To Save a Soul

Chapter 11 Sanctuary

Paladin Danse and Katherine had made it. They were exhausted and poorly supplied. They had spent the night in the Red Rocket Station. They had been there together once before, when he had given her her most prized possession. Despite the state that Sanctuary was in, it was always a pleasant sight to Katherine. It had been her home before the war and maybe it could be her home now.
"There's a man I met in Concord, before I made it to the Cambridge Police Station, his name is Preston Garvey. He is a member of the Minutemen and there's a few others with him. I sent them here because I thought that they may be safer here." Katherine told Danse as the approached the decaying wooden bridge, just so that there wouldn't be any surprises.
"That was very kind of you." Danse told her, admiringly. Katherine couldn't shake the feeling that something was concerning Danse deep down.
    Preston greeted them with a warm smile, especially Katherine, as she was someone that he recognized. Over his shoulder she could see a decent amount of people milling about the neighborhood. Clearly the Minutemen had been doing well and recruiting civilians.
"It looks like you've been doing well." Katherine commented. Preston glanced over his shoulder.
"We have thanks to you, General." he said, insinuating the title of General. Katherine glanced over at Danse a little confused. His jaw was clenched tight.
"General? I think that should be your title, I haven't earned it." she told him kindly. Preston reached out a hand and let it rest gently on her shoulder.
"I wasn't made to lead but you were, you're the Minutemen's General. I'll be here to help you if you need anything." Preston told her. Katherine nodded, she didn't know what else she could do but accept.
"Hands off civilian." Danse growled from beside her. Both Katherine and Preston's attention snapped to the Paladin.
"What?" Katherine hissed as Preston took a step back. How could the Paladin be so blatantly rude?
"And what do we have here? A Brotherhood traitor? He's a threat to us, General, you know that right?" Preston asked Katherine. She was a little surprised that he knew about Danse being removed from the Brotherhood. Danse was fuming with fury beside her, his fists clenched now.
"How did you know about that?" Katherine asked. Preston looked at Danse as he spoke.
"A vertibird landed a few days ago with Brotherhood soldiers aboard, they asked us if we were harboring any new citizens, any ex Brotherhood soldiers. When we told them that we weren't they rounded us up in the garden while they searched all of Sanctuary. My point is that they are looking for you and there's no knowing what they'll do to us if they find you here, but you are more than welcome here. We don't judge." Preston told him. Preston's kind gesture towards Danse almost brought a tear to her eye.
"Thank you." Danse grunted.
"We have made a lot of changes around here. All for the better. Many folks feel safer here and everyone chips in to help keep the community functioning. Sturges found some documents in one of the old houses, we figured it was your old home so we made a few things functional and saved it for you. Why don't you go have a look and a well deserved rest. As for you, Danse, we have plenty of space in the barracks." Preston explained. Katherine stifled a giggle at the last part.
"He'll be staying with me." Katherine said through a genuine smile. She caught Danse's big hand in hers and drug him to her home.
    It never failed to drag Katherine's heart down when she saw the little blue house she had lived so much of her life in. Was it wrong of her to move back into it with another man? What would Nate have thought of that? She was too far in now to turn her back on Danse and she never could force herself anyways. The doors in her home had been rehung, a new makeshift stove sat in the corner of the kitchen. Preston and the others had removed as much as debris as they had been able and patched up the walls the best that she could. Despite the damage from the bomb and the wearing of time it was still home and it still looked like home. Katherine had unconsciously stopped in the doorway, just sort of dumbfounded. Danse watched from behind her not sure of what he should do. He couldn't begin to fathom what she had gone through and what she must be feeling at any given time. The beautiful, seemingly fragile, little creature before him was stronger than he could have ever imagined her to be.
    Danse reached out a hand and let it come to rest on the woman's tiny shoulder, feeling her tense. There was nothing he could say that he felt would help her. The Paladin watched as she walked over to the kitchen island and laid her backpack at its base and sat down on one of the barstools. Danse stepped inside, closing the white front door behind him. An old calendar frozen on the month of October still hung on the refrigerator door, a glass baby bottle still visible through the door's little window. Absolutely heartbreaking.
"I can go." Danse said quietly. His deep voice seeming too loud in this museum of a home. Katherine turned to face him, her white hair cascading down her back and over one of her shoulders.
"No, stay. This is your home too...if you want it." she told him in a small voice.
"Of course I do." he told her as he took a seat on the barstool beside her. Danse pressed a kiss atop her head as he got up from the barstool and made his way to the stove. Katherine didn't pay much attention to what he was making. Instead, she stared down the hall at the two doors that now stood intact across from each other. Shaun's room and the room that she had shared with Nate. The room that she would now share with Danse. For a brief moment she wondered if they had switched the bed frame out or had repaired it? She came to the conclusion that she simply rather not know.
"Eat. You need your energy." Danse said as he set a bowl of soup before her with a small pack of crackers.
"Where did you find this?" She asked, excited to have food in front of her that looked almost recognizable and edible.
"The kitchen is sufficiently stocked." he said with a crooked smile. Good ol' Danse and his ways.
    They ate their dinner in silence at the little kitchen island. Danse had the nagging feeling that there was something that he should be saying to the woman beside him but he just couldn't place his finger on it. It was getting late, the sky already darker than usual due to the cloud cover. The house didn't have power but had instead been fixed with multiple oil lanterns and candles spread about. These alternative means of light cast soft glows throughout the house, still allowing shadows to gather in the corners of the rooms. Danse had a pretty decent idea of why the Knight was so distant. He had noticed her gaze darting to the doors at the end of the hallway more than once and he hadn't missed the look of pain and uncertainty that graced her lovely face. He figured that she would come to terms with whatever it was that was haunting her from those rooms in her own time.
    Katherine hadn't realized how long they'd been sitting at the island until she heard a heavy breath from behind her. She turned to see Danse drifting off to sleep, his head resting against his folded arms. A pang of guilt shot through her. She had been off in her own little reminiscent daze as he had sat beside her probably not knowing what to do. Katherine hopped of her stool and stood beside the dozing Paladin.
"Danse." she said as she let a hand come to rest between his shoulder blades. He woke up slowly, blinking at her a few times.
"Let's go to bed. You're tired." she told him as she took a step back to allow him enough space to get up. Danse followed her down the hall. A short walk that felt longer than it was to her. The hallway was rather dark but she had no problem finding the door knob to her bedroom from pure memory. She swung the door open and was greeted by the cozy little room. A clean bed, a recliner, a dresser and a old train case at the foot of the bed. A few candles flickered lazily on the headboard. Katherine strode over to the bed, took her jeans and sweatshirt off, and climbed in. She turned over to see Danse staring at her, blushing, in the doorway.
"You've seen me with less than this on." she teased.
"It's not that. I...it's just that if you're having second thoughts I understand. Don't make yourself uncomfortable or make a mistake because of me." he finally said from his place in the doorway. His words wiped the smile right off of her face.
"What do you mean?" she asked, fidgeting with the thin flannel blanket. Katherine could tell that Paladin Danse was becoming uncomfortable.
"Your husband, I don't want to intrude in your home if you feel it's disrespectful. I can tell something is clouding your mind." he told her, refusing to make eye contact. Oh. Now she understood. Danse was thinking that she may be having second thoughts about having him in her old home that she shared with Nate and that maybe she was just having second thoughts about Danse in general.
    Katherine felt terrible for a moment thinking about how she had somehow made him think this. Yes, it was different, it was odd being back here without the rest of her family, but at this point she wouldn't trade it for the world. Katherine pat the space on the mattress beside her.
"Come here." she said softly. She felt that she could cry if she wanted to but she refused to allow it. Danse closed the distance in a few large steps and sat on the bed beside her, his back to her. Katherine rolled her eyes beneath thick lashes. She laid a hand on his shoulder and removed it as soon as she felt him tense and drop his head. Something was very wrong. Her best guess was that he thought she couldn't possibly love him as much as she had loved her dead husband. Katherine ran a delicate hand through her snowy hair, her fingers brushing something heavy that hung from her neck for too long. Nate's wedding ring. She fumbled with the clasp and it came undone suddenly, the ring falling into her lap.
"Danse, look at me." she urged. Katherine could tell that he didn't exactly want to but he did. There was a certain sadness in his eyes.
    Danse lifted one leg onto the bed and turned to face Katherine. He wasn't sure if he wanted to hear what she had to say. Who could love a synth? A machine? Katherine was in a black t-shirt and black underwear and he was doing his best not to get distracted. Her eyes were shining a little more than usual, she looked as if she was going to cry but was nervous all at once.
"You've heard of marriage right?" she asked. Danse felt his chest tighten.
"Yes. It still exists, it is just less common." he told her, thinking back on the few marriages he had see in the Brotherhood. Katherine nodded and tucked some loose hair behind her ear.
"Okay, that's what I thought. Give me your hand." she said. Danse hesitantly held a hand towards her. She laughed quietly.
"No, your left hand." Danse held out his left hand and she took it in her own.
"I want you to have this. I mean it Danse, I will never leave." she told him as she slipped a shining white gold ring onto his ring finger. She was surprised that it fit so well. Danse stared down at his hand, repeating the words she had said in his mind. Katherine watched him as he stared down at it.
"Say something." she said after a few moments. Had she crossed a line?
    Danse turned and tackled Katherine onto her back, nuzzling his face into the hollow of her neck, her hair tickling his face. He felt her bring her hand up to rest on his back as she laughed. He would never get sick of hearing her laugh even if she was laughing at him. He propped himself up on his elbows, allowing more of his weight to press down on her, and looked down at the smiling woman beneath him.
"I love you." he told her.
"I love you too." she laughed.