A Rose Among Thorns

17 | Deciding Fate

Briar Rose did as Shaun suggested, walking around the Institute to become familiar with it. On her trips around, she received many glances that made her self-conscious—compared to them, she was a dirty outlander that didn't belong. Most of the looks were just out of curiosity, but others she could feel them looking down on her. Patrolling synths politely greeted her as they went on their rounds; she tensed with alarm when she saw Coursers, but they only greeted her with 'Ma'am' and kept walking.

She also visited the Division Heads. Different colored lines led her to each department, so she didn't get lost. Dr. Fillmore was happy to answer any questions Briar Rose had; she did become suspicious though when she asked if Briar Rose had accepted Father's request for her to stay in the Institute, and she wasn't sure yet. Even though not talkative and didn't seem happy that she was there, Dr. Li gave her an ability on her Pip-Boy to teleport in and out of the Institute. Dr. Ayo in the SRB was more of a jerk. The SRB trained and dispatched the Coursers to bring in escaped synths. Ayo was interested in how she had managed to kill one of the deadly hunters. While giving him a watered-down explanation, she saw X6-88—thankfully, no one called her out on her recognition of him, mainly because of Ayo being self-conceited. Dr. Holdren in Bio-Science seemed thrilled to have her there.

Briar Rose went back to Shaun to tell him what she had done but then told him that she needed to go back to the Commonwealth to think; she had a lot to think about. He looked disappointed that she would leave so soon, but with her promise to return after she had some time, he let her go freely. She touched the icon of Sanctuary on her Pip-Boy's map and she teleported out with a roar and feeling cold again.

She felt hard floor under her feet and the outside breeze. Her vision hadn't yet cleared when she heard the multiple exclamations of her name. The patched-together homes of Sanctuary just began to clear when Briar Rose's knees gave out; she crumbled as the emotions that wanted to show with the synth Shaun and the real—old—Shaun overwhelmed her. Even when someone grabbed her arms when they dropped down beside her and she recognized the voices asking if she was alright, she couldn't respond—she just cried.

Nothing had worked out right when she stepped out of that Vault. It would've just been better if she had died in there with Nate. Briar Rose had planned to destroy the Institute for stealing Shaun, but finding Shaun as the leader of it made her firm decision shake. She now had two options, and she didn't like either of them: stay with Shaun and condemn the Commonwealth to more of the Institute's schemes, or save the Commonwealth by destroying the Institute, and furthermore, killing her son and all he has accomplished... Her world had been turned upside down and she didn't know if it could ever be fixed.

After finally letting out all the frustration, anger, heartbreak and utter despair at the dilemma before her, Briar Rose was exhausted; she sagged against the chest near her, feeling comforted by Nick's familiar scent.

"Flower, did they hurt you?" Nick asked.

She could only shake her head.

"What happened?"

It took her a moment to speak. "I made it into the Institute and found Shaun. But... it wasn't what I expected. He wasn't a young boy but an old man—he had been taken not ten, but sixty years ago. And now he... He's in charge of the Institute."

Gasps and sharp intakes of breaths sounded around her; Nick's form even stilled in shock. The air fell silent. Dogmeat nudged her arm for comfort, but Briar Rose didn't have the energy to pet him.

"Don't despair, mum; you've come this far, I'm sure something can be done," Codsworth encouraged. It felt forced; even her robot knew it had become hopeless.

Nick snapped out of his muteness. "Come on, Flower; it's late and you need to rest."

He helped her up to her feet and held onto her as they headed for her house; Briar Rose handed Sturges the holotape she had stolen information on, knowing very well what it meant. She thought about holding onto it—saying it hadn't had worked—but her giving the possible chink in the Institute's armor to him meant she already leaned toward one outcome.