Nuka Girl, Nuka'd World

Unrequited Love

Vanessa was furious. The Elder was barely more than a teenager yet here he was, standing in front of her telling her what to do with her life. She rested her hand on her hip, looking Maxson up and down. "Excuse me?" "I said no. Knight Everly, tell me something, how long have you been in the Wasteland?" Glaring at him, she shuffled on her feet, before raising her Pip-Boy, and inspecting the date on the screen. "A month, two months or so. Why?" "Your body is not adjusted to radiation the way ours are, Knight. Even with Power Armor it could kill you, or cause irreparable damage. I will not be responsible for that."

"I can take care of myself, Elder. I've been doing just fine so far, and I'm like 200 years older than you!" "Alright, Everly that's enough-" "Knight! I am your superior officer, and I will certainly not see you die out in the most irradiated hellhole in the Commonwealth!" Maxson relaxed his grip on the bar in front of him, and sighed, turning to look at the shaking woman in front of him. "Vanessa. Your body needs time to adjust to the radiation we have in high doses here in the Commonwealth. I will schedule you in with Cade in a few weeks for a medical exam. Then we will discuss this again." The vaultie was seething, but her shoulders dropped, and she unclenched her fists. "Ad Victoriam, Elder." She spat before walking straight through the bulkhead and out of the ship.

Danse watched as her merc companion looked at him and the Elder, before shrugging and following her. "Elder Maxson I apologise for her behaviour." "Danse it is not your fault. However I worry she won't do well in our ranks. It doesn't seem she copes well with-" "Being told what to do? No. She doesn't. If I had known she was this difficult, I wouldn't have bothered recruiting her. I'm sorry Elder Maxson, I-" "Elder Maxson, Paladin Danse. Captain Kells said I should inform you that Knight Everly and her companion have left the Prydwen on a Vertibird."

The Scribe hovered awkwardly in the doorway, fiddling with the hem of his jacket. Danse groaned and pressed his face into one of his hands. "Did she take a suit of power armor with her?" The scribe shook his head, before saluting, and taking his leave. "Well at least we know she won't be heading out to the Glowing Sea. She'll be back Danse, she can deny it all she wishes, but she needs the Brotherhood. No other faction in the Commonwealth has the resources for her to safely travel out there."

"Ness, you're the boss, and that's cool, but are you sure this was a good idea?" The pair were sitting in the back of a Vertibird, he had an arm loosely around her shoulders. She'd been sick not long after she'd yelled at the pilot to drop them off somewhere inside the city ruins and they'd taken off from the ship. "I didn't think, Mac. I just acted." "I figured. You don't tend to think before you do things." Vanessa crossed and uncrossed her legs a few times. Something was up. "Tell me what it is, Ness." "We need... to maybe part ways for a while, Mac." Wow. That was unexpected.

This was his last chance, he had to ask her. It was now or never. "I have a son!" The woman in his arms flinched and pulled away, looking up at him with an unreadable expression.

"Oh my God! Mac! Even more reason to split up! I've been keeping you from your son! For Christ's sake...I'm so sorry." "No! Vanessa hold on! My son, Duncan, he's sick. I didn't want to ask, I know you've got lots of stuff going on but now you're going somewhere and I don't know who to ask and-!" One of her hands clapped over his mouth, her eyebrows were raised and her expression was that of a startled radstag. It would've been amusing, if not for the context. "Of course. Of course I'll help Mac. You stupid idiot!" She shoved him and he grabbed the bench he was sitting on. "You should've asked me straight away!" "Okay! Okay! Geez! I'm sorry? You already helped me before with Winlock and Barnes, I didn't wanna ask you for more." "Don't be an idiot, so just tell me everything. I need details and I will make a plan of action."

By the time they were boots down, Vanessa had their plan set, which was little more than "smash and grab", but it was more planned than what she usually did. "Med-Tek... It's a short hike to the North." She was still wearing her flight suit, she plucked at it, and huffed. There was no time to change, but orange really was not her colour.