Hired Gun Turned Fun

Out of Time

Oh, no.

Robert couldn't just let you break down in the street, so he decided to help take you home and make you comfortable. You could then begin to process whatever happened and tell him when you're ready. 

He eased you up gently as you continued to sob in your hands, guiding you to the house. He sat you on the couch by the window, sitting down next to you. Tenderly, he placed an arm around your shoulders in comfort.

After some time quietly sobbing, you slowly regained composure, eventually telling him everything that happened. 

You'd thought for the briefest of moments that you had found ten year old Shaun, only to find out that he was actually a biological synth. The real Shaun was now sixty years old, raised by and now the director of the Institute, known as 'Father'. 

MacCready was floored, never did he consider that Shaun was now the head figure of the secretive and dangerous Institute.

You continued, revealing the reason why they chose to take Shaun. His DNA hadn't yet been corrupted by the wasteland's radiation, which was the key ingredient needed for them to make their new biological synths they'd developed.

You then lit up a cigarette, something you hadn't really done in a while, as you rushed through the rest. Shaun had invited you to now become involved in the Institute and call it home. You'd even met some of the key division heads before leaving.

"I could barely keep myself together long enough to make it through all of that. I think it was mostly shock that kept me from breaking down. As soon as I saw you, I just couldn't hold it back anymore..." 

"I thought about the dream for the future I had with all of us and realized that.. I'll never have my son back. They took him and molded him into a man of the Institute."

Your lip quivered as a fresh wave of hot tears streamed down your cheeks, sniffling before pressing on. "I don't know what I'm going to do. Shaun believes that the Institute is humanity's best chance of survival and wants me to become a part of it. I'm so conflicted though."

"I believe in the people of the Commonwealth and the good they can do. Like the Minutemen protecting communities from harm, or how even the Railroad tries to do the right thing by freeing synths that are trapped inside the Institute."

"What kind of message would it send to the Commonwealth if I, the General of the Minutemen, was to suddenly join the Institute? Would they think the Minutemen have been corrupted? This is so much more than just a family reunion." I sighed, "How typical of them to make things political."

Robert had been rubbing your back soothingly as you spoke. "Well, you don't have to have everything figured out right now. Just breathe, don't feel like you have to commit to anything until you know more about him." he reasoned.

Nodding, I slowly turned my head to make direct eye contact with him. "Thanks, I was starting to feel overwhelmed." I confessed.

"Here, I'll make you some tea how you like. I'll even put a little alcohol in there for ya." He said playfully to lighten the mood.

You smiled. "That sounds lovely, thank you."

He made some black tea in the kettle on the stove, pouring a shot of Whiskey in the cup to boot. He handed it to you, where you immediately took a large sip, already feeling much calmer.

The remainder of the afternoon was spent in comfortable silence, as you mulled over recent developments, MacCready either reading comics beside you or busy messing around with his Pip-boy. 

You were happy to just have his comforting presence nearby and him understand that you need time to process everything. Somehow without asking, he knew exactly what you needed.