Nick knows his request is sudden, and he doesn’t look at Piper as she speaks. He sighs himself, exhaling a cloud of cigarette smoke and easing back into her couch. “We are,” he agrees. “Sometimes I just wonder if we’re trying hard enough. I wonder if we could be doing more for folks out there, ya know?”
He shakes his head and offers the other a small smile. “Sorry– shouldn’t be so pessimistic.” The detective pauses to take another drag from his cigarette. “Where’s Nat?” he queries suddenly. “Out playing, or…?” Being the middle of the day, he figured it wasn’t a bad guess. If she wasn’t out and about with the other children of Diamond City, it was more than likely she was at his office, wading through old case files and slowly driving Ellie insane with the disorganization.
“ raggin’ on the kawolski kid again? “ she suggests . it’s a harmless joke , as she thinks fondly on nat’s youthful innocence ; on all the drama of childhood crushes . ah , how she wishes life could be that simple again .
but on doing what’s right , it’s those childish antics that give piper hope that she hasn’t messed up with nat — that she’s a normal kid that’ll lead a normal life , that she won’t take after her big sis . she often wonders if she's done enough to keep her from going out and finding trouble , real trouble , or letting it find her . with all its flaws , diamond city is still a better alternative to the world beyond its walls . “ you think she’s happy , nick? i mean --- i just ... feel like sometimes , i get her too wrapped up in the politics . “