A Rose Among Thorns

3 | Jewel of the Commonwealth

In the morning, Briar Rose helped the settlers even more in scavenging junk to make Sanctuary more comfortable and building walls for protection.

Codsworth had been wrong about finding help in Concord; she instead had been the help. She tried not to let the robot see her disheartened mood. Briar Rose knew that finding Shaun wasn't going to be easy so she would have setbacks; she would never give up, though.

For a break, she went into what used to be Ms. Rosa's house the settlers had practically deemed the 'community house' to find somewhere to sit. In the living room, chairs sat around a table and near the window; Mama Murphy sat in one and watched the others work.

Briar Rose felt that she owed the older woman an apology—she had warned her about the Deathclaw coming, but she had ignored her. And from the talks with Preston, Mama Murphy sounded like she had foresight from her use of halogenic chems. The others doubted she had a gift, but she had been right about the Deathclaw and she had led them here.

She joined the woman at the table. "Hi, Mama Murphy."

Mama Murphy turned to look at her. "Nice work back in Concord, kid."

"About that: you tried to warn me about the Deathclaw; I'm sorry I didn't listen."

"Oh, no worries, child. It is expected that you won't understand since you're not from this time."

Briar Rose stared at the woman—she looked spaced-out and if she wasn't right, she would've been insane. "How do you know that?"

"You may think I'm just a crazy old lady, but I can feel it; I can see things."

"Can feel what, exactly? What can you see?"

"A bit of everything. A bit of what was, what will be, and even what is right now." She reached across the table to grab her hands. "And I can feel it: your son; he's out there."

She was stunned. "You can? He's alive? Oh, thank God! Where is he? Please, tell me all you know."

Mama Murphy tried to focus, but her eyes cleared, and she ended up shaking her head sadly. "Sorry, kid; that's all I know."

Briar Rose sat back, crestfallen—her hopes had risen only to fall.

The older woman suddenly grew tense and her eyes became foggy. "Diamond City holds answers, but they're locked tight. You ask them what they know, but people's hearts are chained up with fear and suspicion. But you find it: you find that heart that's gonna lead you to your boy. Oh, it's... it's bright. So bright against the dark alleys it walks."

It was all confusing, especially about a walking heart. But Diamond City; that was something to start with. Briar Rose stood to hug Mama Murphy. "Thank you so much."

She patted her on the back as a grandmother would do. "Go find your boy."

Briar Rose ran out to go find Preston and tell him she was leaving. Codsworth had been right: help did come out of Concord. She found the black Minuteman admiring the sturdiness of a wall; Codsworth floated beside him.

"Ah, Miss Rose! You appear to be in high spirits!" he said when he saw her running up to them.

"I am." She turned to Preston. "Mama Murphy gave me the help I was looking for; I have to go to Diamond City. Do you know how to get there?"

"The great green jewel of the Commonwealth? That's quite a way from here. Here, let me show you on your map." She pulled up the map of the Commonwealth programmed into her Pip-Boy and he pointed it out where it should be. If her memory served her right, Diamond City looked to be in the baseball stadium in the heart of Boston.