Goodbye

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Saying goodbye is never easy. And saying goodbye to the son you didn't think you'd ever see again was even harder.

But the Commonwealth didn't seem to want to let Vanessa have her goodbye.

She and her husband were up before anyone else. Sitting on the bench outside Red Rocket, bundled up in jackets, hers some kind of real animal fur, his the leather flight jacket that stirred up butterflies in her stomach when he wore it.

He probably knew that.

They were sharing a cigarette, and a bottle of Nuka Cola. Dogmeat sleeping just across from them, his muzzle poking out of the dog house. He was the first to sense something was wrong, suddenly sitting up in the doghouse and trotting out, whining.

Gage wrapped his arm tighter around Vanessa, glaring at the dog, "now ain't the time, mutt." He assumed he was just whining for attention, as he usually did. Damned dog loved her so much it was as if it got jealous of him.

He trotted in a circle, barking in the direction of the Red Rocket.
"Dogmeat, hush," Vanessa murmured, "they're sleeping. I'll get you some food when the others are awake."

He sneezed at the pair and bounded off in the direction of one of the other cabins. Vanessa frowned, watching him, "Deacon won't have any food for you!"

Gage pushed her head back down against his side, handing her the cigarette, "he's just bein' daft. Don't think too hard about it." He draped his arm back around her shoulders, looking up at the sky. It was looking pretty miserable. The sky was grey, and there were thick, angry looking clouds swirling above. After they'd heard about the black rain he'd been doing his best to keep track of Rad-Storms before they melted to a puddle.

"What's the plan?" She asks, "for when we get back to Nuka World?"
"I don't know," Gage narrows his eyes at Deacon as he follows Dogmeat in the Red-Rocket side door, "maybe we could grab a settlement for the Disciples on our way back?"
Nodding, she passes back the cigarette, "you can kill that, it's almost dead," she nods again, "we could get Sunshine Tidings. If it's still run by Minutemen remnants, I know its layout, since you know, I set it up."

Sometimes he forgot that the stupid blue coat and sexy hat she wore in the bedroom was more than just a costume. And fuck those boots. He shook his head, following that thought process any further would have him bending her over the table.

"Damn, I really ruined you, huh General?"
"Hmph, it wasn't all you. I'm going to hell anyway, I might as well go for a high score."

Deacon reappears at the front of the Red Rocket, "Vanessa?" he looks uncomfortable, "I need you a sec." Gage immediately knew something was up, why on Earth was the guy using her full name? He never did that.

Deacon couldn't meet either of their gazes, but when neither moved, he snapped, "now!" Vanessa flinched and hopped up from the bench, Gage trails behind her.

Inside the Red Rocket, Curie is nowhere to be seen, Gage presumes she's with the kid. Victory is pacing like a caged animal, hands trembling, practically climbing the walls.

"Charmer! We need! The radio!" She shrieks, muffling the sound with her palms, "it isn't enough that the Goddamned Brotherhood take Victory from me but they're determined to wipe us out! We should've destroyed them when we had the chance!"

Vanessa flinches, and then growls, "that was hardly my choice! I'm sure she had her reasons for not blowing their sky ship to the fucking ground!"

Gage gently places a hand on her back, she's impulsive, last thing he needs is her fighting a courser. Again.

"Victory, I suggest you slow down, and tell me what's going on. And if you raise your voice or use that tone again, I will crack your head against the wall."
"Charms, lower your voice, the walls have ears."

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