MOVED TO RADBORN

                                    This is the way you left me, I'm not pretending.                                               No hope, no love, no glory --- --                                                         No happy ending

             “I think there’s a Red Rocket nearby- we could cover the doors and rest there, or…” Laura frowned as she thought- this was probably the furthest west she’d been in the Commonwealth, truth be told. Sure, she’d spotted the Red Rocket, but anywhere else was merely a question or possibility.

         “I think I heard about a nearby area with trailers, but it’s infested with ghouls. A sattelite array is further west, too, but it’s filled with raiders.” Apparently, caravan gossip was somewhat useful- so far, the only acceptable option seemed to be Red Rocket, at least in Laura’s eyes. At least it was certain to be empty, or near enough that it could be easily emptied… She was practically ignoring James in her own, private brainstorm, searching her memory for any other locations that could work as temporary shelter for the trio- and, after a moment, she snapped her fingers in sudden excitement. 

        “There’s a shelter! For the, ah- The Mayor of Boston! I don’t think anyone’s ever gone in, at least that I’ve heard of. Would that work?” 

      “You really think no one’s ever gone in?” If it were solely up to him, James would opt for the Red Rocket. Even the ghoul-infested trailer homes and raider filled buildings seemed a safer bet than wandering off into an unknown bunker. Any number of hostile wasteland creatures could be occupying it. The faint hope that it was untouched wasn’t worth pursuing. 

    The dusty, dilapidated building was beginning to make James feel claustrophobic, or, more likely, it was the result of his mind lingering on The Institute and his son. The son whose life he had missed out on. Shaun had grown up alone --- - brought up in a cold, sterile environment that had imprinted those same traits upon him. There was nothing of either of his parents in him that James had been able to discern; he didn’t have Kate’s compassion, or his father’s snark. His eyes looked just like his mother’s, but they didn’t light up when he smiled like hers did. He was flawed and broken, but James couldn’t hate him for it. No matter much he wanted to.

    His chest tightened as he thought, a heavy lump forming in his throat. Beside him, Laura seemed to have taken no notice of his emotional turmoil, which was good. She didn’t need to shoulder any of the burden. He cleared his throat quietly, glancing towards a narrow hallway to their right. “I’m going to see if there’s any supplies down that way. You should probably keep checking here.” He didn’t meet her gaze before he quickly stalked off, panic rising in his chest.

    When James finally reached a secluded room, he shut the door behind him and settled onto an old office chair. Head between his knees, he attempted to regain his composure, but tears flooded to his eyes instead. “Fuck,” he whimpered, trying to hurriedly brush away the teardrops that rushed down his cheeks. It was all sinking in, now. He’d lost so much, and gained nothing for all of his trouble. Everyone wanted something from him, and he didn’t have the energy to keep trying to give them what they’d asked for. “I don’t want this. I don’t want it . . . I don’t --”

     “Right… sorry.” She rubbed the back of her head guiltily, eyes on the ground in mild embarrassment. Laura recognized that she was getting worked up, but it was something worth getting worked up over… Wasn’t it?

    “Yea. I’m sure about Bunker Hill-” It wasn’t that she didn’t trust the Minutemen, but she’d rather throw her lot in with the group Laura knew would have her back should anything go wrong… Which, when she thought about it, sounded a lot like she didn’t trust the Minutemen. “Cassie already got everything ready, anyways.”

    “It’s not the one I believe the least, it’s just… I’m not pretty. I’m sure you like pretty women, but I also doubt you’re all that discriminate.” Laura had seen the pictures from old pre-war magazines; women in fancy dresses, some lingerie… They were pretty. Aesthetically pleasing. Easy on the eyes. However you wanted to describe it, there was some kind of allure Laura knew damn well she didn’t have. “And… I don’t really hit on people.” 

       “I’m not sure.” In truth, the Glowing Sea concerned Laura immensely- she wasn’t a fan of being irradiated, especially when only a few minutes in the vicinity could mean death. “How many bottles of Rad-X do you have?” The comment was only mildly facetious; Rad-X and Radaway would both be incredibly important if Kate hoped to survive, with or without Power Armor.        “If you bring a big enough gun, I’m sure you can take on whatever’s there. It’s the radiation you should think about… What kind of power armor have you got?” 

      Kate shook her head, the seriousness of the situation threatening to overwhelm her. “I have no idea -- whatever I took off the roof of that museum.” Preston or Sturges had likely mentioned the type of the armor, but she hadn’t been in an excellent state of mind at the time. Even if she had been, it wouldn’t be the sort of information she’d bother committing to memory. “I’ve been stocking up on Rad-X since I left the vault, so I’m good in that department.” She narrowed her eyes thoughtfully as she considered the small arsenal she’d accumulated. 

    If Kate had to guess, her soft, pre-war appearance was likely a dead giveaway to her skill level as a fighter. She wasn’t completely clueless; James had taught her how to shoot a gun after his discharge, and her father had shown her how to throw a solid punch years ago, but that wasn’t enough in the wasteland. If she wanted to survive, particularly in a place like the Glowing Sea, she’d need someone to watch her back. Someone who might not shy away from a little radiation.

    With that in mind, she had entered Goodneighbor, knowing there was a ghoul merc-for-hire in the settlement. He’d cut an imposing enough figure that she’d steered clear of him in the past, but now it appeared that he was the wisest choice for her mission. 

     Listening to the couple discuss the problem, Laura remained silent, considering each point. For the Railroad to get involved was dangerous- the ‘change of leadership’ was not a good one from what she understood and had overheard from Desdemona… Not all knowledge was given out, after all, but her curiosity always won out. So she eavesdropped from time to time…     “If it’s worth anything- I’m with Kate on this. Better to leave them be for now. I doubt their goals are as simple as they sound.” She had yet to reveal her own presence in the Railroad, avoiding any contact when out on her own jobs. Another thing she could thank Dez for- somehow, that woman was even more paranoid than her.      Turning from the sight, Laura set her sights on the stairs leading back down to the ground. If Kate wanted to get moving, she’d oblige.      “Think Dogmeat’s still here?” 

              “I don’t think he’d up and leave us that quick,” Kate responded with a fond smile. She’d once hated dogs; they were slobbery, shedding messes. The mutt she and James had taken in before the war had changed her mind, though, so she’d been grateful for Dogmeat’s company over the past couple of weeks. With everything going on, it was nice to have a friend who was there for them without fail. She moved past Laura, glancing over her shoulder to assure that James was following after. She noted that his gait seemed stiff as he trudged silently along. All the activity was probably getting to his knee.

               “Do you know a good place nearby we might be able to rest?” she asked Laura. James would never admit that he needed a break on his own. “We need to get back to Nick soon, but . . . I’m beat.” She feigned a fatigued expression. “And we can discuss this more somewhere safe.”

              Any despondent feelings she had dissipated when he apologized. The corners of her lips quirked up a bit, forming a soft smile as she raised her eyes to look at him once more. “It’s okay.” She was nothing if not forgiving. Although, she was just grateful it did not seem to be his intent to invalidate her interest. But he did have a point — she did feel rather alone in her pursuits and interests. “Because I don’t want our history to be lost. We’ve lost too much already, as far as I’m concerned. I live in a baseball stadium, and I don’t even really know what the rules were. Though I know it was not a violent game, like everyone else seems to think. It’s because of stuff like that I’m trying to preserve what history I can.”

           “It definitely wasn’t a violent game,” he snorted with a roll of his eyes. “Moe’s a dumbass. No one likes to believe it, but once upon a time, America’s favorite past-time had nothing to do with murder.” James shook his head, his mouth turning down into a frown. There was not anything the wasteland couldn’t twist into a vile, unwholesome shell of what it had once been. He supposed it was reassuring that someone had the energy to correct that.

       There’s no judgement that passes over her, just a concern. She blinks, inhaling as if she was going to speak. A gentle “Oh.” is all she can manage. People warned her of being careful with her own baby, the fact that it already happened to someone else made her more anxious. “I’m sorry, I didn’t know.” She could think of more than a few people that would want to kidnap a baby, all of witch made her stomach churn. “I knew someone who got kidnapped one time, they had to pay a ransom an all.” She didn’t know if that bit of information would be helpful, but she offered it anyway.

        A small smile appears on her face, still softened by the gloominess of the subject. “I’m sure you know lot more than I do, I ain’t never seen a baby ‘fore this one.” In pictures in old magazines and on the backs of cereal boxes. They were so much smaller than she expected. “If you ever want, you can hold him and all that. If that makes’ya feel better at all.”

           If only retrieving Shaun was as simple as paying a random. James would have gladly collected the necessary caps -- no matter what he had to do to get them. Of course, he’d never been that lucky. “Don’t be sorry; it’s not your fault,” he responded quietly, offering her a meek smile. He was relieved that her reaction had been judgement-free. Her sympathy was welcomed -- God knew he wasn’t able to offer any of it to himself.

       “It fucking better be alright-” Teeth gritting together, Laura couldn’t help narrowing her eyes. All it took was the amount of time he used to speak and, already, she was frustrated. “I know I can’t go there, and don’t you dare mention anything before I talk to him-” How long was that long, annoying talk going take, though? Was it better to get a head start? There was way too much to consider…       “Can you… I don’t know, can you get him to Bunker Hill or something? Cassie’s got her shop, I can hijack the house for a few days-” Or rather, she already had, and the synth woman had been all too happy to have a guest. “And we can talk there…”  

             “Jesus, Laura -- I’m not going to tell him. Last I checked, I’m not the one pregnant with his baby.” James was aware that he could be an asshole, and he enjoyed messing with Liam from time-to-time, but this situation warranted more tact on his part than usual. If Liam was going to be a father, he deserved to hear it from her, first. “If it makes you feel better, I’ll pretend I didn’t know at all. I’d hate to rub anyone the wrong way.”