MacCready emerged from the Rexford Hotel in Goodneighbor carrying his son wrapped in a bundle of blankets, Hancock escorting him, the carriage with the Giddy-up Buttercups hitched up with Nate ontop and Deacon riding shotgun. MacCready was shaking, visibly as he carried his boy and laid him down in the Atomatoy's carriage, and let out a shaky breath as he made his son comfortable in the back seat.

"MacCready, Ride with your boy, us three will be keeping an eye out on the road, you keep your eyes on your boy. Make sure he stays comfy. We leave now, it'll only take us two hours to get from here to Vault 111," Nate said, taking the reigns and urging the Giddy-ups' into action.

There was a soft wheezing coming from the pile of blankets, bedridden and nearly paralyzed was MacCready's son, Duncan.

Keeping a hand on his son, comforting him and whispering to Duncan, MacCready was holding back tears as the carriage went into motion and left Goodneighbor heading West towards Diamond City.

Up Massachusetts Blvd. towards Fenway Park, the destruction around the Boston Common and collapse of the Copper Dome made both raiders and mutants unsure of where to stake their next claim. Considering the area too dangerous to move into yet, left the passage between the two colony towns mostly open.

Picking up speed as they rushed past Trinity Plaza, they were moving too quickly to be cornered by any aware mutants who were watching the streets. Trinity Church was silent and the Boston Library had a lookout perched on the roof, but the mutant didn't know what to make of the trusted ponies pulling a wagon. Too focused on the ponies themselves, it wasn't until they snapped out of their stupor and saw the humans sitting on top did they try to do anything. By the time the Mutants did decide to fire and come out of their posts, only three rounds were fired wildly down the street, out of earshot from MacCready, but Deacon and Nate still took notice. Passing on the North side of Diamond City, they passed a few guards patrolling the outside of the stadium, and kept moving along around cars and other road barriers. In all of fifteen minutes they moved from Goodneighbor all the way to the Northern Fens, making a break for Red's territory marked with the X inside the Chest. All along the route, Nate watched for any signs of danger, any sign that someone would try to stop them, but this was one of the few freeing moments he was able to breath once they were out of Boston proper. Once they reached Red's territory and saw the Beantown Brewery, passing the sunken swamped ruins of Harvard along the Charles River, there were a few mirelurks off to their right, but they were far enough inland to not warrant them being a nuisance.

Right over the bridge, past Beantown Brewery, onto Greygarden, to the West of Lexington, time ticked on and Nate found himself looking at his wrist, only to forget that he didn't have a pip-boy, hoping to see his watch. Counting off in his head, they were making better time than they hoped.

Deacon stayed alert with two rifles and a shotgun ready, primed and loaded, ready to shoot any anything that dared get too close. Rounding past the ArcJet center, their path took them past the Federal Ration Stockpile and then cut directly north on a straight and mostly level road that led directly to the Red Rocket filling station North of Concord.

"Rounding third," Nate mentioned. "Another twenty minutes or so and we'll be in the home stretch."

The fact that they weren't bothered anywhere outside of Boston, and that they rushed from one side of the Commonwealth to the other in less than an hour was a miracle. Faster than they could've hoped or predicted, the Giddyups with their endless amounts of energy made it possible to keep going without slowing down.

When they pulled past the Red Rocket Filling station, slowing down to turn left over the wooden bridge into Sanctuary Hills, they made it from Goodneighbor in less than an hour.

Cracking his knuckles and sitting upright, Nate turned to Deacon, "Let them know we're here. That's it up there."

Pulling the carriage to an empty lot that Codsworth cleared sometime in the past week, Nate brought the ponies to a stop and thanked them all for being so swift.

"Alright, MacCready, home stretch, we just need to get your boy up the hill and down into the Vault. Think you can carry him that far? Need a hand?" Nate told MacCready,

"I got him."

"Hancock, see if you can back the carriage into an empty covered driveway, for easier hook-up and rolling out next time we need them. I'm going to get Duncan here into the cryochamber, Asap."

"Looks like we've got locals," Hancock mentioned, pointing to the ponies further up the street. Leighla was watching from a large tree in the center of the culdesac roundabout, thinking that this was Nate, but once he was closer, she noticed his arm and thought it was some type of sleeve or gauntlet, but her mind refused to accept the differences between this Nate and the one that sent them here.

She chirped loudly, gaining Cait's attention, hurrying out to see the newcomers, she spotted Nate's 111 vault suit as well, but didn't make the connection until she saw Nate's deathclaw and how it moved.

"Hold on a tic, that's new..." She said, walking towards them as they progressed towards the path leading up to Vault 111. "Oy!" She called out, Lieghla coming down from her perch as well to come up beside Cait.

"What's with the arm, Nate? What happened there?"

"Deacon, lead MacCready up, I'll only be a moment." Withdrawing a new expression and a smile, "Cait! And Leighla, seems you met my doppleganger. Meat."

"What's that suppose to mean?" Cait asked, "You don't look hardly the same since we last saw you."

"That would be because you met with my counterpart, Meathead. Looks just like me, except for the arm."

"Do you mean a twin or something?" She asked, shaking her head.

"A magic twin, more like. You know these ponies that cast magic?"

Cait slowly tipped her head down in a nod, "Yeah...?"

"Well, one of them knows how to cast a spell to look just like myself. His name's Meathead, he's the one who freed you from the Combat Zone."

"Is that what this is? Some kind of circus act? Magic Trick? You go round the carousel and keep popping your head up like a whack-a-mole?" Cait asked, confused and still not understanding completely.

"It's a way I keep my enemies off my trail, Cait. It's how I get multiple things done across the whole Commonwealth without people being able to track me down."

Leighla looked down at Nate, "You don't smell the same either," She inhaled deeply through her nostrils, "You smell like motor oil and iron, the Nate we know smelled like dirt and fried fish."

"I don't know what to say to that, since that's the first time anyone's ever described my scent like that. I'm glad Meat sent you here to be Sanctuary Hills security, you both seem capable?"

"Aiye; More than capable. Quickly getting bored."

"Is Thunderstruck around?"

"No, we all dealt with a robot problem following us back to the line here, and we went and took care of it. Thunder horn's still picking over the scraps, salvaging the best loot she can find. She'll be back soon enough."

"When you see her, let her know I'm back. These are my friends, Hancock, leader of Goodneighbor over there by the cart, and Deacon and MacCready just took MacCready's son up to the Vault. Is Curie up there?"

"Ay, she is. Been with your wife."

"Good, I'm going to need her soon. She'll be plenty busy here. Have you been up to the Vault yet?"

"No, just staked our claim out here," Leighla said, "Though we were promised hot food, a bath, and a bed, we've only been granted one of those."

"Come with me then, I need to get MacCready and his son Duncan taken care of first, though. His son Duncan's-"

"Reeks of skin pollups and boils, hasn't been washed properly. Been sleeping on moldy bedsheets," Leighla said, "I could smell the lot of you the moment you rolled into this little burg."

"Right. Once I get MacCready and Duncan settled, I'll give you a proper introduction to Vault 111. Sound good?"

Leighla nodded, Cait only crossed her arms, "Well? Still waiting for the hot meal and shower I've heard so much about."

\111/

With MacCready holding Duncan, Deacon, Cait, and Leighla all standing on the platform, Nate activated the platform lift from the security booth then ran out to join them. As the warning lights spun up, and proximity alarm blared, there was a sudden shift across the Commonwealth. A massive fireball and explosion coming up from Fort Strong echoing off the whole valley and rumbling over the mountains made everyone pause to look at the light.

"That's..." Deacon wanted to say, 'The Brotherhood's doing,' but as the lift descended down out of sight,

"What the..." MacCready stammered, only wanting the lift to move even faster.

"Now you know how I felt the first time I saw those bombs going off back then."

"Hey! Hold it!" Hancock yelled panting as he ran to the top of the hill, but it was already in motion. The lift was already down three feet and dropping, so he jumped down and landed on his heel and rolled to one knee, "Agh! My ankles! Gwahd! Pins and needles...and duct tape holding me together!" The ghoul moaned.

"You okay there?" Nate asked,

"I think my bones just popped. Ohhff, gonna need to ice it." He said, slowly rising to both legs.

"Well, we got plenty of that," Nate said.

"So what the hell was that, that just happened? Brotherhood?"

"I don't know, Hancock. I don't know. Probably, but right now all I'm thinking about is locking this place down, and sealing the entrance. I don't want anyone coming through while I put Curie to work on Nora's surgery. I'm not taking any chances. The whole world can turn inside out, for all I care. I want to see my wife alive."

\111/

Nate's tone was trying to be welcoming and inviting, but with all the prerequisites completed for Nora's surgery to be underway, he ushered MacCready and Duncan into the Vault where Curie was waiting for them.

"Curie, you're needed. We've got a sick kid here who needs a scrub down and spot in a cryopod. Tell me that mine is ready to go, yes?"

"Oui, Monsoir Nate."

"Take MacCready and Duncan here to get cleaned up, and then get Duncan into a cryopod, on the double. MacCready, you're in good hands now, Curie is an expert at what she does."

"Please follow me, Monsoir MacCready," Curie said, turning to lead the way.

Into the showers and decontaminated from too long of a road from traveling, MacCready was careful with his son, barely able to lift his own arms and with Curie's assistance, they cleaned themselves before being given Vault-suits and lead deeper inside to the cryopod room.

"Your turns, take as long as you need."

With Leighla and Cait bathing, Hancock and Deacon followed Nate after Curie, MacCready and Duncan.

"You two are next, you know. I run a clean ship around here."

"Does that mean we get a Vault-suit too?"

"Big pile of them over there in the closet," Nate said, "But first, I've gotta get this underway."

\111/

In the greenhouse room, there were still pods left untouched and connected to the system. Bobby and Tina Deluca refrained from pulling every pod out under the idea that they would eventually need to use them in the future, with this being one of those moments.

MacCready was still carrying his son, promising to Duncan who was listening that by the time he woke up, he would be cured. Nate initiated the program, and within a minute, Duncan was cryogenically frozen. Perfectly preserved, and no sicker, his time was extended indefinitely while Curie could look at Prevent and determine its chemical makeup.

"MacCready? Still got that Prevent?" Nate asked, MacCready nodded, handing over the vial.

"Curie, I've got something special for you to examine. Med-Tek experimental drug called Prevent that needs to be recreated. This is the only sample, and it's already going to Duncan MacCready. So you can only use a little bit, otherwise the original contents need to all go back in and to Duncan, understand?"

"Oui, Monsoir. I will take utmost care and be most delicate with the samples."

"First, though, before you get underway with Prevent, how are things going with Nora? Is the surgery room ready? Do we have everything?"

"Oui, the room is ready and sterilized. I ask that no one accompany me unless they've been thoroughly sanitized. The room will be lowered to just above freezing to inhibit excess blood flow in Nora. After removing the bullet and reconstructing her heart, ribcage and arteries, the temperature of the room will be slowly raised to below standard room temperature over the course of an hour, allowing blood to flow more freely and so that I may then assess her heart rate. I promise a 92% chance of success, Monsoir Nate. Following a successful rebuilding of the heart muscles, I will reassemble her chest and close her up. Then, over the next four hours, she will be sedated and monitored. She will need to be heavily sedated for the next three days following the operation to allow proper healing and to prevent any undue stress on her heart. I'd like the nerves to knit as much as possible before bringing her out of sedation, where then she will be resting, but on a steady regiment of painkillers to numb the pain. She will be in the most amount of pain a human will ever able to endure, and her heart rate must be kept low for the next six to eight weeks following the procedure. But I promise, Monsoir Nate, I have the experience and capabilities of performing this operation."

Nate was tearing up as Curie spoke about Nora, describing the whole operation and surgery. He didn't want to think about how a .44 magnum tore through her chest, ribcage broken, heart damaged, but he had to tell himself over and over again that it would be okay. That he'd done it. He found a doctor capable of taking care of her and that this was the time to do it.

"Do it." He told Curie, tears in his eyes, "I'm locking this place down. Nobody, and I mean nobody's coming in or going out until after Nora's stable and out of surgery. Understand?" He told everyone.

Cait and Leighla were given the option to leave, but stuck around for the hot meal and the warm bed, everyone else watched as Curie sterilized herself one last time, then took to the cryopod room to open Nora's pod.

\111/

Nate cried as Curie opened the pod, nearly breaking down there on the spot as he felt the last two weeks slamming into him. His own pain and weight feeling like a sledgehammer to the back of the skull as he couldn't keep his strength going anymore.

He felt like he was in a safe place, the safest. He was back in his vault, and finally able to let all the things he'd been willfulfully ignoring and denying taking up any mental thought and willpower to come crashing down all at once. Unable to keep his eyes from watering and face from turning red as all his thoughts turned to Nora, and how the next day would feel like the longest in his memories since he first stepped out of the vault. That this wasn't a dream, that he was witnessing death and rebirth all at once.

His stomach felt as small as a walnut, a tight bundle of tubes tied up in knots, even at the same time he was starving, his mind flip flopping at will. He burst out laughing, slamming his fist on the walls, shaking his head. "Oh? Is this really it?" He asked rhetorically.

"Please, I just want this one thing to work," He prayed, "Please let her come back to me."

\111/

Irrational, and far too emotional, Hancock, Deacon, and MacCready were all able to see Nate's bewildered status. Leaving him to his own devices for the time being, they knew he would come around when he was able, and played their own hosts until Nate calmed down. Ever since the explosion rocked the horizon, the mushrooming cloud welling upwards to the sky, he couldn't shake the reoccuring feelings of dread and loathing that weighed down on his thoughts. Athena's warning that the Brotherhood being on their way to collect the liquid nitrogen coolant was staring him directly in the face. Ninety-nine tons, still sealed and fresh, begging to be exploited, but he had other plans for it. Until then he just wanted today to be over, and jump to the day Nora opened her eyes again.

Pulling himself together as the operation carried on, he returned to clean himself up and give Cait and Leighla a proper run-through, and rejoin Deacon, Hancock, and MacCready. Cait and Leighla were off to the side, going through large pot-sized bowls of a elk and vegetable broth soup, but close enough to eavesdrop and listen in on the conversation.

"You okay there, Chief?" Hancock asked, Nate nodded.

Everyone was in the dining hall, sitting around talking, and when Nate returned, MacCready patted him on the back. "I know it feels, looking after someone you love. Does that to everyone."

"Yeah. So. Mac, welcome to the Vault. You look good in blue." MacCready cracked a smile and laughed, "You all do. Cait, Leighla, glad you could find something to eat. Everyone's looking good and neat," Nate said, addressing them as well. "Is there anymore?"

"Over in the kitchen," Cait said, pointing with her spoon. "One of the ponies cooked it up."

Cherry Fizz quietly smiled, nodding and making herself known, Thanking Nate for opening up Vault 111 to her, she was grateful for a safe place to be in from the Commonwealth.

"I'll get it, take a seat, Nate," Deacon said, hopping up for a moment to grab Nate a bowl.

"Alright, so. As you can see, we've got a little greenhouse going, we're a stepping stone away from this place being an actual community. Codsworth was breaking down houses for clear areas to build on, I've got big plans for Sanctuary Hills...that being said, we've got some things to address before we cross that bridge. First off, The Broterhood just arriving in town. Athena isn't going to stop until she gets her hooves on Sola and Firelance, and she's willing to burn down the whole Commonwealth if it means getting through the Brotherhood to get to them."

"Wait, Nate. Sola Vagari? The Lone wanderer and Firelance the Alicorn?...from D.C.?" MacCready asked.

"...Yeah. What's...well keep going!"

"I just...I know those guys! They're my buds, we go way back. They...they saved Little Lamplight where I grew up, and later on helped me move to Big Town a year after that. I stuck with them for a few months instead, followed them around to actually get to know the Capital Wasteland and the rest of D.C."

Hancock looked at MacCready.

"This was back before you joined the Gunners?" Hancock asked, Deacon was interested in the old history as well.

MacCready looked around the table, and then started off slow, "That didn't happen until I came up this way. Sola and Firelance told me plenty of stories about where they went. The Pitt, Point Lookout, every little hidey hole around D.C, and their spaceship in orbit...If there's a crazed unicorn after them. Then they'll want to know. They might not be eye to eye with Elder Maxson, but they still got plenty of friends in the Brotherhood."

Nate rested his deathclaw down on the table, Drawing in a deep breath then steadily letting it out,"...Do you know how to get in touch with them?"

"Yeah. Shit. I forgot to grab it. I got a beacon on a little trigger. It's back in Duncan's room in Goodneighbor. Sola told me to use in an emergency and they'd be there in a heartbeat. I asked them a long time ago if there was anything they could do about Duncan's sickness, and while they said they tried asking around, and for a month or two told me they were asking doctors and med-docs about what I could do, I never heard from them again. I figured they got busy or forgot, or both, but that was...almost two years ago now. I gave the beacon to Duncan, but he's been so sick that I told him it'd protect him no matter what."

"When did they hook you up with the Gunners?" Deacon asked, Hancock was interested in this bit as well.

"A little over three years ago...after Lucy died."

Hancock looked off, mentioning to himself, "I knew I was way off...Where did I get Barbara from?"

"MacCready," Nate said, "Recently I came across a Wasteland Survival Guide,"

"You know about the Wasteland Survival Guide? Where'd you get it?" He asked, wanting to see a copy of it again.

"It was a copy that Sola was writing in, he wants to get into the Institute, but never found a way in. He and Firelance want to use the Institute's technology."

"Isn't that why we're all here? To take control of the Institute, and wrestle the control away from what they're doing now, and put it on a different path?" MacCready asked.

"I wont lie, MacCready. In a way, yes. This is...we are discussing what the hell to do with the Institute and all it's gadgets and weapons it's cooked up since the day the bombs fell. But, before we even get there to that day, Athena wants to kill Sola and Firelance for what they did in Pittsburg, letting the Brotherhood take over didn't change the fact that slavery still exists with them in control, just operating under different name and terms. When the chance comes, she'll expect me to kill them, and if I don't, she puts me in her crosshairs next. I need to undo the magic grip Mona has over me, and Firelance may be the only one capable of doing that. This arm is how Mona and Athena are blackmailing me. If I don't do what she says, I die. Or Worse, Mona possesses me like the Windigo possessed the Deathclaw down in the Glowing Sea."

"Oh GOD!" Hancock swore, turning away from the table. "The flying deathclaw with wings. Fuck that thing. Don't remind me." paling, the reaction made everyone else aside from Nate worry about the consequences. This got nearly everyone to step back from the table. Nate reached up with both hand and claw, rubbing the top of his head and scratching his scalp and hair.

"Athena may already be possessed by a Third Windigo. Mona threatened Athena that she would 'unravel her' just as easy as she would unravel me. I don't know what else Mona's stitched together with Athena, but she's got leverage over the Unicorn as well. As much as I want Firelance to undo this, this is much more finessed and harder to undo than just blasting us with a good-intentions magical beam."

"Like the Elements of Harmony," Cherry Fizz said.

"The what?"

"Equestrian magic. I know it as much as well as any pony who descended from Vault 95, it was a special group of ponies who were bearers of harmony. All representing a trait that were virtuous and for the benefit of Equestria. They were capable of fighting off any threat with their friendship and were protectors of Equestria."

"Well...we have our own Special Group here on Earth. Meathead figured out as much, Strength, Perception, Endurance, Charisma, Intelligence, Agility, and Luck. Four of the Seven are already born. But, one only shows up every 30 to 50 years...We were told as much by the Princess Giddyup Buttercup, Nightmare Moon product line." Deacon said,

"Alright-. MacCready. I gotta go think about some things. If anyone needs me, I'll be in my office. Writing up some proposals, thinking about some plans I need to make." Nate said, taking his bowl of soup with him as he left.

"Wait, Nate! What'd I say?"

"MacCready," Deacon said, letting Nate walk off. "The reason Nate's still alive is because Athena wants to kill them. If Nate doesn't help Athena kill them when she gets the chance, she's going to let a Windigo rip Nate apart. He's probably wishing you hadn't said that."

MacCready winced, "Which part?"

"That you could get Sola and Firelance here in a heartbeat?" Hancock guessed, "That bitch of a Unicorn can be ve~ry perceptive. Now...well now we've got to figure out what to do with you so you don't squelch on Nate for your old buddy."

"But why!? I ain't gonna squelch."

"Cause, I'll be the first to say it, MacCready. You tell your old buddy the wrong story about what's going on around here, and your son will be the first to go when the Brotherhood comes and drains this place dry of coolant. That'll be on Sola's recommendation that they come here first. While you may know one side of Sola and Firelance, we know that the Pitt is Brotherhood territory, and that big blimp isn't here on a vacation. They're looking to expand. Plain and simple. While there may of been a falling out between them and the 'Hood, the Brotherhood still came here, and we're not looking to cut this share of pie of the Instite any more than it already needs to be div'vied up. Those big bastards running the giant blimp is nuclear. I could tell from just listening to the engine. Quiet, but thrums in the air. You can hear the dynamos spinning around. Sounds just like the one in Mass Fusion Tower. Big bastard like that needs a lot of sea water or liquid ice to keep those babies cool. And the Brotherhood...The Brotherhood wont give two shits about your boy on ice now that you decided to put him up at Chateau 111. They're the whole 'sacrifice one person's life to save thousands... and by that, they mean save themselves...wastelanders be damned. You're in a damned if you do, damned if you don't moment, Mac. You're going to have to wait until Curie is done with the surgery and taking care of Nora to take a look at the Prevent, and if you don't, you'll never get another favor from Nate as long as you or Duncan still lives. Waiting means this, Robert. Either you're Team Nate, and your son get's to live. Or your Team Brotherhood, and you get to watch the Brotherhood fuck Nate, Nora, and your son out of a chance to live while you're waiting for more Prevent. Team Commonwealth, or Team Invader. Railroad or Institute. And I'll tell you right now, You're wearing a Vault 111 suit, I got a nice suit that doesn't reek like 500 year old duds, and we're all sitting here because of Nate. We're all wearing the gang colors. So. There you go, Robert. We're all Team Nate. I'm not saying 'Don't fuck this up, Robert, but DON'T FUCK THIS UP! Fuck! I can see why Nate left!"

"Well, what the hell do I do then?!" MacCready asked, pointing both hands towards himself, looking down at his chest, wearing the clean blue Vault suit with 111 in the lapel, feeling anxious in his seat. "Don't look at me like that! I didn't fucking know! And where are my clothes?"

"In the wash, dirt-butt."

"Sit there and eat your soup," Leighla whispered, rolling her eyes. Even as quiet as she was, her voice was naturally loud and in the silence of the dining hall they all heard it.

"Then. When the time comes, you tell Nate the whole story. Again. From the top this time. Thunderstruck's the fifth one though."

"The fifth one to what? What happened with Thunderstruck? Is she okay?"

MacCready shook his head, "Who's she?"

"Cause," Cait said, wiping off her face, "She said the other Alicorns are building up their armies. She said it's not that the Alicorns are building up AN army, she said Alicorns are building up THEIR armies. Plural! Not Singular. She said that sooner or later, the Alicorns are all going to push their borders as far as they can, and while we get old and die of old age, they'll still be figuring out how to get along. And eventually, the SPECIAL lot will push right here into the Commonwealth. I imagine it'll be a gay old time after it's up to whoever's still alive at that point. It's everyone in the Commonwealth versus anyone who wants to take the Commonwealth for themselves. Sound's like your pal Firelance is already a step ahead of the game with his Space laser and alien mumbo jumbo."

"And how the hell do you know about Alicorns? What happened with Thunderstruck?"

"Nothing! She's fine," Cait said confidently.

"Thunderstruck became an Alicorn last night. The Alicorn of Intelligence." Leighla said.

Deacon looked across at them, standing up from the table, "Are you fucking kidding me?" Deacon said, amazed he was this far out of the information loop, more angry at himself, "Nate!" he called after the Overseer, "Nate!!"

MacCready looked at Lieghla, "There's more than one?" he asked.

The gryphon nodded, "Best to not think about it too hard. The more I try to understand, the less I know."

"Ditto," Cait said, pulling up a baggie of Jet, she pulled some out and started smoking it at the table.

"Cait! Oy! You want to do that, at least go to the airshaft. Show some respect to the guy running this place." Leighla said, "Noone likes the smell either."

\111/

Bobby Deluca's mouth was salivating before he even realized it, sniffing the air, inhaling the familiar scent, it tasted foul in his mouth. "Ugh, does it really smell that terrible? Who's got it?"

Watching Cait walk by the opened door to the hallway with her thumb over bowl of the burning pipe, Bobby's stomach twisted around, even as his nose suddenly felt plugged up and rancid taste returned to his mouth.

"Bobby!" Tina yelled, looking straight at him, she was looking right at his hands, wondering if her brother just managed to come back around and hide it before she was able to catch him.

"I swear it's not me! Look! I haven't touched it since I ran out!" Pointing towards the door, Tina stuck her tongue out, 'Blegh,'

"Smells worse when you haven't been around it for a while."

"It's the new girl." Bobby said, head suddenly feeling toppy, getting a second hand high as the vapor trails disappeared, and the memories resurfaced of all the times he got high.

"Well tell her you're taking a tolerance break, and that you can't get high otherwise I'm throwing you out myself. You work too well without it, and your work's been great on all the machines around the vault. I can't loose you to that again, Bobby. You're too good. There's too much to keep up on anyway."

Wiping his nose and trying to clear the scent away, Bobby nodded, "Smells nasty though, right?" Tina added.

"Yeah. Smells nasty." Bobby sneezed at the old scent, practically able to identify the flavors of Jet. Shaking like a dog drying out a wet coat, he wiped his eyes and turned back to his project, swallowing the dry lump in his throat.

\111/

Nate went through all the drawers again in the Overseer's office, plopping down in the chair, he made a mental note to stash away some whiskey, bourbon, or any again for times like this.

Hancock knocked, carrying his bag and knowing exactly what Nate needed with the look he gave him, Hancock chuckled. "Looking for one of these?" Hancock asked, swirling around a bottle of golden-brown scotch.

"Oh thank God someone was planning ahead; Gimme."

Hancock set the bottle down, as Nate got up and went to the cupboard where the Cryolator was stored, not having much time to tinker with it, there were only so many liquid nitrogen cannisters around the Commonwealth, but Vault 111 had tons in excess and a hose nozzle to refill the Cryolator. Setting two coffee mugs on the desk, Nate blasted the cups so they were ice cold.

"Ah, clever thinking," Hancock said, pouring the shots for both of them,

"Two finger pour," Nate said, extending out his pinky and pointer finger on his deathclaw hand. Obviously joking, the ghoul poured the scotch and picked up his own mug.

"Agh," Looking for a towel, and then pulling his sleeve up around the handle of the mug, Nate grabbed his with his deathclaw and clinked mugs with Hancock's, "Cheers."

"Agh," He said, taking a long sip. "That's Smokey Robinson and the Chee-lights; smoky flavor." Nate said,

"You're thinking of the Miracles," Hancock said, "Smokey Robinson and the Miracles."

"To the Miracles, then,"

"To Miracles." Hancock finished his drink, then Deacon walked in through the door.

Rapping his knuckles against the frame of the door, "Hey,"

"Drink?" Nate asked,

"Yes." Deacon automatically said, "No, I'm good. Cait just told me that your girl Thunderstruck became an Alicorn last night."

Nate rolled his eyes up towards the ceiling, then towards Hancock. Tapping his ring fingernail against the mug, "Bartender?" Hancock nodded, pouring them two more.

"So what are we going to do about that? That came on fast. I hardly know what to do about the Brotherhood, I thought I wouldn've had more time...and the Institute. Well...scratch that, I know what I'm going to do with the Institute now that Nora's out of deep freeze."

"What do you got planned for them?" Deacon inquired.

"Something special. Still cooking. I'm still working out the details in my head, but I know I've got to deal with Athena and Nuka-World first. I know if I can get Athena out of the Commonwealth, that will get her out of everyone's hair for a while and focused on the shit happening over there until we're all ready to deal with the shit happening over here. That's the part I was talking about when I said she's the type we can only wind up and point in another direction, and then let her rip. Because until I'm done with her and Mona...God, I hope there's light at the end of that tunnel, cause I feel it in my bones that it's going to be a long one with those two. I pray that whatever leverage Mona's got over Athena, she tells me about at some point and we can get her and Mona separated permanently. If things are successful ove in Nuka-World, I need the Railroad to come in and take positions. People that we can trust. Not fucking raiders and brigands and gang members pushing the slaver agenda. I feel that we can trust Red and the Stockpile to an extent, but they're not the kind to take on the Brotherhood. You know the Railroad's going to need to change once the Institute's done and over with, right? Not just a new direction, but take on a whole new purpose once we actually beat them?"

Deacon sighed, "Yeah, I understand, and Yes..It's been a long time coming, but always been on the horizon like the sun. We've held conversations about it before, but now that we're getting inside...it feels like we've always been chasing it, never quite able to wrap our hands around it."

"Well, aim for the stars, land on the moon." Nate said, "Tell the Railroad that while they're building the Mass Relay, we're heading to Nuka-World. Track down Meathead and Danse, tell them to get off the front line and back here where they can actually see the big picture. That fucking eyesore that flew into town isn't going away any time soon, and I know we all felt it when it flew in that we're running out of time for all other projects fast. As for Sola and Firelance...they're going to stay backburner until we meet with Thunderstruck and see for ourselves how this changes things and our relationship. Does Thunderstruck owe me a favor? Yes. One. But I'm not calling her on it, and I can't hold her to it either until I know where she stands on favoring the Commonwealth, or SPECIAL? Well...for now at least...she's still with the Commonwealth...but a few months...a decade from now...Hell. She's going to have to be apart of team SPECIAL eventually. I'd just like her to be around on our side for a little while longer now that she's an Alicorn. That is the only thing I'll ever be able to ask of her that she sticks with us for as long as possible."

"Do you know why she didn't come back?" Deacon asked,

"No, but I could figure a few reasons. First thought that popped into my head, is that she's practicing newfound magic. She was a Pegasus, after all. It would make sense wherever she is, it's to get comfortable with her new horn. Nothing would matter much unless she met with a real magic user like Athena or Meathead and learned some proper spells. I never had the long talk with Meathead, but I know he knows more than he lets on. He just hasn't been able to cast all that much because he runs on emotions, and I'm the only one who's been able to help him on that front until Mona...jacked me out of the loop. Hancock, any of your ponies know much magic?"

The Goodneighbor Ghoul shook his head. "Nothing fancy, just stuff you'd read from comic books. Start a fire. Lift some blocks, magic blast, sparks, night vision, shields, nothing ethereal like cosmic warping or the God-stuff you see in later issues. All basic."

"I can only hope she's figuring stuff out."

"Doesn't the death of Fist, and Strong, and all the other super mutant leaders get you out of Mona's contract with her?"

"Deacon, does anything ever really end? I can go to Mona, ask if this means we're through, and pray that she sticks to her word, but that doesn't mean Athena is finished with me. And...no I would rather avoid seeing Mona altogether if possible. I don't want to be left with a stump where my arm was..."

Nate took another sip of his scotch, "Athena made it clear we, as in the royal we, meaning; I need to deal with Nuka-World anyways. I haven't been there since I was a teenager, but I can feel it. Something ain't right in the air to the West. Could be another fucking Windigo over there too. Meathead said there might be as many as three or four in the whole state of Massachusetts, till we killed that first one in the Glowing Sea. Now there's Mona and maybe one or two more we don't even know about. MAYBE. Maybe Athena's possessed, but I do know and am 100% certain that Mona's got something stitched onto Athena. Something not as noticeable as my arm, but Mona is twisting Athena around to get what she wants; I know that for a fact...and what the Windigo wants is a flock of sheep to fleece while she runs around as the big-bad wolf. Fingers crossed that there's only just the one, because I do not have the time or the patience right now to deal with two more of those bastards on top of Mona."

"Here, here." Hancock said. "One was enough, two is too many. Three? Forget about it,"

Nate went through his bag, pulling out the phone he took from Boston Bell. Nate shook his head, drumming his fingers on the desk.

"Why? Something the matter?"

"Not to much of a deal...but I want Nora to be around people...She needs to be around people when she wakes up. It's all about setting the stage for her. She's not used to the Commonwealth as it is up there. I had a fucking fit when I went up there the first time. My house was what finally did me in, kid gone...Shaun. Damn. She's gonna wonder what happened to Shaun.

"How do you intend to send the message? Does Vault 111 have a broadcast system?" Deacon asked.

"I'll call her using the phone."

Deacon and Hancock looked at Nate as if he was talking a foreign language.

Nate used the emergency transponder phone and hooked it up to the Overseer's computer. The ground wires from Vault 111 to Vault-Tec. HQ, then back to Vault 84 were still in working order.

Overseer McNamara nearly jumped out of her seat when the telephone that had sat connected to the terminals in the corner of her office rang for the first time ever.

Next Chapter: Ch. 99 New Neighbors November 11th Estimated time remaining: 1 Hour, 12 Minutes