╭┅┅┫ -ˋˏ *. ❂ .* ˎˊ- ┣┅┅╮
❝ ᴛʜᴇ ɢʀɪɴs ᴛʜᴇ ғᴜɴɴɪᴇsᴛ
ᴛʜᴇ sᴍɪʟᴇs ᴛʜᴇ sᴜɴɴɪᴇsᴛ
ᴡᴀʏ ʙᴀᴄᴋ ʜᴏᴍᴇ ❞
╰┅┅┫ -ˋˏ *. ❂ .* ˎˊ- ┣┅┅╯

Sanctuary Hills was my home before the bombs dropped.

My mom and dad owned a house with a white picket fence and a vibrant green lawn. After living in that house my entire childhood, I left my beloved community to be a first generation college student and returned after I graduated. The decision to help build a new settlement here was one that filled me with a melancholy nostalgia.

But when Hancock and I crossed the bridge, and I saw settlers of all shapes and sizes bustling around and working together, an overwhelming sense of pride and joy outweighed any grief in my heart.

Stores and merchant stands stood in the place of the houses that were reduced to ruin and rubble. Generators and water purifiers hummed in the background, and Bob Crosby's "Way Back Home" played from a speaker tuned in to Diamond City Radio. In the middle of the paved road that rippled through the settlement stood a scaffolding tower approximately as tall as Swan (who, at the thought of, still made me uneasy). The front lawns where kids once played now contained humans and ghouls alike tending to crops. The sight caused that warm happiness to spread through my body, and it resonated within my bones.

This was home. It always has been, and it always will be.

Hancock wore his larger-than-life grin and said, "Wow. How long has this been here?"

I gazed upward, counting the months in my head. "Six months maybe? I'm not sure. It's kind of pointless to keep a calendar these days."

Before Hancock could ask what that meant, someone began to descend from the scaffolding tower. I adjusted my militia hat so that its brim casted a shadow that concealed the scar. He would blow a gasket when he saw it, and I didn't to cause a scene in the middle of Sanctuary.

With a hat nearly identical to mine perched atop his head and a bulky laser musket in his hands, he looked almost as comical as the day I first saw him behind the balcony of the Museum of Freedom.

"Good to see you, General," He greeted with a bright grin. He gestured toward Hancock. "Who's this?"

"Hancock, mayor of Goodneigbor. And you are?" The ghoul trailed off, not having caught his name. Preston adjusted his weapon in order to extend a hand for Hancock to shake.

"Preston Garvey, Commonwealth Minuteman." Hancock looked taken aback at Preston's extended hand, surprised almost. However, he recovered quickly and gave Preston a firm handshake with that lopsided grin. "Pleased to meetcha, Garvey."

Then Preston turned to me with concern creasing his face. "I was worried about you, you know. When Nick teleported back, he was so exhausted he could hardly stand up. We were in the dark for a few days, not knowing if you were alive or not." As quickly as it came, his worry dissolved. "But I'm glad to see you back and in one piece."

I nodded, keeping my eyes and hat low. I wasn't exactly sure how to respond to his concern, so I blurted: "I came back because I need a hazmat suit."

Preston shot me a bewildered look, and I sighed. "Go get Piper and Jac. I'll meet you in the infirmary with Nick and Codsworth, and I'll explain everything there." Preston, despite his confusion, nodded. He veered off towards the workshop as Hancock and I began walking toward the huge building at the edge of the cul-de-sac.

Hancock trailed along slowly, his hands stuffed deeply into his pockets. He observed Sanctuary with an almost childlike wonder. Eventually, his gaze rested on me. Hancock's eyes twinkled in the sun's rays. "General of the Minutemen, huh? Color me surprised."

I shrugged. "I was, too. It was a pretty sudden decision." I trailed off as I gazed around the community. That warm feeling in my chest made its way to my lips in the form of a proud grin. "But it was the right one. They needed a leader."

Based on his small nod and reflective silence, that seemed to resonate with him. "And here I thought you were just some frenzied vault dweller who liked to blow up things for fun."

I laughed easily. "Believe me, I've felt like it a few times." I waved to familiar faces as we strolled along. "All joking aside, it's worth it. The people of the Commonwealth deserve a right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness."

Simultaneously, Hancock recited the quote. "The Preamble to the U.S. Declaration of Independence. Nice."

I raised an eyebrow in surprise. Just when I think I've got the ghoul figured out, he throws a curveball. I vaguely wondered if he knew of baseball. "You're interested in government?"

A chuckle bubbled from inside his chest. "I'd say so, considering I'm draped in John Hancock's clothes. Now that's a story to tell."

I found myself looking forward to him telling it.

We stepped into the infirmary, which was a homely, two-story brick building. Various paintings, flower vases, and rugs adorned the walls, tables, and floors. It had such a warm, hospitable atmosphere that it was easy to forget that sick and injured people resided there.

After stepping through the main door, a hallway past the waiting room led to the emergency room. The second floor was divided into two parts: four recovery rooms and one consulting room.

As we treaded up the staircase, Hancock looked even more impressed then before. "Edible food, clean water, and now this? This place is a damn oasis."

We turned a corner into a hallway. Our boots rhythmically thumped against the floorboards. "It would be one thing if I built this place myself. But I didn't. Everyone pitched in." I peeked through the window in the door to look into the room. Sunlight beamed through a window on the opposite wall, and a charred book rested on the bedside table.

The synth detective was sitting on the edge of the cot, talking to a Mr. Handy who waved his appendages animately. The robot's eyestalks did a double-take as I opened the door, and his bowler hat nearly fell to the floor.

"Miss Ash!" Codsworth exclaimed, clanking as he hovered toward me. "It's absolutely splendid to see you again!" When I crawled out of Vault 109 and saw the lively, thriving community I grew up in dead and vacant, it was rattling at best. If Codsworth wasn't there. . .well. It goes without saying that the 200 year old bot would always have a soft spot in my heart, and I would hug him if I could.

We met in the middle of the room, and I tenderly rested a hand on his metal frame with a grin. "I'm happy to see you, too, Codsworth. Any news for me?"

Codsworth's voice beamed with so much enthusiasm that he could pass for human. "Nothing out of the ordinary, mum. Mr. Valentine is making a speedy recovery, if I do say so myself."

I glanced at Nick for confirmation, who nodded. "Ole Codsworth here is right. Haven't even had to stand up to get something yet. Not that I could if I wanted to." A solemn look crossed his face. Before Nick could ask the inevitable question, Preston walked in. Now that he was out of the harsh light, I noticed the bags under his eyes seemed to hang heavier than they did last time I was at Sanctuary.

Jacqueline, Jac for short, limped in after him. Her skin was so pale that it was ghost-like. Her hair and eyes, however, were onyx black. Her gaze was sharp and never missed a detail.

"Who's he?" Jac's normal speaking voice always held the icy bite of winter, and it caught Hancock off guard. He blinked stupidly for a few moments before he recovered.

His head quirked ever so slightly, and there was a hint of a challenge in his voice when he asked, "You talk to all your guests that way?"

Jac crossed her arms and furrowed her brow, surprised at his audacity. Before she could fire back, I shot a look her way. "Stop, Jac. We've got business to discuss."

Then Piper burst in. Her press cap sat askew atop her smooth black hair, and she doubled over with her hands on her knees, panting. Her face was flushed and words spilled out of her mouth rapidly. "Sorry I'm late, Marcy was being a colossal pessimist and I snapped at her and we got into an argument and—"

A chorus of laughter cut her off, and he grinned. Her movie-star grin stretched even wider when she saw me. "Ash! Hey!" She strode across the room, and we engulfed each other in a hug. After a while, she pulled away and held me at arm's length. "Wow, is it good to see you again."

Her face contorted with shock as her gaze traced the length of my scar. "Oh, gosh. What happened?" Piper's voice went soft with worry, which grabbed the rest of the room's attention. I sighed and retracted the militia hat.

Preston mirrored her expression, and Codsworth gave a theatric gasp. Even Jac looked sympathetic. I looked in Nick's direction, but his eyes didn't quite meet mine. As I sank into a wooden chair I mumbled, "Well, get comfortable, everyone. I should probably start from the beginning."

It took the next half hour to fill in the gaps for them. I told them of the run-in at Swan's Pond, and how Amari patched Nick and I up. I told them of my confrontation with Kellogg and of the fugitive scientist. Finally, I introduced Hancock and told them of how he saved Nick and I, and how he helped me take down Kellogg's synth army. The ghoul shrugged and humbly brushed it aside. Although, I did notice a hint of the coldness dissolve in Jac's face.

After I finished recounting the story, the mood considerably shifted. The silence was deafening, and I felt exhausted and drained. It was after a few minutes that I noticed everyone looking at me expectantly. The only sound in the room was the soft whir of Codsworth's rockets.

His outer appendages clinked together nervously, not unlike a human twiddling his thumbs. His voice was so quiet that I almost missed what he asked. "Miss Ash, if young Shaun's not with you. . .Mum, is he. . .?"

Oh.

I ducked my head and struggled to keep my voice steady. "No." I paused, composing myself, before lifting my head to look each of them in the eyes before my gaze rested on Codsworth. "Codsworth, he's in the Institute."

Codsworth gave a wail of despair, Preston murmured a curse, Jac let out a low whistle, Nick frowned deeply, and Piper looked downright depressed.

No one spoke for a few minutes, each person contemplating the news they heard. My heart lurched at this sight of so many people grieving for the news I delivered. There's nothing in this for them. They get no special reward for helping me get Shaun back. Each of then, even Jaq, agreed to help me because they're good people.

They've done so much to help me get to the point I'm at in this wild goose chase, and that's something I would be eternally grateful for.

I shook my head slightly to clear my thoughts. The moment that hope is lost is the moment I drive the nails into Shaun's coffin. Metaphorically speaking. We had no reason to grieve, for Shaun wasn't dead. He was simply somewhere I didn't have access to. Yet.

I straightened my spine with a newfound resoluteness. "That's why Hancock and I are going to the Glowing Sea."

I didn't discuss that with him, and I expected him to be surprised or indignant even. However, when I turned to gauge Hancock's reaction, I found him wearing that lop-sided grin. He gave a reassuring nod that said something like: I'm in.

My grin came easily because it was genuine. "The runaway Institute scientist there will be able to help us. I'm sure of it."

》* 。 • ˚ ˚ ˛ ˚ ˛ • 。* 。° 。* 。 • ˚《

hey hey !!

i'm not sure if there's an american term for it or not, but "a consulting room" is where the doctor tells the patient (and if they still have their family, they're included too) what sickness / disease / condition they have, whether or not it's terminal / malignant, and how to treat it and move forward. to put it in a simpler terms, this is where the doctor "breaks the news."

also, i have a headcannon that piper has adhd and has way too much energy for her body sometimes lol

i'm proud of how short this chapter is,,, i usually write A LOT more

and i know i say how grateful i am for you guys every chapter but i'm grateful for you guys. seriously, 1,000 reads ?? amazing.

SO AS A THANK YOU:
i'm going to write a two part oneshot with all companions. the sole in the story will be like the ultimate sun child. there will be joy, there will be tears. it'll be great. add my oneshot book to stay updated

and as always, thanks for reading and see ya in the next chapter !!

xoxo,
—rambler