credit, Blue.” Another scowl didn’t dissuade her. “I can’t help it.”

“Uh-huh.”

“Hey, do you think we could convince the Abernathys to go to Sanctuary Hills once we’re done? Clearing out these raiders doesn’t mean they’ll be safe forever. They might have a better chance with the Minutemen. You know, safety in numbers.”

“Yeah, we can always suggest it.” Jane’s smile was warm and admiring.

“What?”

“Nothing. Besides, you know, you being a good person, too.”

The blush stained Piper’s cheeks. “Whatever. There’s the station.”

Jane’s quip was interrupted by gunfire.

…..

There was a time when gunfire had made her jump, but having grown accustomed to living with violence around every corner, Maura’s only reaction was to check the monitors she had cobbled together as part of her security system. Her rifle was at the ready, but the camera hidden in the hulled out red car just inside the rusted gates told her it wouldn’t be necessary. She had descended the metal stairs and was at the front door just in time for the caravan’s arrival. A gangly male who could have been anywhere from 30-50 greeted her with a smile.

“Dr. Martin,” he beamed.

It had taken her almost a year to get used to the surname that had belonged to her birth mother. She knew her caution was more than likely overkill- anyone from the vault who might have known her once were long dead- but she felt more comfortable erring on the side of caution.

“Flint,” she said in return, after 5 years not knowing if that was his first or his last name. “Thank you for clearing out those bloatflies.”

He wrinkled his brown nose in disgust. “Disgusting things!”

“Didn’t you use the repellant I gave you?”

“Aye. It stops them from biting, but they still like to come close for a smell. Must be my irresistible charm.” She laughed and he winked. “I don’t have any tapes for you, but I thought I’d come by anyway. Did you need anything today?”

“And I’m thankful that you did. I’ve had 2 light bulbs go out. Do you have any?”

“Mmmm, I think I have just the thing.” He looked at his 2 pack brahmins, tapped his chin once, then chose one of the bundles. It took him less than a minute to procure the requested items. Holding up one in each hand, he exclaimed, “Eureka!”

She grinned broadly. “Did you know that is from the Greek word ‘heureka’, meaning, ‘I have found it’?”

He shared her smile. “I do now.”

“So what do I owe you?”

“Chloe here has had tummy trouble for the past few days,” he said, rubbing the brahmin’s flank. “If there’s anything you could do for her, we’d be square.”

She knew the importance of a healthy animal to a trader, but she hesitated offering her services. “I’m not really an animal doctor, Flint.”

He shrugged. “I know. But you’d come up with something it it was me, right?” She nodded. “An animal can’t be much different, right?”

She was about to object, citing several physiological differences, but gave it a second thought. “I’ll make you a deal- I’ll come up with something natural. No drugs. It would break my heart if something happened to her and I was responsible.”

“Ah, you’re a gem, Dr. M.” His face lit up. “I’m a poet!”

Laughing, she said, “Give me 10 minutes.”

…..

Her request was almost to the minute. Reappearing at the door with 2 bottles in hand, she watched the trader coo over his animals.

“No wonder the bloatflies like you so much, she said. He turned to her, bashful and slightly embarrassed. She appreciated his simple humanity. “Now, as I said, I don’t treat animals, so…”

Taking the bottles, he said, “No worries. What do I need to do?”

“Give her one before she eats tonight and one before she goes to sleep.”

“See? Dr. Martin’s gonna make everything all better,” he said to the animal as he tucked the bottles into a pack.

“I hope so. If it doesn’t work, I apologize and will pay for those light bulbs next time I see you.”

“Won’t be necessary,” he replied with confidence.

“Just the same.” She reached into her pocket. “Consider this a little extra payment. For getting rid of those bloatflies.”

His eyes widened. “Is that… what did you call it? A… yomato.”

“Tomato,” she corrected. It was hard with the conditions left behind by the nuclear fallout to grow anything from the old world, but she was nothing if not patient. It took her 3 years to genetically recreate something as close to a tomato as she could remember. Harvests were small, and few and far between, but it only made her savour them more. She could still remember his face when he took his first slice over 2 years ago. He must have had the same memory because he grinned.

“Tomato. Sign of a good year, I think,” he prophesized. “Good things to come.” He gently pocketed the gift as if it were the most precious thing in the world.

“I always appreciate you coming out here, Flint. I know it’s out of your way.”

He disagreed with a firm press of his lips and a head shake. “Never. Besides,” he held out his arms, “where else is a boy to go?”

Though in all the time they knew each other, never speaking much of their personal lives, something compelled her to ask, “Do you ever get lonely?”

“Me? Why would I get lonely? I’ve got my brahmins.” He smiled but then conceded, “Maybe once in awhile. But it would take a special girl to catch a boy like me.”

His posturing made her laugh. “I have no doubt.”

“And what about you, Dr. M? This is an awfully big place for one person.”

Her shrug was half-hearted. “Perhaps it would take a special girl to catch me, too.”

He wagged his eyebrows playfully. “Well now! You never cease to amaze me.” Lowering his voice, he said, “If I see that vault dweller, I’ll be sure to pass along your name.” She tilted her head, encouraging him to continue. “The dweller? The one who slayed the Deathclaw in Concord. You mentioned her the other night. Heard she helped those old buckets of bolts get the ship off the building, too.”

“Oh. I didn’t realize she was a vault dweller.” She wasn’t surprised by the revelation; she knew it was common for people to take over the old abandoned vaults and turn them into small underground communities. She often wondered if that’s what had happened to hers. What did surprise her was the news that someone had left. As far as she knew, vault dwellers were a close-knit community who had left the surface for a reason. To come back to the top went against their very nature.

“I know what you’re thinking,” he agreed. “Strange to think of it. To each their own.”

“Wait,” Maura said, replaying his words in her mind. “What about the ship?”

He grinned from ear to ear. “The Constitution. The big ol’ ship stuck on top of the building?” She nodded her understanding. “They’ve been trying to get it back in the water for decades. Heard they somehow roped the poor dweller into their crazy scheme, only to have the damn ship land on the roof across the street. Don’t know where they were going with that big hole in the bottom, but I heard they were happier than a brahmin rolling around in the dirt anyway. Praising her up and down for being the first person to offer to help.” He winked. “Sounds like just the woman for you, Dr. Martin.”

Playfully pushing him away, she said, “Go on.” To Chloe she whispered, “We’ll see you next time, okay?” She shielded her eyes as she watched them amble away, his wares clanging together like wind chimes in a soft breeze.

…..

Chapter Text

…..

“Why always with the guns?” Jane asked. “I just want to return a locket and find a girl.”

Piper smirked. The dense trees gave them ample cover from the gunfire, and those shooting the weapons must have noticed, because now all was quiet.

“What’s the plan?”

Jane pondered the question. “What are the chances one of these scumbags doesn’t have the locket?”

“You mean what are the chances we’ll just find it laying around somewhere?”

She grunted. “Yeah. That’s what I thought.” Sighing heavily, she said, “Still not used to this, you know?”

She didn’t have to explain what ‘this’ was. Piper nodded her understanding. “It’s a lot more black and white now.”

“Yeah,” she said again. “Anyway, any idea how many there are?”

“Two over there for sure,” Piper replied, pointing to the satellite dish 50 yards away. “One in the doorway.”

“One at the west corner,” Jane added.

“The real question is, where’s Ack-Ack? I’m not entirely thrilled at the prospect of staring down a mini-nuke.”

Jane contemplated their options. “Let’s work with what we’ve got.” She looked around until she saw something to her liking. “There.”

She singled out the fallen tree with a nudge of her chin. The dash to cover the 15 foot distance was met with another barrage of bullets, and they both collapsed to the ground with a thud.

“Yep. Definitely four of them,” Piper breathed out.

Pulling the rifle from her bag, Jane rested the barrel on the tree trunk and shifted her weight until her shoulder lined with the gun’s stock. “Watch our backs. Last thing we need is to have someone sneak up from behind.”

“You can count on me to watch your behind.”

She glanced in Piper’s direction and could only shake her head at the sight of the feigned innocence. “Funny,” she said before turning to more serious matters. Her eye nestled into the scope’s rubber cup and it only took her a moment to bring things into focus. Strategically, she sought out the shooters in the window first. “Throw a stick,” she told Piper, and the reporter’s aim was exactly what was needed to draw out the gunmen. Jane took out one raider, and by the time his cohort realized what had happened, it was too late for him.

“Shit, Blue,” Piper said, but before the praise left her lips, the gunman on the roof met the same fate.

Rather than take the hint and retreat, the final raider stormed towards them, voice roaring, gun blazing. When the ammo ran out, Piper stood and fired once. The brush was quiet once more.

Standing with caution, Jane said, “Good shooting.”

“Me? I wasn’t the one all dead-eye ‘pew!’ ‘pew!’ ‘pew!’ Boston Police taught you well back in the day.”

Jane examined the gun by turning it over and back again. “Not my weapon of choice,” she admitted. “A good 9mm is more my speed. Or was.”

“Speaking of speed, we should find a way into the station before a mini-nuke finds us.”

To emphasize her point, a female voice called out from an unknown cover. “I’m gonna enjoy makin’ you suffer!”

With a few hand signals, they jogged in a crouch towards the nearest entry to the station, always vigilant, senses on highest alert. Their arrival was met without fanfare, and the building yawned at their appearance.

“You’re gonna bleed!”

“I can’t figure out where she is,” Piper whispered. Jane nodded in agreement. The acoustics did little to pinpoint sound. “If I were a crazy chick with a mini-nuke, where would I be?”

Though her first instinct was to chuckle at the black humour, Jane decided to take the question at face value. In the small entranceway, the concrete steps offered the only answer.

“The basement.” Her jaw clenched at the prospect and her palms itched at the memory. “I fucking hate basements.”

The option didn’t thrill Piper, either. “It’s like shooting mole rats coming to the surface.” She thought about her words. “Except, you know, they’re coming up and we’re going down.”

Checking her weapon, Jane said, “We go down quietly and slowly. We clear every room or hall or whatever’s down there, understand?”

“Don’t have to tell me twice,” Piper assured her.

As directed, they inched their way down the stairs, their shallow breaths the only sound. Jane pressed the gun stock against her shoulder, hating how the barrel length announced her arrival before she did. She felt like her dog, ears pinned back, nose sniffing the air as if she’d be able to pick out anything amongst the smell of age and decay. It took them twice as long to descend as it normally would, and it appeared their caution was all for naught. The only peril appeared to be a laser tripwire stretched across the door that brought them into a large room with several more doorways going in different directions. Jane quietly sighed in frustration.

“I don’t like this,” she whispered. “Too many chances for an ambush.”

Piper strayed off to a door on the right and peeked inside. “Nothing.”

Jane made a stern face, commanding her wayward companion back to her side with a look. Piper rolled her eyes and was halfway back when Jane spotted a movement out of the corner of her eye.

“Down!” But instead of following the order, she froze. Without hesitation, Jane threw herself at Piper, knocking them both to the ground as a hail of bullets filled the space where Piper had been.

“Shit,” Piper breathed.

Taking no time to catch her breath, Jane rolled off the reporter and onto the balls of her feet, and as the minigun arced in her direction, she spun the opposite way, hooking her leg around the shooter. Knocked forward by the trip, the gun’s weight did the rest and brought the woman crashing down face first.

“I’m gonna kill you!”

Ignoring the threat, Jane leapt on the shooter’s back, dug her knees into her hips and slid a forearm under her chin.

“You must be Ack-Ack,” she gritted out, grabbing her wrist with her other hand, completing the chokehold. Confident the move was taking hold, she checked on Piper with a look. “Can you find something to tie her hands? It won’t take her long to come back once I let go.”

“Sure, sure.” Piper gingerly stood and quickly searched the room. A row of lockers, a cupboard and a tall shelf held nothing, but a toolbox offered some rope and drew a chuckle from Piper. She knelt at Jane’s side. “What now?”

“Make sure she doesn’t move,” Jane directed, getting to her knees. Taking the rope in both hands, she executed an intricate knot around Ack-Ack’s wrists so quickly that it earned her whistle.

“That’s a very handy skill,” Piper remarked, gun pointing at the woman who was slowly returning to consciousness.

Standing, Jane shrugged away the praise. “I had two brothers who got on my nerves, and plenty of trees in the backyard.”

Piper threw her head back and laughed.

Ack-Ack groaned and began thrashing around when she realized what had happened.

“I’m gonna-”

“Kill me, yeah, got that already,” Jane finished. “Look, I just want the necklace you took from the Abernathy girl. That’s it.”

The woman frowned. “Necklace? What are you talking about?”

Jane sighed. “Are we going to have to do this the hard way?”

The question piqued Piper’s curiosity. “What exactly is ‘the hard way’?”

“Strip search.”

“Ew! No, that won’t be necessary, Blue.” Piper opened her hand. A faint gold glinted from her palm. She hooked the chain around her finger and let it hang.

The reveal caught Jane by surprise. “Where did you get that?”

“It was by the toolbox. Found it when I found the rope.”

Jane’s shoulders dropped. “Are you kidding me?” She groaned. “So when I asked you what the chances were one of these scumbags didn’t have the locket…”

“Seems like the chances were pretty good after all. Ha?”

“You did all this for a fucking necklace?” Ack-Ack asked from the floor. “I hope it’s the last thing that goes through your head when-”

Piper pressed her gun into the raider’s face. “Stop. Talking.”

The grin she got in return was laced with menace. “After I kill the Abernathys, I’m gonna track you and your girlfriend down.”

Piper laughed again. “Wow, you raiders really are stupid.”

Jane knelt and matched Ack-Ack’s menace with her own. In a steely tone that was heavy with deadly promise, she said, “Don’t bother with the Abernathys. By the time you get out of here - if you get out of here - they’ll be long gone. And if I catch even a whiff of your stupidity, you’ll find yourself in this position again.” She waved a finger over the woman’s bound predicament. “Except it’ll be outside, near a mole rat hole. Understand?”

“Fuck you.”

“I’ll take that as a ‘yes’.” Jane rose to her full height. To Piper, she asked, “We done here?” Getting a nod, she grabbed the mini-nuke. “We’ll be taking this, thanks.” Her taunt only made the raider thrash around more.

Piper turned in the exit and said, “Good luck with the radroaches!”

…..

“I only counted five,” Jane said when they got outside.

“Five?”

“The Abernathys said six raiders always came by. We saw five. Might not mean anything but let’s keep our eyes open.”

“You got it.” Piper adjusted her cap. “You knocked my hat off,” she said, as if she had just seen a talking Deathclaw.

“Part of me was beginning to think it took root on the top of your head,” Jane deadpanned.

“Ha. Ha. There was an overdue library book on the table. Should I go back and get it for you?”

“Don’t even think about it.”

…..

As a homicide detective, unhappy endings came with the territory. Rarely did she really feel good about an outcome, but as they left the Abernathy farm behind them, Jane couldn’t help but smile.

Piper caught the relaxed grin. Bumping shoulders with Jane she asked, “A bottle cap for your thoughts.”

“It used to be a penny. ‘A penny for your thoughts’.” The curious eyebrow encouraged more information. “A penny was legal currency when I was alive,” Jane said. “Partly. A hundred pennies made a dollar.”

“Ah, I’ve seen old world paper money. Nat collects it, as you know.” They both grinned at the name. “So, is that what I need for your thoughts? A penny? ‘Cause I’m pretty sure I’ve never seen one of those.”

Jane’s eyes scanned their surroundings as they walked. “No. I was just thinking, I’m not used to happy endings.”

The words took a moment to sink in. “Right. I guess investigating death isn’t much of a good time, huh?” She nudged Jane again. “You did good, Blue. The Abernathys got something precious back and they’re on their way to Sanctuary Hills where they’ll be safe. Preston’s going to get a mini-nuke, and we got an amazing meal.” She patted her stomach.

Jane remembered the first full meal she had since leaving the vault. “Yeah,” she agreed with a dreamy sigh.

Diamond City’s great wall rose on the horizon and the sight pricked a hole in Jane’s mood. Piper picked up on it immediately.

“Hey. I told you, you did good. That’s only going to come back around, you watch.”

“Karma, huh? I’ve just never been one for patience.”

Piper pretended to be shocked. “No!”

“Whatever, Paper Girl. Better be nice to me or they won’t let you back in.”

“It was my quick thinking that got me past the guard,” she protested as they reached the gate.

Jane’s expression was one of feigned disappointment. “I feel so used.”

“Whatever, Vault Girl,” Piper lobbed back. Just as Jane was about to reach for the intercom, Piper touched her arm. “Hey,” she said, all playfulness out of her voice, “tomorrow’s another day, okay?”

…..

Except the weather had other ideas. For the first time in memory, Jane voluntarily got up before 9AM only to be greeted by a torrential downpour. She stalked through Piper’s bedroom to reach the roof, as if being closer to the sky would force the rain to stop. It didn’t. With a glower as dark as the clouds, she plopped into a chair and stared over the city market.

“What in the world are you doing out here in the rain?”

Jane turned to the voice in the doorway. Had she been in a better mood, she would’ve laughed at the image of Piper in her nightgown, complete with press cap. Instead, she flatly replied, “Getting wet.”

The sound of the women talking brought two more visitors. Dogmeat bounded to her waterlogged companion despite Piper’s alarmed protests, and Nat stood with a cup cradled in her hand. If the steam didn’t give it away, the smell did.

“I made it better this time, I promise,” the young girl said. “I asked Mrs. Winston if she knew how to make it. You should’ve seen her face!”

“You didn’t tell her-”

“That it was for a 200-year old lady?” she finished for her sister. “No. She knows I’m all about the old world so she thought it was just another question from Crazy Nat. We didn’t have… filters?” Jane nodded at the term. “But Mrs. Winston said we could strain it through cloth.”

Piper wrinkled her nose. “Ew!”

“It was clean!” She seemed to suddenly realize the situation because she asked, “What are you doing out here in the rain?”

Jane shot a warning look at Piper whose mouth opened to answer. “Just thinking, Nat. That’s all.”

The girl squinted into the sky. “Can’t you think inside?”

Piper tilted her head as if to say, ‘Well?’

Not wanting to explain her disappointment to a 12-year old who looked so proud of herself for the coffee, Jane stood and wiped away the rain and the tears from her face. “Sure.”

They all walked through the bedroom to reach the stairs with Dogmeat pulling up the rear. Piper had taken 2 steps down when she spun sharply and held out a commanding hand, but even her pleaful “NO!” wasn’t enough to stop Dogmeat giving herself a shake that left nothing in the room untouched.

…..

“When times get desperate, you’re going to make really good dog soup.”

“Hey!” Nat said, objecting to her sister’s threat.

Jane reappeared from behind Nat’s wall. Looking down at her dry clothes, she said, “I feel weird wearing other people’s clothing.”

“Be thankful we got them from someone who was alive.” Piper pretended not to notice Dogmeat trying to impress her with tricks.

“What do you mean ‘someone who was alive’?”

Piper shrugged. “I’m just saying no one manufactures anything entirely new anymore. Even weapons are just modified into better ones. Where do you think all our clothes come from? Must all be from dead people, right?”

Nat’s nod was one of awe and agreement. “That’s so true! I never thought about it like that. Cool!”

Jane’s frown said otherwise but she didn’t argue. “I just wish Mary Abernathy was taller,” she said, holding out arms that stuck out from the cuffs and the pants that didn’t quite reach her ankles.

“Push up the sleeves and tuck the pants into the boots. Done.”

“You my fashion consultant now?”

“What’s that?” Nat asked.

“It’s… nevermind. One day I’ll sit down and write you a list of all the useless things I remember about the old world,” Jane promised.

“Yay! Can you do it now?”

The rain bounced off the roof with increasing force, answering the question before Jane could reply. Nat clapped her hands in delight. “I’ll get the paper!”

Piper offered a consoling smile. She stood, squeezed Jane’s shoulder and said to her sister, “You can show me how to make this coffee, too.”

…..

She had filled 8 pages, front and back, of things she could remember in what amounted to the funniest stream-of-consciousness exercise she’d ever done. Nat’s eyes grew larger as the list got longer, and on more than one occasion, Piper had to pry the young girl away from Jane’s shoulder. When Jane signalled for page number 9, Piper shook her head.

“I think that’s enough for now.”

“Aww, but-”

Piper’s look stopped Nat in mid-sentence. “You’ve got plenty there to keep you occupied for, well, knowing you, about 5 minutes. But that’s not the point. Give Jane a break. I think her hand’s about to fall off.”

An idea lit a bulb over Nat’s head. “Hey, I know, why doesn’t Jane dictate and you write it down for her?”

“Pardon?” Piper said.

“You do that when you interview someone, right? Same thing.”

“Not the same thing. One is taking notes and the other is…” Both Jane and Nat waited for the rest. “Whatever.”

“If you want adult time, just ask. Jeez.” Nat gathered the paper and invited Dogmeat to follow with a jerk of her chin. “Thanks, Jane,” she said before they both disappeared behind the cement wall.

“You gotta tell her ‘no’ or she’ll just keep going,” Piper whispered.

“I heard that!”

“How are we supposed to have adult time if the not-adult listens in?” Piper shot back.

The unimpressed grunt was heard loud and clear in the small home.

“Turn your radio on,” Piper told Jane. “It’ll stop Nosey Nat from eavesdropping and I’ve heard it’s your favourite station.”

Jane gave her a pointed stare but said nothing in reply. Flicking one of the Pip-Boy dials, the classical station quietly came to life. “So now that we have adult time, what did you want to talk about?”

“Oh, nothing specific,” Piper answered. “I just thought you might need a break. I’m guessing it might be kind of weird after a while, writing all that stuff that doesn’t exist anymore, or not the way you remember.”

“You know what’s really weird? I’ve been out of the vault for a week and yet, somehow it seems much longer.”

“Why do you think that is?”

“I don’t know. Maybe part of it is, this isn’t really a surprise. The way the world turned out, I mean.”

“Wow,” the reporter said. “You mean to tell me you expected the Deathclaws and the Super Mutants and the ghouls and the glaring lack of good coffee?”

Jane laughed at the list. “Yeah, well, maybe not to that degree. Especially the coffee.” Piper joined in the laughter. “But this isn’t all that far off from what people predicted before the bombs dropped.” She tilted her head at the sound of the rain. “Is it dangerous?”

“The rain?”

“Yeah. Think about how rain works: water goes up, rain comes down. All the natural water is full of radiation. The nuclear bombs made sure of that.” Jane could almost see Piper’s brain processing the information.

“I never thought about it,” she said. “No one’s ever talked about it.”

“After 200 years, there’s probably been some kind of evolutionary change to help fight it. Might be something I’ll have to remember, though.”

One thought sparked another. “So… the food, too.”

Nodding, she replied, “Yep. That’s why this tracks my radiation, I guess.” She held up the Pip-Boy.

“Wait. So the government predicted this would happen but dropped the bombs anyway?”

“The government didn’t predict it,” Jane said. “Or at least, not publicly. Scientists predicted it. Did little experiments in the lab and showed what they thought could happen. The government didn’t want to scare people, so they put on a brave face and told kids they could hide under their desk if the bomb dropped. They needed public support for the war. Imagine the uproar if people were told the truth.”

As a defender of honest journalism and truth, Piper gritted her teeth. “People being lied to. Some things never change.”

‘Chopin’s Prelude Opus 28, Number 15, otherwise known as ‘Raindrop’. I thought that would be particularly fitting today.’

Jane and Piper leaned closer.

‘Next is another highly appropriate song given the circumstances: Wagner’s ‘The Flying Dutchman. It’s about a ship. I think there’s someone out there who might understand the humour.’

The violins furiously introduced the song, and just before the brass kicked in, the radio announcer had one more thing to say.

‘Your kind-heartedness is not going unnoticed.’

Jane craned even closer, hoping for more, but the symphony took over the airwaves.

Piper’s eyes danced with curiosity. “So?”

Jane tried to stop the smile from spreading, but it would not be contained. “It’s her. 100%. It’s her.”

…..

Chapter Text

…..

Maura had hesitated to say as much as she did; even after all this time, a part of her worried someone from the vault would be looking for her. But for reasons she couldn’t quite pin down, she felt compelled to acknowledge the stranger’s act of kindness. Perhaps it was because they were so often few and far between in a new world that seemed built on violence and selfishness. Or perhaps she was simply reminded of someone else.

She set the kettle to boil and went about the motions of making tea while her mind wandered to Jane. Like countless times since her own escape, she wondered what fate Jane had faced. She only assumed the detective had made it to her own vault, but she had to admit guessing was something she rarely did. In the early days, her ‘fight or flight’ impulse chose the latter, and there was little time to take measure of anything beyond her own survival. The idea of going to Sanctuary Hill had flashed briefly through her mind until her head overrode her heart. Two hundred years. She knew there were only two options for Jane: either she didn’t survive the bomb or she did, but surviving meant living out her life, which would have ended over 150 years ago. Finding out which had happened wouldn’t change the outcome, so she fought against her natural thirst for knowledge, denied her heart the right to know. Now, two simple stories of a stranger brought up long buried regret.

“If this doesn’t stop soon, we’re going to have to pull up the floorboards in your yoga room and build an ark.”

Maura chuckled. “That seems to be an extreme measure to get out of yoga.”

“What? I love yoga.” Jane’s tone betrayed the words, much to Maura’s amusement. When there was no reply, Jane asked, “You’re not going to tell me you like this, are you? The rain. I know you actually do love yoga.”

Maura offered a half-shrug. “It’s always made me feel safe.”

Jane shifted closer on the porch swing. “Please. I can do all that and not make you wet and that sounded dirty.”

The run-on sentence got a burst of laughter in return. She wondered how many times Jane had made her laugh since the day the detective declared they were friends. She gazed out into the rain and sighed contentedly.

“You make me feel safe.”

“Good. So we can tell the rain to stop now.” A flash of something must have crossed her face because Jane asked, “Want to talk about it?”

She shook her head softly. “It’s nothing.” Knowing that wouldn’t satisfy the woman, she said, “I took a great deal of comfort in the rain when I was a child.” It was quiet between them. “My mother had made this enormous clay sculpture that sat in the corner of our balcony. I’m sure it was smaller than I remember it, but I could sit in it.” She curled her hands into a description.

“Like a chiminea,” Jane said.

“Yes! That’s it. A chiminea, though purely for decorative purposes.”

“I should hope so, if you sat in it.”

A smile tugged her mouth. “I loved to sit in it when it rained. I was surrounded on all sides, facing the rain, and when it came down like this, it…” The words trailed away.

“Protected you from the world,” Jane finished.

“Yes,” Maura replied. “It separated me from the world and made me feel safe; I could create whatever I wanted and the rain would keep my secrets.”

She was surprised to feel Jane’s fingers against her cheek, startled to find the memory had let a tear escape that Jane was now gently wiping away. Her breath caught in her throat when Jane’s cool lips brushed against her flushed cheek. She leaned into the… kiss? Is that what this is? she wondered. She turned her head to ask but the question died on her lips. The answer was in Jane’s eyes. They had played this game for years, content to orbit each other, sometimes venturing tantalisingly close, sometimes arcing almost out of reach but never out of sight. Now, in this moment, it felt as if gravity had been removed and she was free-falling.

“You make me feel safe.”

The words replayed in her mind. Did she believe them or not? Spurred by the question, she pressed her lips against Jane’s. The rain was the only witness to five years worth of denial confessed with mouths and hands and sighs. A thundercrack made Maura jump, and their laughter was a welcome relief. Maura shifted in Jane’s arms and they were both content to give their silent thanks to the rain. It would soon break and they’d have to deal with the reality of what they’d done, but for now, they had all the time in the world. They had waited this long. There wasn’t any rush.

Two days later the bomb dropped.

The kettle’s whistle blew, startling her from her memories.

…..

Regardless of what Jane Rizzoli wanted, science had other plans, and the effects of nuclear fallout offered a second day of rain. Her face was as dark as the irradiated clouds.

“Is this normal now?” Jane asked. “This amount of rain?”

Piper joined her on the small porch. “You bet. We’ve had entire weeks where it rai-” She caught herself. “Ha! Yeah, I mean, rain, huh?” Jane stared into the downpour as if the weather had personally offended her. “She’s not going anywhere, Blue.”

Jane appreciated the gesture but said, “That’s the trouble. I might have better luck finding ‘anywhere’.” She heard the edge creep into her voice and immediately felt bad for the woman who had done nothing so far but be kind. “It’s not you,” she began.

“Say no more,” Piper replied. “I get it. I do. You’re here and she’s not. Or she’s there and you’re not. Not sure which phrase is right.” This brought a smile to Jane. “Speaking of which, what are you going to do when you find her?”

The way she said it as if it was a foregone conclusion softened Jane even more. “What do you mean?”

“I mean, here or there? Where will you stay?”

The thought hadn’t crossed Jane’s mind. “I… I don’t know. Depends where ‘there’ is, I guess.”

“You could always get a place in Diamond City’s upper levels. It’s where all the rich folk live. If she’s got the caps.”

Jane shook her head. “She wasn’t like that then. I can’t see her being like that now, especially if she’s been on her own for so long.”

Piper watched small rivers form in the pavement cracks. “What do you think she did when she got out of the vault?”

Blowing out a long breath, she said, “Picked the vault clean for starters. Not just for supplies but for information, too. She always said knowledge is a weapon. She’d avoid any interaction. She could handle herself if she had to, but her first response isn’t to retaliate. Her first response is to avoid.”

“Don’t have to fight back if there isn’t a fight in the first place,” Piper agreed with admiration. “Then what?”

“Then… she’d stick close. She’d know she could avoid people better outside Boston, but she’d figure out the dangers really quick.”

Piper nodded. “We saw that with the Abernathys. Safety as long as you’re secluded, but once you’re found out, not so safe anymore.”

“And how do you get supplies? How far do caravans go? How often? She’d factor all the variables in those first few days. Probably had a formula to give the best odds.”

“Bit of a thinker, huh?”

“Yeah.”

Piper dropped the punchline. “So how did you end up being friends?”

Jane couldn’t cover the snort. “Okay. I walked into that one.”

They shared the good humour, then Piper reviewed the information. “So she’s smart, a planner, and she’d stay close to the city.”

“Sounds easy when you put it that way. So why can’t I-”

Piper held up a hand to cut her off. “Likely hiding in plain sight. Sound about right to you?”

“Yeah.”

“So we need to pinpoint some places that fit ‘secluded but in sight’.”

“That easy, huh?”

Piper tilted her chin towards the rain. “You got something else to do today? Or are you gonna build that printing press I asked for?”

“Get Nat’s map.”

…..

One day of rain bled into another and while it stifled the plans of a certain vault dweller, it was business as usual for the caravans. The brahmins sauntered forward, uninterested in the weather, while the traders urged them on. There was always a sale to be had and a bottle cap to be made. Regular customers were the life force of any route, and competition was fierce, not only to get them, but to keep them. That’s how one such trader found himself standing at the gate of the Warwick homestead in the middle of the storm.

While she had made many changes to building over the years, turning it from an imposing concrete fortress to something a little more liveable, he knew there were security features as well. And even though access to the building was open - there were no security locks or turrets - he respected the woman inside, and had heard rumours that she could knock a trader’s hat off with a single shot from one of the small windows. So he stood, knowing he tripped the sensor at the gate and that she’d see him soon enough. He didn’t have to wait long.

From the door, Maura shouted, “Come here before you catch your death of cold!”

A slap on the brahmin’s rump got the animal moving from a saunter to a stroll and he knew there was little he could do to get it going faster. He was drenched anyway. She stood under a pristine umbrella and he smiled.

“I didn’t know what an umbrella was until you asked.”

She also smiled at the memory. “I remember. I had to draw you a picture. I still can’t believe you found one in such good condition.”

“That’s why they call me ‘The Amazing Axel’,” he said, holding out his arms as if to proclaim the title.

She could only shake her head. “Well, I’m afraid to disappoint you, but Flint came by two days ago.”

He brushed away the information. “Pah! His goods are inferior. It’s only because you’re a highly intelligent woman that I won’t accuse him of taking advantage of you.”

Her lips pursed in amusement. “The flattery is a nice touch.” He tipped his head and grinned. “However, I really don’t need anything right now.”

He wasn’t one to give up easily. “And in the future?”

She was about to refuse the offer when a thought crossed her mind. “Maybe there is something you can get.”

“Challenge me.”

She enjoyed his bravado. “It’s not a thing, really. Nothing you can touch. I’m looking for some information.”

His eyes lit up at the request. “That’s unusual coming from you. What kind of information?”

“I’m interested in the vault dweller, the one who killed the Deathclaw in Concord and helped the Constitution.”

He barked out a laugh. “I heard about that bucket of bolts. Who puts a ship on top of a building? Still, she could’ve said ‘no’ when they asked her and she didn’t. Why do you want to know about her?”

“I just… she reminds me of someone I used to know. And it’s nice to see there are still good people out there. Besides yourself, of course.”

He pointed at her and winked. “I see flattery goes both ways, and for that, I already have information for you.”

She couldn’t contain her surprise. “Really?”

“Mmm-hmm. She just came back from the Olivia station. You know of it?” She nodded. “She was on a quest to get a necklace for someone.”

“I don’t understand.”

“Farm near the station was overrun by raiders.” He spit on the ground at the word. “They killed a girl and took her necklace. Family wanted it back, so the dweller got it for them.”

Maura let the words sink in. “That’s a distance from the harbour. What was she doing out there?”

He shrugged. “It’s close to Concord. Maybe she got bored and was looking to take on another Deathclaw?” They both smiled.

The rain gently bounced off her umbrella. “Does she have a name?”

Shaking his head, he replied, “Not that I’ve heard. I’ll ask the reporter the next time I’m in Diamond City.”

“The reporter?”

“Yeah. Piper Wright. Runs one of the newspapers in the Commonwealth.” He paused. “The only one, now that I think of it.”

Maura was familiar with the name. “Publick Occurrences.”

“That’s the one.”

“I wonder what the connection is?”

Though the question was more for herself than the trader, he said, “I can find out.”

Reminded that the story began because of a business proposal, she said, “How much do I owe you?”

He tapped his chin. “Why don’t you tell me what the information’s worth to you, and don’t make me walk away without selling you something.”

A smile tugged the corner of her mouth. “What do you have?”

He slapped his hands together once, then rubbed them together. “Today I have a very special deal for you.” Pulling back a tarp, he revealed his wares. “Now, I know you eat and grow very healthy things, but even a lady such as yourself must take some delight in sweets every now and then.”

She grinned at his sales pitch. “Fancy Lads Snack Cakes?” It wasn’t the first time they had been offered since her escape from the vault, and not the first time she bit back a clever retort of being around when the dessert was actually fresh - as fresh as a powered sugar confection could be.

He tilted his head, knowing she wasn’t likely to buy, but he persisted. “Just once? I have a bet with Flint that I’ll be the one to finally make you give in.”

Her laughter filled the air. “Okay. For your honesty, I’ll take a package.” As he reached for one, she caught a glimpse of an old familiar container. “Is that… coffee?”

He dug out the tin and tossed it into the air. “The Commonwealth’s finest,” he declared.

“Axel, do you know what coffee is?”

“Pffft,” he waved away. “What I know or don’t know isn’t important. Let’s focus on you.”

Her mouth twitched. “How much?”

“300 caps.”

She shook her head. “I’ll give you 200 for the cakes and the coffee.” As he opened his mouth to object, she said, “Flint sells the cakes for 50 caps, and 150 is a generous offer for something I can’t imagine you sell much of.”

“Ah, there you’d be wrong! I sold some to Piper Wright’s sister in the City.”

Though she was intrigued at this bit of information, she stood firm. “200 for the lot, plus 200 for the information. I’ll add 100 as an advance for finding out the vault dweller’s name, with another 100 to be paid when you come back with the information.”

He clearly liked the figure because he nodded and smiled. “Deal.” They exchanged goods and caps, and with the transaction complete, he cinched up his goods. Shielding his eyes, he looked into the sky. “”Good business brings good weather.”

“Is that so?”

He nodded. “And you’re always the best business, Miss Martin.” He doffed his hat, then used it to get his brahmin moving again. “C’mon you two. Flint owes us 500 caps!”

…..

“When the bombs drop, there’ll be nothing left but cockroaches and these.” Jane held up the small cake. Despite her ominous prediction, she had a smile on her face.

Maura wrinkled her nose. “I’m almost willing to wager they’ll outlast the cockroaches. I don’t know how you eat them.”

“Easy,” Jane replied, and demonstrated by popping one into her mouth.

Maura could only laugh at the exaggerated pleasure. Looking over the brim of her coffee cup, she hesitantly brought the conversation around to a more pressing matter. “Your mother told me Casey’s coming home on leave.”

“My mother needs to mind her own business.”

The sharpness caught Maura off-guard. “I thought you’d be happy.”

Jane slouched on the stool and traced a map in the counter’s marble topography. “All I’m going to hear is, ‘When are you two getting married, Janie?’”

A frown line formed between Maura’s brows. “I don’t think the question is entirely out of line, Jane. You’ve been engaged for over a year.”

“What? You’re my wedding planner now?” Maura flinched at the tone and Jane immediately apologized. “Sorry. I’m just, I don’t know.”

The brunette’s emotional flailing received a comforting hand on Jane’s arm. “You know,” Maura ventured, trying to choose her words carefully, “no one says you have to get married.”

“You mean stay permanently engaged? Yeah, Ma would love that.” The accompanying eyeroll indicated otherwise.

“No, I mean…” Maura had hoped to not have to spell it out.

Jane’s eyes widened. “Break off the engagement? Wow, you don’t play around, do you? Right to the heart.”

“Casey’s or yours?” For all of Jane’s bravado, Maura suspected accepting Casey’s proposal had been an automatic response, more for her mother than herself. The fact that the detective blamed her work for the reason she didn’t wear the engagement ring more than three times over the last 12 months spoke volumes.

Jane frowned. “I’m 100% committed to marrying Casey. Just… not right now. And he’s not ready either. The Army takes up all his time. We’re going to war. I can’t think of a worse time to get married.”

“Some would say it’s the best time. Right before the war, who knows what could happen later?”

“That’s morbid.”

Maura shook her head. “It’s been proven to bring up the morale of servicemen if they have someone at home waiting for them.”

“He has his family.”

“You know what I mean, Jane.”

“Yeah well, what about me? I’m supposed to declare my love to someone then watch them march off into war?”

Maura had no answer. With a slight shrug that conceded the point, she asked, “What will you tell your mother?” She caught Jane before she could reply. “Besides that it’s none of her business?”

Jane smirked, but her shoulders sagged in defeat. “I don’t know.

Maura decided to try it from a different angle. “What is it you want? I won’t judge. I won’t even comment.” Jane arched an eyebrow. “No hives,” Maura pointed to her neck, “so you know I’m telling the truth. Tell me. Between friends.”

Jane rested her chin in her hand. She was silent for so long that Maura began to wonder what kind of reply she would get. She was surprised when Jane said, “I spend more time here than my own apartment.”

“Your mother lives in the guesthouse.”

“True, but I’m here more.” She pointed to the floor. “I don’t even know what the guesthouse looks like, and she’s been living in it for 2 years.”

Maura smiled at the admission. “I didn’t realize.”

“Neither did I until I thought about it, but now it seems so obvious. I come here in the morning before work, we talk about work here over dinner. Hell, your spare room is less of a guest room and more of a ‘Jane’ room.”

“You’re always welcome here.”

“I know. From day one, I’ve never felt safer than I do here.” The name ‘Charles Hoyt’ didn’t need to be spoken. “So you want to know what I want?” Maura leaned closer. “I want things to stay just like this. Crime-fighters by day, super-relaxed friends by night.” They both smiled. “If I marry Casey, that’s all going to change.”

A better person might have used the moment to ask Jane why she felt safer in Maura’s home than with her fiancé, ask her why she found routine with Maura more comforting than change with a new husband. But Maura wasn’t that person. She wasn’t conditioned to push for more, to need to get to the root of emotions. Science was her field of exploration and analysis. The heart was something else entirely. So she sat quietly, not wanting to ask for more than she already had, not knowing how. It was Jane who once again broke the silence.

“Maybe I should just marry you. Ma would be so happy to have a doctor in the family.”

The words were said in jest and Maura smiled accordingly. If she noticed how her words bruised Maura’s heart, she didn’t show it.

….

Chapter Text

A/N: No game spoilers in this one, though I mention actual places along the way. D.B. Tech and University Point are 2 actual places in the game, the latter being occupied by synths. I was going to get more into the Institute and synths in this story, but really, that’s a whole other story! A longer note at the end of this chapter.

…..

On the third day, the weather broke, as if Mother Nature knew it was in everyone’s best interests not to rile Jane any further. The women had spent a good part of the rainy days poring over Nat’s map while debating the pros and cons of several possibilities. They had finally narrowed it down to 8 places, paired up into 4 trips. Now that the rain had stopped, Jane was itching to get moving again.

“I heard your friend on the radio last night,” Nat said at breakfast.

The fork stopped halfway to Jane’s mouth. “What?”

The young girl shared some egg with a delighted Dogmeat. “Yep. I don’t know what time it was,” she said, before her sister could ask. “I had to take Dogmeat out to pee.” The dog barked at her name. “I’m kinda used to that name now. Huh.”

Jane tried to temper her impatience. “What did she say?”

“She knows you went to the Abernathy farm,” she answered. “‘cause she said you did a good thing returning that necklace.”

Piper hummed. “How did she find out so fast?”

“Jealous?” Jane asked with a smirk.

“Ha. Ha. Maybe I’ll hire her to work for the paper when we find her. But think about it: that was 3 days ago. Nat heard her last night. That means she found out within 2 days of us coming back to Diamond City.”

“She’s got to be close,” Jane said, following Piper’s lead.

“Exactly. We need to get on some caravan trails. If she’s in hiding, it’d be the only way she’d get the information.”

Jane nodded at the hypothesis. “Did she.... did she say anything else?”

Nat screwed up her face in concentration. “Uh… oh!” She snapped her fingers. “She said she’d have Fancy Lads Snack Cakes waiting for you if you ever met.” She threw a glare at Piper. “Glad someone gets to eat them around here.”

Piper was having none of her sister’s complaint. “They’re 200-year old sugar rocks.”

“They’re delicious!” Nat and Jane said in unison. Dogmeat barked in agreement.

Pointing at Nat, Piper firmly declared, “No.” The finger arced to Jane. “No.” And to the dog for good measure. “No.” All three replied with a silent pout. “The sun’s not gonna stick around all day,” she said, unmoved. “Are we hitting the road or not?”

Jane ruffled Nat’s hair. “I’ll work on it, kid.” To Piper, she said, “I was ready 3 days ago.”

…..

The rain had left behind a treacherous trail that forced them to stay on the road. Well travelled paths came with its own pros and cons: they were more likely to run into raiders who were looking for an easy payday, but the road was also more likely to be used by the caravans. They were willing to risk the former for the chance of the latter. Weapons were in full view in the hopes of dissuading any trouble.

They had agreed on heading south for their first journey after the rain. University Point immediately got Jane’s attention and since they’d pass it along the way, they agreed to check out the South Boston Police Department. Jane had chuckled at the irony of Maura hiding out in a police station. Other destinations were agreed upon for other days, but Jane had a personal bet that she could convince Piper to check out one or two more if necessary before the end of day.

Piper kicked a stone. “What do you think she’s going to say when she sees you?”

Jane appreciated the confidence. “Not a clue? Cry? Tell me the scientific improbabilities of me being alive after all these years?”

“Right back atcha, Science Girl,” Piper replied, cocking her finger at an imaginary figure. “Well, I know what you’re going to say.” Jane encouraged her with a raised eyebrow. “You’re going to tell her how much you love her and that you were a huge idiot for not saying so. But hey, 200 years gives a person a lot of time to think.”

Jane shook her head. “Okay, first, why the big emphasis on ‘huge’?” Piper’s shrug was unapologetic. “Second, I wasn’t alive for 200 years. Not conscious. Or whatever.” She waved her hands as the words escaped her. “As for the other bit…”

Piper stopped dead in her tracks. “Wait. You’re not telling me you’re not telling her?” The reporter silently repeated the words to double-check their veracity. “Right. That’s what you’re saying?”

Jane tried to keep walking but her companion stood firm. “Fine. What do you want me to say? That I’m afraid of losing her right after I found her?”

“Why are you going to lose her?”

“C’mon. You’re okay with someone showing up out of the blue and just blurting that out? ‘Hey! It’s been a while. I love you!’”

“Okay, first,” she mimicked Jane, “you’re not just someone. Second, I’m guessing if you look back on things, really look at them, I bet she felt the same way then. Which means she feels the same way now. Blue, that doesn’t just go away because of time. And hey, if I saw someone like you show up on my doorstep, I might be persuaded.” The last remark got the laugh that was intended. “Was she married? Seeing somebody? Interested at all in anyone?”

Shaking her head, Jane said, “No. In fact, I was the one who was engaged.” There was a slight pause. “To a guy.”

Piper didn’t bother hiding her laughter. “Oh boy, when you want to mess things up, you go all the way, don’t you?”

“Hey!”

“Nevermind that. So you were engaged. To a guy.” She made a face. “How did Maura take it?”

The two began to walk again. “She was… supportive.”

“But not over the moon for you?”

“No, I guess not. I mean, she had my back. She always did. But it was always for me. Not me and Casey.”

“Well there’s your first problem - a guy named Casey?” She halted Jane’s oncoming objection with a hand. “Who broke off the engagement?”

Jane suspected Piper already knew the answer, but she replied anyway, “I did.”

“Why?”

“He was in the Army. I guess I didn’t want to be a General’s wife.” Piper’s laugh doubled in volume. Annoyed, Jane asked, “What?”

“You had that answer ready like that.” She snapped her fingers. “How many times did you have to tell yourself that before you believed it?”

“Screw you.”

“Hey,” Piper said, raising her hands in mock surrender. “I’m just reporting what I’m finding. We got a woman in love with another woman but decides to marry a guy, but breaks off the engagement, falling back on a not-very-convincing, ‘I didn’t want to be a General’s wife’. Those are the facts.”

Jane’s walk became a stomp. “I don’t even know why you’re interested.”

“Because I’m a journalist, duh. There’s a story here. Besides, I’m kind of a romantic.”

Though she was pretending not to care, Jane peered over her shoulder. “What?”

“Two people finding each other after 200 years apart? I might write a book!”

“Vomit.”

“You’re not fooling anyone, Blue. Why else would we be going to all this trouble? You love her. You said so. And I’ll bet a month’s worth of Publick Occurrences sales that she loves you, too.”

“Mmmm,” was all Jane said. After a few minutes, she asked, “Exactly how many copies do you sell a month?”

“That’s not important right now.”

“Uh-huh.” Eager to change the subject, she pointed her gun barrel to a building on the left. “My brother worked for that company. Tommy,” she clarified. “He had his problems, but when he got his head straight, he could build robots from a tin can and a toaster.”

“I’ve been told to take a wide berth,” Piper warned. “Heard the robots have taken over.”

Jane smirked at a private memory. “He always said they would.”

They walked past the building without incident.

“So you had these robots back then?”

“Oh yeah,” Jane replied. “I mean, they were around if you could afford one. We pooled our money together one year and got Ma one for Mother’s Day. I wasn’t sure at first - Ma wasn’t the most tech savvy person in the world. But Tommy gave her some tips and made some modifications and she loved it. I always told Frankie the ‘bot replaced him as Ma’s favourite.”

“Sounds like you had a really great family, Blue.”

Jane examined her boots as they walked. “Yeah, we had our moments. I miss them.” Piper hummed and looked down at her own feet. “What is it?”

“I don’t know,” Piper replied with a shrug. “I guess I forget how weird it must be for you. To physically be here, now, but so many of your emotions must still be back there, 200 years ago.”

Her eyes lifted and peered forward. “Sometimes I think it’s a dream; I feel like I can’t get my feet under me, you know? Half of me there, half of me here. Half not wanting to think of the past, but half not wanting to think of the future.”

“Then you just gotta think about today. Let the rest sort itself out when it’s ready.”

The advice was complex in its simplicity. “I’m trying.” Another building appeared, this time on their right. “I know what you just said, but are you interested in another blast from the past?”

“Always!”

She pointed with a small jerk of her chin. “D.B.Tech,” she read the sign.

“Yeah.” Piper waited for more.

“D.B Technical High School. Mascot’s a bear. Colours are green and yellow. Loved the cafeteria’s mac ‘n’ cheese, hated Sister Callahan.”

Piper beamed. “You went to school there?”

“Seventh to twelfth grade.” She paused for the delivery. “Worst 6 years of my life.”

“Ha!” Piper laughed. “You want to go in? There might be a raider or two, but nothing we can’t handle.”

She looked at the building for a long time. The green and yellow-painted sign held up well over the centuries, a defiant reminder of the past. “Nah,” she said at last. “If I’m going to get over the past, I need to stop coming back to it.”

…..

They didn’t have to travel too far before they saw their first destination. Jane softly laughed.

“I always forget some things might have moved on after the war,” she said. “I should know better, with the whole Diamond City/Fenway thing. This is the old Massachusetts Bay university. When did they change it to University Point?”

“I don’t know,” Piper replied. “I heard about some government project, but no one really knows. Then it was a settlement. Now it’s overrun with synths.”

“Synths?”

Piper opened her mouth to speak, but closed it again. She seemed to be struggling for the words. “Wow,” was how she began. “I really forget you don’t know sometimes. The short version? Synths are robots built by the Institute.” Her eyes went hard. “Every successive generation makes them look more and more human.”

“Not your favourite people?”

“Not by a long shot. It’s why I’m not the major’s favourite person.”

The detective in Jane quickly put the pieces together. “You think he’s one of these synths.”

“Oh, I know it,” Piper replied, her voice laced with venom. “Just can’t prove it. Yet.”

Jane glanced at the entrance. “So what should we expect?”

“They’ll most likely be benign as long as you don’t look like an enemy of the Institute.”

“Should you stay out here?” Jane half-joked.

“Ha ha. I’ll be fine. If it means finding Maura, I can fake it for 5 minutes.”

“You really think she might be here?”

Piper shrugged. “Hiding in plain sight, right? Plus it’s an old university. Seems like a logical place for a brainiac like your girl.” She ignored Jane’s glower at the term. “And like I said, as long as you’re neutral about the Institute, the synths don’t care.”

Jane blew out a breath. The concrete building loomed dark and imposing even in the sunlight. “Okay. No time like the present.”

Hearts that were racing slowed when nothing greeted them inside the door. They gave their eyes a moment to adjust to the dim interior before they looked around.

“Have you been here before?” Piper asked.

“No.”

Piper walked over to a table and lifted a magazine. “‘Tesla Science Magazine #6’,” she read. “Something for the Science Girl?”

“Don’t touch anything,” Jane whispered. “I thought we were going to make a good impression?”

The reporter rolled her eyes. “Fine.” Leaning back on her heels, she squinted at the chalkboard above the table. A string of numbers caught her attention. “Wouldn’t want to have to memorize that formula,” she quipped. “I wonder what it is?”

“It’s Coulomb’s Constant,” Jane said.

Piper slowly turned her head in amazement. “How did you-”

“She’s correct,” a voice said.

The women jumped. “Jesus!” Jane exclaimed.

A figure stepped into the light. Based on Piper’s earlier description of synths, Jane guessed this was an earlier version, for while it had the framework of a human, and an oddly unsettling male face, there was nothing to disguise its inner workings.

“My apologies,” it said, making no secret it was cataloguing both women with its lifeless eyes. “How did you know?” it asked, finishing Piper’s question. “It’s unusual for a human to possess such a high level of knowledge.”

Jane couldn’t help the smile that tugged at her mouth. “I know a woman who possesses the highest level of knowledge. Which is why we’re here.”

“If you’re seeking knowledge, the Institute is only too happy to assist. If you’re seeking a woman with knowledge, there are no humans here.”

Her heart sank, though she was thankful the machine got right to the point. There was something unsettling about its expressionless face.

“No humans at all?” Piper asked.

“My apologies,” he said again. “While we may receive the occasional raider, they’re encouraged not to stay long.”

Jane didn’t have to wonder what kind of ‘encouragement’ they doled out to attackers. Nothing led her to think the machine was lying - could it? - but she tried one more time. “I’m looking for Maura Isles. Caucasian female. About this high.” She held up a hand as a measurement. She could almost literally see the gears moving as the synth rolled her description through its memory bank.

“No one appears on my facial recognition that fits the likeness.” She wasn’t surprised by the answer, but his follow-up caught her off-guard. “I sympathize,” he said, “in as much as I can as a 2nd Generation synthetic. Looking for one person in all of the Commonwealth is a daunting task. I commend you for your diligence.”

“Some might call it stubbornness,” Jane replied. “But thank you.”

“If I see her, I will tell her to find you in Diamond City.”

Jane blinked, and repeated an earlier question. “How did you know?” If asked, she would’ve said she saw a glimmer of a smile.

“You are the vault dweller. The Destroyer of Deathclaws. The Champion of the Constitution.”

“The Abernathy Avenger,” Piper jumped in.

Ignoring the reporter’s jibe, Jane said, “News travels fast. But that still doesn’t explain how you knew it was me.”

A mechanical hand gestured towards her. “It’s your suit.”

…..

Jane stepped out of the building with her eyes fixed on her clothing. “How could he tell under this jacket?”

Piper grinned. ”You have to admit it’s a certain shade of blue.”

Eyes flicked up. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

Piper was unfazed by Jane’s indignation. “I mean- HELLO, blue!” She flared her fingers out as if she were spotlighting the garment. “No jacket is going to cover that up. But you must like it; you cut it so you can still wear it as a shirt.”

She tugged at the uneven hem. “I just… I like the reminder.”

“Keeps the memories close,” Piper said. “I get that.”

The choice of words was perfect. Smiling, Jane nodded. “Yeah, keeps the memories close.”

“Still, you know- WHOA, blue!”

Jane rolled her eyes. “Where’s the map?”

…..

A/N: I’ve had a couple of comments that I was going to reply to individually, but since both touched upon the same subject, I figured I’d answer it here (and I’m not sure how many people read the comments anyway). It’s no spoiler to say Jane and Maura find each other in the end. BUT, I do want to stress that the story doesn’t go much further than that. I worry that some are reading this story thinking there’s going to be some big, long reunion and another 10 chapters after that. There isn’t. There’s a reunion, then an epilogue. I’m sorry if that’s a bit of a letdown, but I figured I’d better reiterate what I said from the start- this is a story of how they find each other, not so much about what they do after the fact.

Chapter Text

A/N: Spoilers for the quest, “Kid in a Fridge”. As with the other quests, I’ve streamlined it a bit for clarity and brevity.

…..

They hadn’t walked more than 5 minutes when they heard it. Jane held out her arm to stop Piper, but the reporter was already frozen in place.

“What was that?” she whispered.

Jane cocked her head in the direction she suspected the sound had originated. A finger gestured for Piper’s silence and they stood that way for several seconds before they heard it again.

“Is it...is it coming from that?” Piper pointed to a refrigerator that stood alone outside the skeleton of a house just off the road.

They were silent again to test her hypothesis. A muffled sound proved her right. Jane made a motion towards it but this time it was Piper who held out an arm.

“Wait. I’ve heard raiders like to lure people into traps like this. Baby cries, person goes over to see. Baby goes ‘boom’.”

“Never had that problem in the old world,” Jane remarked. She shouted at the appliance, “I’m going to shoot the door handle. Don’t move!” Steady hands held the weapon and with an easy exhale, she pulled the trigger.

“Gotta admit, that could’ve gone either way.” Piper smiled at Jane’s glare. “What? That’s a tough shot!”

“Thanks for the vote of confidence.” She shouted at the fridge which was now bereft of its handle. “Come on out.”

The door slowly opened. Jane and Piper stood, guns at the ready though their curiosity superseded their wariness. The hinge creaked a story of long disuse until finally it relented and released the door with a thud.

“Jesus,” Jane whispered. She glanced at Piper but found she was just as awestruck.

A boy roughly Nat’s age stepped out with wobbly legs and squinting eyes. A boy who wasn’t a boy.

“A kid ghoul,” Piper breathed. “Holy cow.”

He looked around, fearful and confused.

“Hey,” Jane said. Clearing her throat of her surprise, she tried again. “Hey.” His attention darted to her and she tried not to avert her eyes. Seeing Daisy was one thing; she was an adult. As horrible as her experiences were, adults could take care of themselves. This boy - this ghoul - wouldn’t stand a chance in the Wasteland. His age also brought with it questions he might never be able to answer: How did he survive for so long? What happened to his parents? What would he do now?

Offering what she hoped was a comforting smile, she said, “My name’s Jane. This is Piper. Do you know your name?”

He rubbed his disfigured face as if waking from a century long sleep, which Jane realized might not be far from the truth. “Billy,” he said. “Billy Peabody.”

“Wow, I have 100 questions,” Piper said, but caught Jane’s expression and quickly added, “which I will leave for a later date.”

The reporter was beaten to the punch. “Where’s Mom and Dad?”

The simple question made Jane wince. “To be honest, I don’t know, Billy. How long have you been in there?”

“The sirens went off and I couldn’t get home on time,” he explained. “I saw this and climbed in real quick. I didn’t know what else to do.”

She shared a quick look with Piper. If his question about his parents didn’t give them an idea of how long he’d been in the fridge, his story did. “Before the war,” Jane quietly said. Gesturing to the house, she asked, “So you didn’t live here?”

“No,” he replied, “I live near Neponset Park.”

“Quincy?”

“Yeah, you know where that is?”

“Sure.” Jane smiled. “It’s just down the road. Not far.”

“Do you think my mom and dad are still there?”

The hopefulness in his voice made Jane hedge her reply. “I don’t know, but there’s only one way to find out, right?”

His eyes lit up. “You’ll take me?”

“Well, we were going that way anyway,” Piper said, recognizing the sigh in Jane’s voice at yet another diversion.

She thanked Piper with a small nod. “Sure, kid. We can swap stories of the good ol’ days while we look for your parents.”

They avoided talking about what they’d do with Billy if his parents weren’t found.

…..

“...when the ball went over the wall, we went crazy!”

Billy beamed. “I can’t believe you saw the Sox beat the Yankees. In the World Series!”

“Down the first base line,” Jane said. “Pop knew one of the security guards. My brothers were so jealous because he took me.”

“No kidding. I watched it on television. Wow!”

The road was blissfully without incident on their short way to Quincy. Jane had started the conversation with baseball, and Billy was more than happy to join in. Piper could only shake her head.

“I have no idea what you two are talking about.”

The rock Billy had been kicking skipped off the road. “What? You don’t know what baseball is?”

Jane arched an eyebrow at Piper, subtly reminding her of an earlier conversation they’d had about the sport. Piper caught the hint. “Not the way you know it, that’s for sure. But I love that you two know.”

“Best sport in the world,” Billy declared.

Jane lightly punched his shoulder. “Got that right, kiddo.”

A small patch of houses appeared in short range and all gaiety was shelved. The women tightened their grip on their weapons, eyes alert for any movement from windows and corners.

Billy frowned. “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing,” Jane assured him. “We just need to be on guard, okay? If you see anything that looks like trouble, you run for cover, hear me?”

“Yes, ma’am.”

Under her breath, Piper said, “I’d avoid fridges though, but maybe that’s just me.” Jane’s glare didn’t diminish her smirk.

“There’s my house!” Before they could stop the jubilant boy, he bolted towards the home.

“So much for stealth.”

Jane sighed and shrugged. “Okay. Let’s just keep our eyes open. Hopefully, he hasn’t attracted a Deathclaw or a super mutant or a mole rat or a raider or whatever the hell else is out there.”

“Mirelurks,” Piper offered.

“What?”

She pointed into the distance. “On the other side of Neponset Park. I’ve heard there’s a Mirelurk king.”

The words replayed silently on Jane’s lips. She opened her mouth to ask a question but shook her head instead. “Nevermind. Let’s hope not that… whatever that is. Let’s see what the kid found.”

Piper turned serious for a moment. “I hope it’s not too bad, poor guy.”

Their fears were quashed the minute they stepped inside the house. Voices came from the kitchen, full of joy and surprise. When Jane announced their presence with a soft cough, three heads turned to face them.

“A ghoul family,” Piper whispered. Realizing it wasn’t as quiet as she thought, she sheepishly bowed her head. “Sorry.”

The magnitude of the moment overrode any offence her comment might have caused. The mother stepped forward, her voice and hands shaking.

“You brought our son back to us.”

Jane brushed aside the gratitude. “He wanted to come here. We just wanted to make sure he got here safely.”

“How did you know?” the father asked. He didn’t have to explain what he meant. Everyone knew the odds were stacked against the story having a happy ending. Jane simply shrugged, and he nodded his understanding. “Just the same, Carol and I can’t thank you enough.”

“We were glad to do it, Mr. Peabody,” Piper smiled.

“Matt. Please, call me ‘Matt’. I wish we had something to give you for what you’ve done.”

Jane refused the offer. “Not necessary, really.”

“I know!” Billy exclaimed. “I have baseball cards! I’ll get them!”

Carol watched him bound up the rickety stairs. “He always loved baseball.” The memory and moment made her burst into tears. “I’m sorry. I just can’t believe it.”

“Why not?” Jane asked. “Baseball’s the best sport in the world.” Her delivery made the rattled woman smile.

“I have so many questions,” Matt admitted.

“You and me both.”

Jane rolled her eyes at Piper’s agreement. “Here’s what we do know,” she said. “He heard the sirens and found a fridge to get into. There wasn’t a handle inside.” Carol covered her mouth with her hand. “After that, well, only Billy knows. But maybe give him some time.”

Any further discussion was halted by Billy’s gallop down the stairs. “Found ‘em!” Holding them out to Jane, he said, “I want you to have them.”

The gesture brought an inexplicable tear to her eye. “No, I couldn’t do that. There must be over a hundred here. You keep them.” The sight of his crestfallen face quickly changed her mind. “I know. Why don’t I find my favourite player and take that one so it’ll always remind me of you?”

“Okay!”

She leaned against him so they could rifle through the stack together. It didn’t take her long to find the one. Pressing it between her thumb and finger, she held it up for his approval. “Can I take Ted?”

“You’ll think of me when you see Ted Williams? Cool!”

Matt chuckled. “Sorry. He just really loves baseball. It was a great sport before the war.”

“And he was the greatest player,” Jane said. “Batting .388 before the bombs dropped. I always thought he could hit .400.”

“Uh, Blue?”

She was about to reply with a question of her own until she realized the looks she was getting from the parents. The father in particular looked at her as if seeing her for the first time.

“Who are you?” he asked, his voice demanding yet curious.

“I-”

“She’s from before the war, like us!” Billy blurted, oblivious to the stunning weight behind his words.

Carol stepped back, less in fear and more in surprise. “But… but you’re a smooth skin.”

Having been called the same by Daisy, Jane had a pretty good idea what that meant, even without Piper’s not-so-discreet gesture to her face. She took no offense at the term, but she was concerned by how carelessly she’d shared that information. While the family seemed friendly enough, Jane felt odd knowing her history was now revealed. She wasn’t sure how to reply. Fortunately, she didn’t have to.

“You’re the vault dweller,” Matt stated simply. “And you saved our son. That’s all that matters.”

Carol emphatically agreed. “Yes. We will forever be in your debt.”

“Well, I hate to collect already, but I do have a favour to ask.”

“Whatever we can do,” he replied.

“I’m looking for someone. Someone… like me.”

The words sunk in and Matt’s hairless brow rose. “Another pre-war survivor?”

“Yes.”

“We keep to ourselves,” Carol said. “Most people have a difficult time...”

She didn’t have to finish the sentence. “Two hundred years later and it’s still the same,” Jane sighed. “How about caravans? Where do you get your supplies?”

“Oh, yes,” Carol replied. “We have 2 caravans that come through a few times a week. Flint and…” she turned to her husband.

“Axel. Good man.”

“Yes, Axel.”

Jane nodded. “Have they ever said anything about a woman who might be…”

“Out of time,” Piper finished with a smile.

Matt chuckled. “No. Not that I remember.” Carol shook her head in agreement.

“How about the classical radio station?” Jane asked. “Do you know where it is?”

The answer was clear even on his disfigured face. “No. I’m sorry.”

“You know who you might ask?” Carol offered. “Dr. Martin. She lives at the homestead just east of here.”

“The homestead?” Piper asked.

“The Warwick homestead,” Matt said. “Used to be an old waste treatment plant. I’ve heard the doc has really fixed it up. Grows things like they were before the war. We buy them off the caravans.”

Piper looked at Jane who had remained silent. Unable to read her expression, Piper said, “You’ve been really helpful, Mr. and Mrs. Peabody. Right, Blue?”

Jane blinked twice at hearing the moniker. Dumbly, she nodded, before managing to get out a soft, “Yeah.”

“Will you come visit again?” Bill asked.

This brought Jane’s attention to the fore. Squeezing the boy’s shoulder, she answered, “I sure will, kiddo.” She held up the card, then tucked it in her jacket. “I’ll keep it safe.”

They said their final goodbyes and stepped out of the home. Jane walked several steps ahead of Piper, and the reporter mistook her silence for something else.

“Hey,” Piper said, “I know it seems like it’s one thing after another, but we need to look at it like it’s just one step closer, right? Blue?” Jane slowly turned, and her smile surprised Piper. “Jane?”

She could only shake her head. “It’s her, Piper.”

“It’s who now?”

“It’s Maura. Dr. Martin is Maura.”

“Okay…”

“I know it sounds crazy, but hear me out,” Jane said, continuing to walk backwards. “We saw what was going on in her vault, right?”

“Some kind of high society experiment.”

“Right. What would you do if you were part of something like that?”

“You mean after I exposed them for the mole rat bastards they are?” She hummed as she picked up Jane’s train of thought. “I’d want to keep a low profile. I mean, chances are, no one else is around to be bothered, but still.”

“Which is why she never gives her name on the radio.”

“And why it’s been almost impossible to find.”

“Yeah.”

The enthusiasm bounced between them until Piper said, “Wait. So how do you know this Dr. Martin is her?”

Jane revealed the trump card with a finger snap. “It was her birth mother’s maiden name.”

The revelation and its consequences stopped Piper dead in her tracks. “Holy shit.”

“Yeah,” Jane said again. As the enormity of it sunk in, her shoulders sagged and she doubled over.

Piper was immediately at her side. “I recognize that look.” She put an arm around Jane’s shoulders and said nothing as she threw up in a nearby bush. When the heaves subsided, she gently asked, “What’s wrong?”

Embarrassed, Jane wiped her eyes and spit out the last remnants. She gratefully took the water silently offered. “Thanks.” She knew better to think that would be enough to divert the reporter’s gentle curiosity. “It’s like… like it’s all hitting me.”

“Isn’t this what we’ve been working towards?”

“Yeah, yeah, I know. It’s just..”

“You’re scared.”

Had it been anyone else, Jane might have bristled at the idea. But looking into brown eyes so much like her own, eyes filled with compassion, she willingly conceded.

“Yeah. Scared. Nervous. Freaked out of my fucking mind.”

The exaggerated hand gesture that came with the admission made Piper laugh. “Ah, Blue. It’s nothing but clear skies from here. I mean, clear skies filled with radiation, but you know, other than that.” She flashed two thumbs up.

Jane laughed in kind. “I couldn’t have done this without you.”

“We were a pretty good team, weren’t we?”

The wistful tone caught Jane’s attention. “What do you mean ‘were’?”

Piper made a motion to start walking again, but Jane reached out for her arm. She asked the question again with a tilt of her head.

A shrug wasn’t accepted as an answer, so Piper sighed, “C’mon, Blue. In about 30 minutes, you’re going to come face to face with a woman you haven’t seen in over 200 years.” She stopped to replay the words. “I can’t believe I just said that like I was ordering noodles. Anyway. The love of your life. You don’t need me being the third wheel.”

It suddenly occurred to Jane that this wasn’t just her journey; it was the reporter’s, too. Now, with the finality of it in sight, she understood Piper’s fears.

“Do tricycles still exist in this place?”

The randomness of the question caught Piper by surprise. “The little bikes with the three whe… Ah, I see what you did there. That’s nice of you to say, Blue, but let’s be real.”

“Okay,” she agreed, “let’s be real. I wouldn’t be here without you.” She silenced Piper’s objection with a look. “I beat that Deathclaw because I was in a human tank. Everything after that had been luck, stupidity, and you. The super mutants? The raiders at the Olivia station? The noodles?” Piper burst into a grin. “That’s not even getting into taking me under your wing, letting a stranger into your home. I will never, ever forget what you did for me.” Her voice was laced with unwavering conviction. “So if you think I’m just going to throw all that away…” She crossed her arms, shook her head and looked away.

“Okay, okay,” Piper conceded. “I get it.”

Satisfied, Jane nodded. “Good. Besides, if I remember right, I still owe you an interview.”

“Can I do a joint-interview with you and Maura?”

“Piper…”

“A 12-part series. ‘The Day the Bomb Dropped’.”

“Piper…”

“‘Vault Girl and Radio Gal, Reunited’.”

“Piper!”

Her admonishment was half-hearted and too late. The reporter skipped ahead towards their destination, headlines reeling off her tongue like a ticker tape.

…..

Chapter Text

A/N: Epilogue to immediately follow.

…..

They stood just outside the fence, but the enormity of the building didn’t loom over her half as much as what she was about to do. She stood staring for so long that Piper pulled out her weapon.

“What is it?” she whispered.

Jane shook her head. “Nothing. I’m just… catching my breath.”

Piper rolled her eyes at the weak excuse. Holstering her gun, she sighed. “Gee, Blue. I was worried you saw a bloatfly or something. You know what I think?” She leaned in as she asked the question, creating an element of secrecy that lured Jane in.

“What?”

“I think you should get going!” She punctuated her command by pinching Jane’s elbow and giving her a shove.

“Ow! Okay, okay!” She was still making a face at Piper when she crossed the threshold between the fence gates and set off a shrill beep.

“Oops!” Piper said, crouching down and looking for a threat.

“‘Oops’?” Jane hissed, getting in her own defensive stance. “‘Oops’?” She watched the reporter stand. “Now what are you doing?”

“If there was a turret or an automatic gun, it would’ve gone off the second you tripped the alarm.” She scanned the area, then pointed triumphantly. “There’s a sensor in that car. You just set off the motion detector, that’s all.” Raising her hands, she gestured for Jane to do the same. “C’mon, ‘fraidy cat.”

Slowly, Jane stood, mirrored Piper’s pose and waited.

…..

She had been fairly lucky over the last 5 years. Sure, it hadn’t been easy establishing a settlement on her own, but its location away from Diamond City and the trails offered a sense of safety, and despite the fact she had never left the homestead, her medical and agricultural knowledge had endeared her to the few locals in the area as well as the caravans. She’d had to fend off a small raider attack once, and after that, her reputation as a marksman prevented anything more. Still, she kept the security devices on at all times, out of habit more than necessity. When it went off, she was startled by the rarity as much as the sound. Peering at the old monitor, she reached for her CB radio. Without looking away, she clicked the mic button and spoke.

“Weapons on the ground, please.”

Unbeknownst to Maura, Piper said, “Polite even when bossy. I like that.”

She watched the two women do as they were told, but now Maura wasn’t sure what to do. The camera, though helpful, was limited by its technology, and the sun pointed towards the homestead and into the lens. Female raiders weren’t uncommon, though there was something in the visitors’ appearance that didn’t feel threatening. She made a decision.

“State your business.”

Maura couldn’t hear the reply; there was no microphone in the car. She had asked the question to buy her time to get to the door. Checking her weapon, she turned the handle and stepped outside.

…..

“Our business? Whoo, that’s a loaded question!”

Jane glowered at Piper. “Shh! It’s a diversion. Look-” Piper followed her gaze. “Keep your hands on your head until she says otherwise. I taught her how to shoot and she was better than most of the guys on the force.”

“Wouldn’t that be funny?” Piper mused. “Getting shot by the person you made a better shooter.” Jane slowly turned her head in disbelief. “Well, ‘funny’ in a morbid sort of way.”

A lone figure stepped out of the building.

“What do we do now?” Piper asked.

“We wait.”

…..

The rifle felt heavy in her hands, and she promised herself she’d practice more. The hat she wore shielded some of the sun, but not enough to stop her from squinting. The strangers stood exactly as she had left them, and that gave her some comfort, though she kept her weapon at the ready. When she felt she was within earshot, she shouted, “What do you want?”

…..

Everything in Detective Rizzoli told her this was Maura, long before this moment, but there had been a part of Jane that couldn’t believe it, was too scared to hope it was true. But now, hearing her voice across the distance for the first time in over 200 years, Jane knew.

The silence grew between the trio until Piper nudged Jane with her elbow. “That’s your cue, Blue.”

“Maura,” was all she could get out before her chin quivered and the tears fell.

“It’s okay, I got this,” the reporter said. “Are you Dr. Maura Isles?”

The grip on her gun loosened, and the barrel dipped downward. Unperturbed, Piper carried on.

“I’m Piper Wright. Publisher and journalist for Publick Occurrences. You might have heard about me? I run it out of Diamond City and-”

“Maura!”

Both Piper and Maura jumped at the shout.

“-and that’s Jane Rizzoli,” Piper finished.

…..

If hearing her own name after 200 years was a shock to the system, hearing Jane’s name nearly buckled her knees. Her memories over the last few days coupled with the stories of a vault dweller conspired to create this dream. It was the only answer, her mind told her. Her heart and her feet had other ideas. The gun dropped to the ground as she somehow got closer to the pair. The camera had picked up a decent image of them; they were of similar build, both with dark hair, both dressed to face the dangers of the Commonwealth. Closer now, Maura could make out more details: the one who identified herself as Piper Wright had a bob cut and a cap. The other had her hair in a ponytail under a hat.

The other...

Her trembling hand covered her mouth as the name and the image slowly came together.

“Jane.”

…..

Her heart raced like a jackhammer, even as her feet felt like they were pushing through treacle. She rapidly blinked her eyes to clear her vision, but it only served as a windshield wiper effect: clear, blurry, clear, blurry. She had only half-heard Piper say her name; now she could hear nothing but her pounding heart.

Jane walked for an eternity before she reached Maura, standing like an apparition in the afternoon sun. She had barely aged; only the tears marred her beauty. Jane reached out to wipe them away, but she buckled under the weight of the moment and fell to her knees. When she felt hands circle her shoulders to draw her, she knew this was real. Trembling arms wrapped around Maura’s waist and Jane sobbed.

…..

For a brief moment when Jane’s hand had reached for her but didn’t touch, Maura wondered again if it really was just a dream. Only the tactile reality of Jane’s shoulders under her hands, of Jane’s head pressed into her body convinced her otherwise. Suddenly, time and touch were too slow and she, too, fell to her knees, hands clammering everywhere she could reach, gripping and pulling at fabric, afraid if she let go for a second, Jane would disappear. Her lips feverishly removed all trace of tears from Jane’s face, roaming over eyes and cheeks and lips until Jane’s hands stilled her. Strong fingers framed her face and for the first time, they looked at each other.

“Jane.” Though said as a statement, it was laced with hesitant hope.

“Yeah.”

How like the woman to sum up the magnitude with a single word. Maura choked out a laugh and it felt like a pressure valve had been released. “How?”

“Doesn’t matter. Not right now.” Her kiss banished any further talk.

“So, I’ll just be, you know, over here if you need anything proofread.” Piper whistled innocently and kicked a pebble which went unnoticed by Jane and Maura.

…..

Chapter Text

A/N: There was a lot I could do with this story but steered away- I tinkered with the idea of making Maura a synth, which my beta reader shot down immediately. :p I thought about introducing Nick Valentine to help, considered bringing the Institute into the story, etc. But in the end, I just wanted a reunion story without making it too bloated. Thanks to all who gave it a chance, epecially the Rizzles fans who had no idea about Fallout!

…..

“Why can’t I stop crying?”

Maura’s gentle hand stroked her face. “Do you want the scientific reason?”

The light-hearted reminder of Maura’s tendency to take things literally made Jane smile through the tears. “Yes.”

“Your lacrimal glands produce 3 kinds of tears: the basal tear which keeps your cornea lubricated and your eyes moisturized, the reflex tear that flushes out irritants, and the psychic tear that your limbic system triggers in the face of strong emotion or pain. But they also release a natural painkiller called leucine enkephalin, so when I tell you you’ll feel better soon, I’m not lying.”

“You two are so romantic.”

“Go to sleep, Piper!” Jane shouted through two walls. “You couldn’t put her on the roof or something?”

Maura’s smile could be seen even in the room’s low light. She snuggled closer, her head finding a home in the curve of Jane’s neck. The bed was barely big enough for both of them, but neither were complaining. “I like her.”

“You would,” Jane sighed. “She’s just like you.”

“Oh?”

“Yeah. Impossibly curious.” Maura hummed appreciatively. “Compassionate.” She hummed again. “Bossy.”

Maura pulled back. “I am not bossy.”

Jane squinted in the dark. “Are those hives I’m still seeing after 200 years?”

“Hmph,” was all Maura said before returning to Jane’s shoulder. “Anyway, I would think she’s more like you.”

“What?”

“Brave. Determined.”

“And…?”

“Undoubtedly stubborn.”

“I knew it!”

Their bodies shook together with laughter. Jane pressed her lips to Maura’s forehead and savoured the moment.

“I can’t believe you’re here,” she whispered.

“Technically, you’re here,” Maura said. “Somehow, you’re here. And that’s another reason why I like her. She’s helped you, and I will never be able to repay her.”

“GIve her an interview and she’ll consider the debt paid,” Jane replied. “Besides, if we’re going to talk about somehow being here, it’s you. I’ve still got that new vault smell but you? You left the vault and made it on your own- five years! That’s amazing. You’re amazing.”

“You’re both amazing.”

“Piper!”

Maura curled her arm tighter around Jane’s waist. “So what happens now?”

“After I put a certain reporter on the roof?” She moulded herself to Maura. “I don’t know. I never thought past the idea of finding you.”

“I never thought you would.”

“I don’t want to go to sleep. I’m afraid I’ll wake up and you’ll be gone. But I’ve got to tell you, this bed is the most comfortable thing I’ve felt in 200 years.”

“It took 2 years for the caravans to bring me enough springs to fix this one, but it was worth it.”

Jane tilted Maura’s chin and softly kissed her. “It was all worth it.”

…..

“Is this thing on?”

“You’ve checked it 4 times already.”

Piper ignored Jane’s remark. “Okay, so this is the third and final installment of ‘Looking Back into the Future: the Story of the Vault’. I still think you should’ve let me call it ‘Vault Girl and Radio Gal’, but whatever.”

The three women sat on the roof of Publick Occurrences, eating noodles and watching over Diamond City. From their perch, they could see Maura’s vegetable stand where Nat and Dogmeat were diligently manning the station.

“You sure she doesn’t mind?” Maura asked.

“Mind?” Piper repeated. “If you’re not careful, she’s going to take over the whole enterprise.”

Jane snorted. “She’s going to take over Diamond City.”

“‘Diamond City’.” Maura shook her head. “After all this time, it still takes getting used to.”

“Maybe now that you’ve settled here, it’ll be easier,” Piper said. “You two are staying, right?”

“Flint and I have come to an agreement about the homestead; I can’t turn back now.” Maura heard the words and quickly touched Piper’s arm. “I don’t mean it to sound like I’m unhappy with the prospect. It’s just something new.”

“Well, you’ve made more than a few friends already who are more than happy to help.” Piper gestured towards her sister. “That one there idolizes the both of you.”

“Aw, don’t be jealous,” Jane said. “The dog still likes you.”

Piper slapped Jane’s shoulder. “Anyway… Becky Fallon has let you take over the upstairs of her store, and Maura’s set up a growing vegetable business- ha! See what I did there? ‘Growing’?” She ignored Jane’s eyeroll. “So what does the future hold for Vault Girl?”

“A possible murder charge if you don’t stop calling me that.” The threat rolled off Piper’s back like water. Giving the question genuine thought, Jane finally said, “I’m thinking of starting up baseball again.” Piper’s eyes widened and Jane laughed. “Not whatever it is you call baseball. I mean real, pre-this baseball. A ball, a bat and a glove, none of which are used to kill anybody.”

Piper shook her head. “You’re going to have a hell of a time convincing Moe Cronin otherwise.”

Jane remembered her meeting with the owner of ‘Swatters’ and how they had nearly come to blows over whose version of baseball was the right one. She made a dismissive face. “If there are bottle caps to be made, he’ll come around.”

Piper agreed. “Nothing changes someone’s mind like profit. So that’s it, huh? Vegetables and baseball.”

“You were expecting a bigger ending,” Maura remarked.

“Well, no. I mean, I get it- you two getting here is the big story. Probably the biggest one I’ll ever cover unless I finally expose the major’s criminal activities. I don’t know. I just like the idea of avenging injustice and righting wrongs.”

“You know,” Jane said, “you can do those things right here in Diamond City.”

“Yeah, but ‘Commonwealth Crusader’ won’t catch on here the way it would out there.”

“Perhaps ‘Wasteland Warrior,” Maura suggested.

“Ooh!”

“More like ‘Paper Princess’,” Jane smirked. Before Piper could protest, she said, “I seem to recall telling Preston Garvey that I would go back to Sanctuary Hill to see how they were doing.”

Piper’s eyes lit up. “The Minutemen? I bet he’s got a story to tell.” She looked first at Maura then at Jane. “I’m not rushing you, am I? I mean, you two just got settled; I wouldn't blame you if you didn’t want to venture back out there for a while.”

“I haven’t seen any of the Commonwealth,” Maura said. When both sets of eyes landed on her, she shrugged. “When I went through it 5 years ago, I wasn’t really thinking about looking around at the time. Besides, did you think I would let either one of you out there without supervision?”

Piper bowed her head. “Aw, she’s worried about us.”

“Believe me,” Jane said, “she’s more concerned about the Commonwealth.”

Maura innocently went back to her noodles. “I would imagine there are plenty of people who could benefit from some medical aid.”

“Notice she didn’t deny it.”

Piper was undeterred. “We’ll be known as the.... hmmm.”

“‘Terrible Trio’? ‘Triumphant Triumvirate’?” Jane offered.

Piper sniffed indignantly. “You should be nicer to the press. It’s not too late to change the title of the article.”

Jane was unmoved. “Don’t you have a deadline to meet?”

“No. As an autonomous institution, I can make-” She narrowed her eyes. “I see. You know, if you want alone time with your girl, you should say so.”

“I want alone time with my girl,” Jane said.

The immediate reply made both Maura and Piper laugh. “Fine,” the reporter said. “I can take a hint. Besides, I know Diamond City is waiting with bated breath for the conclusion of Vault Girl and Radio Gal.”

“Piper…” The warning bounced off Piper’s back. Hearing Maura’s chuckle, Jane said, “You only encourage her.”

“I know,” she replied. “Sit.”

Jane took the offered space beside Maura. The small community buzzed below them. “You know, with the caps Flint gave you for your place, we could’ve lived up in the suites.” She looked at the upper deck that rang around the old field.

Maura nodded. “I suppose. Is that what you wanted?”

She stirred her noodles aimlessly with her fork. “No. You know me; I was never someone who fit in with all that. I just thought maybe that was something you would’ve wanted.”

“Because I did fit in with all that?” Before Jane had a chance to object, Maura leaned into her. “You’re right; there was a time I fit into that life. Are you going to eat those noodles?” Jane handed over her bowl. “These are so good!”

“It’s nice to see some things haven’t changed.” When Maura lifted an eyebrow, she explained, “You still eat all my food.”

Maura’s mouth dropped to protest, but when the words didn’t come, she shrugged in defeat. “They’re very good noodles.” Back to the matter at hand, she said, “It’s not the place I would have envisioned, partly because I didn’t have much of a choice in where I ended up.”

“Survival was more important than real estate.”

Maura smiled. “Yes. But in the end it doesn’t matter. As long as I end up with you.”

Despite their confessions over the last month, both in words and caresses, Jane could still be caught off guard. She was quiet for so long that she got some encouragement from the street.

“Kiss her, for cryin’ out loud!”

“Piper!”

The growl lasted as long as it took for Maura’s lips to touch hers.

…..