Chapter Text
When she got off the bird, she was shocked to see Procter Ingram striding towards her.
“He's down at the airport right now – I'm about to go give him a progress report.” Without even asking the Proctor ushered her back onto the bird she'd just gotten off of. Luckily the ride to the ground wasn't long, and the other woman was happy to fill the silence by talking about generalities. When they approached the concourse, however, the conversation faded to the background as the General of the Minutemen, saviour of the Commonwealth to so many, got her first look at the project that had been so hush-hush until now - Liberty Prime.
The robot was enormous. Jaw-droppingly so. Here and there workers scurried, looking like nothing more than insects next to its still and lifeless form. Even though limbs were yet to be properly attached, and honestly it was a bit of a wreck, the sheer magnitude of it was nothing short of impressive.
“What do you think?” purred a familiar voice from behind her. A gentle hand brushed against the small of her back as she moved, but she knew that was the most that either of them would do in public. Turning, she looked up at him with a wide-eyed stare.
“Nothing can really prepare you for this, can it?” she said. He smiled, pride in the expression.
“Come on. Let's move closer. We're going to need your assistance with this project, Knight.”
Following at an acceptable distance for propriety's sake, she walked across the cement, unable to stop taking glances at the mountainous metal man and his various pieces. They joined Procter Ingram on a raised deck that was covered with computer consoles, all blinking wildly.
“Ahh, Knight, just the person we had been hoping to see,” said the other woman, as though she hadn't herded the subordinate back on to the vertibird herself. “Before we get into anything, we have to ask – have you secured a way into the Institute?”
“I believe I have. I was able to gather the items needed to build a molecular relay. It will – in theory – utilize the transmission signal from the courser I killed to teleport me into the Institute over that same frequency.”
“Do you have the necessary items here?”
“The relay is already in the works. I have a reliable mechanically minded operator with the Minutemen that I trust wholeheartedly, and he has already begun its placement and construction. He estimates it will be ready within the next day or so.”
She saw both of their expressions darken, but she had expected that. It would seem like a slight to them to not have brought everything here, to not let the Brotherhood spearhead the entire project. But she refused to become simply a pawn in a greater game, and she needed to remind them of that. Knight of Steel she may be, but she was so much more, a force to be reckoned with in her own right. She knew that it was easy for them to let that fact slip past them. Mild reproach in her gaze, she spoke calmly before either could voice a complaint.
“I trust Sturges with my life. More than that, I trust him with the life of my son. The Minutemen have more than earned the opportunity to play their part in this as well, and the location we have chosen is far enough away from the center of everything that I have no fears of any Institute spies accidentally seeing what is being built. For that and numerous other reasons I believe it was in the best interests of this endeavor to ask that the relay be constructed there, by him. He, and Preston, and the rest of them - they trusted me when I had no one, and they helped me mold myself into the person I am today. That person is about to go up against an entire regime and bring about its downfall. So before you think of demanding that I give way to the Brotherhood in this, remember that I was a Minuteman first, and I am a mother before all else, and I WILL do what I feel is right.”
There was almost complete silence on the concourse, and she realized her voice may have raised a bit at the end there. But it served its purpose. Ingram smiled, new respect in her expression, and Arthur – though not happy, as could be expected – nonetheless did not even give voice to a hint of argument. Instead he nodded at her in acknowledgment.
“We trust your judgment, Knight,” he stated plainly, and that was that.
“You mentioned needing my assistance, Elder Maxson?” she asked politely. With a small gesture, he turned the conversation over to Ingram.
“Liberty Prime suffered serious damages in his last battle,” the Proctor began. “As such we've had to do some extensive repairs. There are several items, however, that are eluding us, without which Prime will be unable to be restored to battle readiness. To begin with, the joint actuators need to be completely rebuilt, but for that we are going to need high powered magnets. Our Scribes have been able to locate one but we will need three more. We would like to task you with searching and retrieving some of them. You can usually find them in hospitals-”
“I can do you one better. How many did you say you needed?”
“Three,” Ingram replied, watching curiously as the younger woman lifted the Pip Boy and began fiddling with it. A few moments later, she looked up at the Proctor and the Elder with a small grin.
“I'm having a provisioner detour by one of my settlements and pick up the magnets to bring to us. They should be here within two to three days, weather holding. Let the guards know to expect a small dark-haired woman and twin blond men leading a brahmin with a clipped ear on her left head.”
“That is -” the Proctor looked stunned, “-that is impressive.”
“I live to serve,” she replied cheekily. Ingram laughed.
“This one's a keeper, Elder Maxson. But then,” she said with a sly sideways glance, “I'm sure I don't need to tell you that.”
“I am well aware of her qualifications,” he replied, hiding a smirk, and it was obvious then that Ingram, at least, was not only a friend to Arthur but also someone who was fully aware of the new relationship between the Elder and his Knight. It made her relax a bit more, knowing that she could be a little freer with her speech around the other woman.
“Was there anything else I could assist with?”
“Well, we were hoping you'd be willing to help with the construction of the actuators once the magnets come in...which it seems will be much sooner than anticipated thanks to you,” said the Proctor with a grin. “But until then our crews have things pretty well under control. There is one thing, however – while in the Institute, we'd like you to track down a scientist by the name of Madison Li. She was the one who worked on Prime to get him operating the first time and we could really use her help. She defected to the Institute after the Enclave dust-up, but I've no doubt you can talk her around to returning to us again. Her assistance and knowledge will be invaluable if we can get it.”
“Understood. I'll try my best. If there's nothing else, I'd like to take my leave. I have some other responsibilities to see to and I'd prefer to have everything squared away before this entire undertaking launches.” She looked at Arthur, who nodded once.
“If you'd like to accompany me back to the ship we can get your debriefing taken care of and then you will be free to attend to what duties you may have elsewhere. Good day, Proctor,” he said calmly to the other woman, who saluted.
“Thank you for your time, Elder Maxson. I will keep you updated. Ad victoriam.”
The Elder and the Knight echoed the salute and sentiments and headed out of the concourse and back up to the Prydwen. A few people stopped them with minor issues for the Elder, but it wasn't long at all before they were back inside his room, door shut and arms around each other as she sank into his warm embrace.
“I understand your reasons for choosing the locale and team you did for the relay, but I would be lying if I said I wasn't slightly saddened.”
“I know. And believe me, I thought about it, about having the Brotherhood build it. But truly, I owe my Minutemen so much. This was my chance to prove that despite having signed on with Steel, I will always be their General and will always rely on them to do what they do best in assisting me to make the Commonwealth a safer place for all. Sentimentality aside, however, if I didn't have the utmost respect and belief in Sturges' abilities, I would never have contemplated it. The man is amazing.”
“So tell me about this mechanic, this Sturges. There is a lot of fondness in your voice when you speak of him. Should I fear for my place in your affections?” His tone was joking but beneath she could still hear hints of a timid little boy, and her arms wrapped all the tighter around him.
“I won't lie, Sturges is definitely easy on the eyes. And he fills out that mechanic outfit oh-so-well. And that soft drawl? Mmmm. But,” she said, drawing the word out teasingly as she leaned back a bit to run her hands over his lapels, “Sturges doesn't have such a nice coat.”
“I see. You only want me for my coat,” he rejoined with a smile, the insecurity slipping from him once he realized she was teasing, and she loved seeing it fade to bring the playful side back to the fore.
“Well, I mean, there is also something to be said for a man who has a high position in society...and a flying ship, can't forget that...” She stepped out of his embrace entirely, walking around the room, tracing her fingertips along the few furnishings in a smooth caress as she moved. He watched her like a hawk, restraint and desire infusing his very bearing.
“Ahh. So a coat, a ship, and a name. You seem to be quite high maintenance. Should I feel special, then, to have attracted your regard?”
She stopped her sauntering and turned to lean back against the dresser, raising one leg up to brace against it as she toyed with the neckline of the flannel shirt she was wearing.
“Well, that all depends.”
“On?”
“Whether you can keep my interest now that you have it.”
“And what would a man need to do, were he wishing to keep your interest?” His voice was steady but his eyes were greedy, molten blue flames caressing every movement of her hands as button after button fell free with deft motions of her slender fingers. She silently finished, leaving it dangle open, tantalizing him with the expanse of bare skin beneath. She saw the moment he realized that she'd come back to the Prydwen – indeed, had an entire conversation about a robot – wearing just a flannel shirt and tattered leather pants with no undergarments. A small growl reverberated from him and she knew he wasn't going to take much more teasing. Which was fine with her; she was about done playing games as well.
“Why don't you come over here and see if you can't work that out for yourself?”
xxxx
A while later as they lay together on his bed, the covers kicked to...somewhere else...she told him about her trip back to speak with Virgil again, and her hopes that this would work.
“I want...I want to see my baby again. I mean, I know he's not a baby anymore and I hate that I missed so very much, but...” She sighed as he pulled her closer, his strong arms wrapping protectively around her.
“Of course you do. I imagine you are an excellent mother.”
“Am I? I mean, he wasn't...he was only ten weeks old when...and I'd wondered if I would ever really bond with him since I hadn't actually given birth to him.” She paused when she saw him eye her curiously. At his inquisitive murmur she nodded.
“But, how..?” he asked. She shifted so she could cuddle closer in his arms as she spoke.
“Well, before the war, there was so much more that technology could do,” she began. “Nate and I were married right before he enlisted. I started law school at the same time, and we had planned that after his tour and my graduation we'd settle down and start a family. But then he was...he was injured, and when he came home...well, the military took care of their own, I'll give them that. Medical support, monetary recompense...as soon as I got my degree we bought the house in Sanctuary and planned to start our family once we settled in. However, by the time we closed on the house it had become obvious that it was very unlikely he would ever be able to – to father a child. In the usual way. The damage, you see. He'd taken a shrapnel hit to the lower body saving a buddy. He was paralyzed for a short time but that was corrected with surgery. They just...they weren't able to fix everything. It was difficult for him to...for us to be intimate.” She could feel Arthur tensing, that sympathetic cringe reaction that happens subconsciously, and hurried to continue.
“It didn't matter to me. I used to tell him that I married him for his eyes, not his dick. But he knew how much we'd wanted a family, and it bothered him so much – he said once it made him feel more useless than anything ever had. So when we had a chance to get medical assistance to achieve that goal, we jumped at it. They were able to use his reproductive cells to fertilize one of my eggs, and we were given a choice; to see if I was capable of carrying the implanted egg to term, or to request the assistance of a surrogate, a woman who would carry the child for us. Since we didn't know how many chances we would get, and I'd had mild issues with my own reproductive system in the past, we decided on the surrogate route. She stayed with us throughout the entire pregnancy and we doted on her, and when Shaun was born it was the most amazing, wonderful thing – yet in that moment, overjoyed as I was, as full of love as I was, I hated her. Because she'd had that bond with Shaun, even before his birth, and I questioned whether or not I would ever feel that...that connection.”
“Did she stay to help?”
“No. That wasn't part of the agreement. She was happy to carry a child, she said, to give that gift to someone who otherwise wouldn't have the opportunity, and she enjoyed being pregnant, but she had no real desire to be a mother. So we went our way with Shaun, and she went her way, and everyone was pleased with the arrangement. It was so hard at first, though. For me, not for Nate. Nate absolutely, completely fell in love with Shaun. Always taking pictures and spending time and...sometimes I felt like the odd woman out, you know?” By this point she was just speaking, the words pouring forth to him that she'd never even voiced to herself, and it was frightening and cathartic all at once.
“I love my baby boy, so very much. I would pull down the stars for him. Freeze the oceans. There are no lengths I will not go to for him. But when he was new, when we were all just learning? I was terrified that I wouldn't love him enough.”
She felt his fingers caressing her cheek, heard him whisper her name against her temple as he placed a soft kiss there while tilting her face to his.
“There could never be any danger of that. You have the biggest heart, the most loyalty, I have ever seen. You found room for an entire Commonwealth, for the outcasts, for the underdogs...the castoffs and the wretched. You found room,” he murmured, “for a young, hard-headed leader of a group you joined even though you love life too much to follow its core doctrines. You are an amazing woman, and an amazing mother, and Shaun will be the luckiest boy in the world to grow up as your son.”
She didn't realize she was crying until his fingers wiped her tears away. The press of his lips was gentle, soothing, loving without inflaming, and she sank into him like a warm bath, let him hold her as she gathered herself once more.
“Now you understand why I have to do things my way. I lost him once, and maybe there was nothing I could have done to stop it. If I'd been holding him instead of Nate, I'd have likely been the one dead and that might have been better in the long run because Nate was-”
“DON'T say that,” he growled, pulling back to fix her with the most intense, demanding gaze he had ever turned her way. It was enough to stop her mid-sentence, her mouth open like a landed fish. “If it had been you who died...you...just don't say that. Don't EVER say that. You are...you are too important. To the Commonwealth, to so many people. To me. I don't want to imagine a world without you in it.” He took a deep breath. “Even if this is all we can have, even if this is all we ever are to be to each other...my life was nothing, nothing compared to what it is with you in it.”
She knew, then, that he understood what she'd been trying so hard not to say. That he grasped what lay before and behind them. That a fairy tale ending might not be coming. What's more, though, she saw that he didn't care. He had meant every word. Even if they did have to part, if their lives and the world drove them out of each others' arms, this was the time he would carry with him, always.