Aim to Please

9 | I Like Being Close

He looked over at Aurora as she checked with her night-vision scope to see if he told the truth; she nodded.

"We thought to spend the night high above ground, but we didn't know this roof was taken. We'll go."

MacCready put up his rifle. "No need; there's plenty of room. Come on up."

"You sure?"

"Yes; we even have a fire, and our guns are gone," Aurora said.

As they stepped back from the edge, they heard some hushed whisperings, then metal creaking and the click of the dog's nails as they came up. The dad appeared first, poking his head up just enough to see. After being assured it was just them, he ascended the rest of the way. Coming up behind him and holding his hand was a little girl with brown curls. A black dog with white around its feet, like socks, trailed behind her.

MacCready's heart leaped at the sight of her—she was either eight or nine, about the same age as Duncan. Andrew noticed his stare on Cate and ushered his daughter more behind him.

Aurora raised a hand. "You don't have to fear us; only Raiders, Gunners, Ferals, or Super Mutants should do that."

"Sorry; she just... reminds me of someone," MacCready explained.

Aurora glanced at him, then looked back at the girl with understanding.

His explanation settled Andrew's protectiveness; he let Cate emerge from behind him. He eyed the sniper rifles in their hands, though. "We were worried about snipers and wanted to get above them."

"You don't have to worry about them; we are the snipers," MacCready said.

A slight caution remained in Andrew's eyes, but his concern faded. Aurora squatted down to get to Cate's level. "So, what's your dog's name?"

Her voice turned open and sweet, portraying innocence. She definitely knew how to talk to children and to put them at ease—MacCready figured she had experience from treating children as a nurse and when she had raised Joshua.

Cate immediately fell under her charm. "His name's Zane."

"Well, it's nice to meet you, Zane." Aurora held out her hand for the dog to smell.

Zane looked at her, unsure; Cate encouraged him, so the dog shuffled closer to Aurora. He sniffed her fingers then, liking her scent, Zane nudged her hand to pet him. She chuckled and did so.

Knowing the father wondered if MacCready would be accepted too, he reached down a hand like Aurora did. Zane looked at his offering, smelled of his hand, but pulled back with uncertainty in his eyes; MacCready held still. After a few seconds, the dog re-approached his hand to smell. This time, he liked what he smelled and put his muzzle into his palm for it to be scratched.

Seeing them both accepted by the dog relaxed Andrew. He looked around some more. "So, it's fine if we stay up here with you?"

Aurora looked up from the dog. "Of course; it's safer up here than down there."

"There should still be some Brahmin left over; here," MacCready said as he moved over to the pack they had stored the excess meat. Aurora was on her knees, petting Zane and listening to Cate babble about her adventures. When MacCready pulled out the meat, the dog caught a whiff and turned toward him—his eyes shined with hunger and he licked his chops.

Andrew called his daughter over to eat and once he asked if he should try to save some and MacCready denied, he took pity on Zane and tossed him some steak. Cate kept up her conversation with Aurora as they ate. She seemed perfectly happy talking with the young girl, not irritated at all with Cate's endless questions.

He didn't really mind it either—her childlike wonder brought a freshness MacCready hadn't experienced in a long time. Actually, since he left Duncan. He looked forward to answering an inquisitive child again.

With a full belly and her questions answered, Cate laid her head on her father's thigh and quickly fell asleep. Done chewing on the Brahmin bone Andrew had given him, Zane curled up close to his youngest owner. Before he asked if he should help keep watch, MacCready told him he would. With his back against a shack's wall, Andrew drifted off to sleep as sleepy as his daughter.

Aurora opened her mouth to demand she take the first watch, but he told her to sleep, too. She warned him to shift with her after a few hours or she'd beat him if he didn't like all those other times. She said that every time too, but never acted on it. He promised he would—even though he knew he wouldn't—and she lay down to sleep.

MacCready had never woken her because she looked so peaceful. With Andrew and Cate falling asleep, he hoped he could talk with her about coming to Little Lamplight with him. But she had looked tired, so he held his tongue. They would talk more about it tomorrow.