Fallout 4: AR

69. On the Road Again

"We've been around and about the greater Commonwealth for the last six months," I said, feeling my guts twist at the news. "Why didn't you ask us to keep an eye out for you? We owe you that, at least."

"Partly because you didn't stop in Diamond City very often when I was around," Nick countered, finishing up his typed report and ejecting the data disk. "But mostly it was because you had your own personal issues to deal with. You were trying to get back home to your own world." He paused with the disk grasped lightly in his fingers. "How's that going, by the way? We got rather distracted when I asked you before."

"Going back to my world?" I answered, shrugging, "It's not. I'm staying here." Three words that, instead of changing my life this time, solidified my resolve instead. "I've made my decision." I hoped the flat statement of fact would deter him from any further questions. And there's so much else going on here that's bigger than me. I want to help if I can.

"Have you, now?" The yellow eyes flicked from me to MacCready and back again. "I see." A small smile creased the tattered gray flesh of his face. "Well, if you're staying, maybe you two could help me get this message to Hancock." He waved the small orange disk file meaningfully. "After today's excitement, it might be better if I didn't leave the office for a while."

MacCready gave me a gentle nudge and I moved aside to let him take over. "Hiring our services, Valentine? Let's talk."

I felt a tap on my shoulder and turned to see Ellie, who was holding a pair of scissors. "When you cut your hair," she began tentatively, "you must've had it tied back. It's less obvious since it's so curly, but it's crooked. I know the men probably won't even notice," she said with a smile, "but if you'd like me to even it out a bit... make it look more styled..."

I answered her smile with a grateful one of my own. "Please! ...and thank you."

-0-

MacCready and I strolled along the main path from Diamond City towards Goodneighbor. Our weapons were loosely at the ready, fully loaded and prepared for any obstacles to come our way. It felt good to be out and about, on the road again. I never would have imagined it, but MacCready's fondness for traveling around the Commonwealth was growing on me. Not, I thought wryly, giving him a loving glance, to the extent that he enjoys moving around, but it's not bad, especially this time of year. I wouldn't mind having our own place, though, but I have a plan...

I took the time to just experience the world around me, fresh with the decision to stay in the Commonwealth. My eyes scanned the deserted buildings and piles of rotting debris, ears alert for any noise to find, identify, and categorize it. My nose still caught traces of the pervasive metallic scent in the air, which I now knew was the odor of ever-present background radiation, but I was increasingly able to filter that out to catch the varied odors dancing in the light breeze. This is my world now, I thought determinedly. I want to know everything I can about living here.

Mac paced beside me, falling into his normal lanky stride, if a little slower than usual. True to his word, he had changed back into his habitual green and brown as soon as we found a secluded corner outside Diamond City. I took the same opportunity to reattach my Pip-Boy, surprised at how much better I felt with the device back in its proper place on my arm. Leaving the city was simplicity itself as the guards had been mopping up the aftermath of gunning down one of their own citizens in the center marketplace. They were focused on calming the populace, not stopping a pair of "traders" walking out the main gate. Even when backed by a supposedly "superior" evil organization, I thought sardonically, human bureaucracy and political strife is still exploitable. I couldn't help feeling a certain smug pleasure at our successful ruse.