Going Deep

"So what's your idea regarding Vault 81, Blue?"

"I have a few to be honest. Partly about trade. Partly about protection. But also favours for favours."

"Going to spend a night or two there?"

"Wouldn't mind a hot shower and some pre-war creature comforts. Things like putting my clothes in to be washed. The small things I probably took for granted. You can join me if you want."

"What about Gwen?"

"Ah… well…"

"I'm sure she'll be delighted to see you, Blue. I'm still busy putting together this article, and I've got a backlog of other things I want to sort out. So you go off and do your Minutemen thing, I'll keep myself busy here. Just come back here before you go back to the Castle or head off to Sanctuary."

Piper did walk with me to the exit. Couldn't hug her because I was in my power armour. Didn't stop her trying though, making herself laugh when resting her cheek on the cold steel. Then she said she loved me again, returning those words to her as always, before I watched her walk back up the ramp.

I could have walked from Diamond City to Vault 81 without power armour as it was generally peaceful, though raiders were notorious for quickly returning to places we'd once cleared out. I knew that a group had a presence in one or two buildings around, and mutants were still cooped up on top of a tower nearby. But they didn't bother anyone. In fact, reports suggested the raiders and mutants spent more time wasting ammunition shooting at each other than worrying about anyone walking around otherwise.

The entrance and surrounding area was empty as usual. I knew traders occasionally arrived, but I'd rarely seen them around whenever I'd wandered towards the vault. Heading inside, I noticed a couple of the guards were a little worried as my armour was different. Stepping out of it as always before heading down in the elevator, I could see the relief on more than one face that it was me. In fact, once they did, there were a couple of grins and the welcome was rather warm. Guess I was still in their good books for saving Austin.

"Are you here to see the Overseer?" one of the guards asked. Nodding, he added, "I'll let her know you're coming down. Head to her office once you're downstairs."

Walking out of the elevator downstairs, I had my hand shaken more than once by the residents. I'll admit, it was nice to be popular. Walking up the stairs to the Overseer's Office, the guard nodded in the direction of the door, strolling on through. Gwen was waiting for me, meeting me with a smile that lit up her face, though she hesitated, unsure how to welcome me.

So I stepped forward, wrapping an arm around her waist and dragged her close. Without a word, I kissed her, and she accepted it immediately. Took barely a few seconds for it to deepen, feeling her body mould into mine. Little wonder we ended up walking her backwards to the desk, helping her sit up, not wanting to break the kiss. Not yet.

"Quite the welcome," I finally whispered when we needed a breath.

"I had no idea you were coming."

"Surprise!"

That same smile returned. Her eyes gazed up into mine as I caressed her cheek. "Business or pleasure?" she asked.

"A little of the former. Hopefully a lot more of the latter, if I'm honest."

"I've thought about that night we shared… too much, Nate..." She leaned up to kiss me again. "But I've heard what you've been up to with the Minutemen. Is that why you're here?"

"Sort of." I started to fiddle with the zip of her suit, making her laugh. "Why don't we discuss that later?" I leaned down to kiss her as her hands moved to my belt, button and fly. When her fingers grasped my already hard cock, I almost growled into her mouth. "Wrap your legs tight, I'll carry you to the bedroom."

As I carried her, she helped remove most of her vault suit, my jackets and shirt ending up on the floor as well. Carefully lowering her to the bed, we both ended up naked rather quickly as we made out, taking in her pale curves, and it definitely turned me on as much as it did last time. She was gorgeous, one of those ancient goddesses. I let her know that as well, making that smile simply broaden even further, if possible.

I would have happily showered her body with attention, but when I slid my cock inside her, that put any other ideas to the back of our minds, feeling her legs wrap around me, her heels resting on my lower back, as I gently moved with her. God, she felt wonderful, her fingers gently pressing into my back as she resumed her gaze.

"Nate," she breathed. Loved hearing a woman say my name in such a manner.

"Definitely thought about this on the elevator down."

"Thought about what happened last time every damned day."

"I'll stay a couple of days and we can just do this all the time."

That earned another deep kiss, starting to move a little faster. Earned a few moans into my mouth. Running a hand down to rest on her arse, giving it a squeeze, earning a giggle. Moved faster, and I was already feeling the urge, I was so turned on by her. She recognised and begged me to just fuck her. Moving her legs so they were spread wider, my tempo picked up so I was properly fucking her within a few seconds, grunting and groaning…

And then I came hard. Groaned even louder, hearing her giggle as I buried myself a few times before I finally stopped moving, needing to rest on my forearms, feeling soft kisses on my cheek.

"Definitely doing this a whole lot more," she whispered, "Love your cock."

I glanced to meet her eyes. "Well, your pussy is something else, Gwen."

She raised an eyebrow. "Tight and warm?"

I couldn't help chuckle. "And then some."

I remained inside her until I needed to pull out, falling onto the bed next to her. She flipped onto her side to face me, running my fingers down her cheek and body. I couldn't help but marvel at her body. All my lovers were different in their own way. It would have been boring if they were all the same. Gwen was spectacular. No wonder I felt myself getting hard again within a matter of minutes.

We lay back and enjoyed a cigarette. Once that was finished, Gwen pulled the blankets over us as she cuddled into my side, running my fingers up and down her back again. "Want to talk business?"

"Not really. Rather focus on you."

She looked up with that same grin. "I thought about you all the time, Nate."

"You were on my mind too, Gwen. But…"

"You told me. Nate. It's fine. And we've just made love, so I know what I mean to you."

I lifted her chin with a finger and kissed her again. "I liked you straight away. That's all I know."

The sigh was a little unexpected. "Where were you… hell, five years ago…"

"In a fridge." The blunt reply made her eyes widen. Then she burst into giggles as I couldn't help laugh either. It was the only way to deal with what happened without blowing up all the time with anger.

We made love again a little later, Gwen sitting on my lap and I enjoyed watching my cock slowly disappear in side her. And then watching her ride me was nothing short of spectacular. I needed more than two hands as I wanted to just caress her entire body all the time. She enjoyed herself at the same time, enjoying her first orgasm rather quickly, then enjoying a few more until I needed to finish again myself. All she did was lean forward as I grabbed her fantastic arse, pumping into her for all of a couple of minutes, our mouths never apart before I growled into hers as I came.

Spending the day in bed together was great fun, and when it came for dinner, all she did was call the guard outside to bring two trays of food. She had a dressing down, while I threw on my trousers and shirt as the food was delivered. Steak. Vegetables. A slice of cake each. And a bottle of wine to share. Gwen locked the door once the guard disappeared, sitting side by side on the lounge as she turned on the stereo, throwing in an old holotape, immediately reminding me of days distant past.

Once dinner was finished, I offered my hand. She knew what I was going to do, walking over to turn down the lights, before we danced slowly, Gwen resting her head against my chest as we simply swayed. It amused me when she peeled off her dressing gown, then helped me out of my clothes again. Little wonder she felt my erection press into her rather quickly. I simply enjoyed her smooth skin against mine.

Walking me back to the lounge, she gently pushed me in the chest to sit down before she sat between my legs. I couldn't help smile as she grabbed the base of my cock, running her tongue from base to tip, her eyes gazing into mine. She then gave me one hell of a blowjob, teasing me for what felt like hours. Getting me all hot and bothered before slowing down, doing that at least three times before I almost begged her to get me off. That made her giggle before she brought me to orgasm. Almost passed out as I no doubt flooded her mouth, and there was no doubt she swallowed every drop this time.

Feeling her sit up on my lap, I felt her pussy resting against my still rather hard cock. So I picked her up again, this time carrying her in my arms, and I returned the favour. Ate her out for so long, using fingers from time to time, that by the time she asked me to stop, my jaw was aching, my shoulder was feeling funny because of my body position, and I was now almost desperate to just fuck her. Seeing the look in my eyes, she flipped over onto her knees and wiggled her arse in my direction, playfully begging me to just use her body for my enjoyment.

I lasted all of two minutes. Then we had a shower, making out under the water in addition to washing each other down, before we headed to bed, turning off the lights and cuddling under the warmth of the clean blankets.

"Never had a day like this," she whispered, "Just non-stop sex. Or that's what it felt like."

"Long as you enjoyed yourself, Gwen."

"I loved every second, Nate. You made me feel… special."

"You are." Don't that she trusted her voice at that, feeling her just squeeze me instead. "Liked you from the moment I laid eyes on you. Then I learned about you, and liked you a whole lot more."

"Me too," she whispered.

We made love again in the morning before enjoying another shower, dressing and heading downstairs for breakfast. Gwen must have been smiling, or just appearing to be in a good mood, as it was mentioned more than once. The lady who ran the canteen was subtle when suggesting why she was in a good mood, glancing my way and winking. "About time someone put a smile on your face, Gwen," she said, "You've had it rough since taking the big job."

Austin appeared with a few of his school friends, asking me plenty of questions about what I'd been up to since I'd last seen him. His grandmother appeared, thanking me again for saving his life, while many of the residents simply wandered over to say hello. Breakfast finished, we enjoyed a coffee and Gwen suggested we should perhaps have our conversation where we were sitting, as we might get a little distracted in the privacy of her office. I couldn't help laugh, admitting she was very distracting. Made her blush, at least.

"I have a couple of offers to make, mostly in terms of trade and favours."

"Okay, let's start with the offers. Are you speaking of trading?"

"Yeah. Our farms grow a tonne of food and I'm confident we will soon be producing significant excess that we could trade. I'm talking vegetables mostly. We have fields of tatos and corns now. Lots of razorgrain. Not as much melon as I'd like, but fields of mutfruit too."

She grinned. "I can just imagine what it looks like."

"Anywhere we can plant crops in Sanctuary, we do. And the others farms are just as busy now. It's not the intensive farming that was once done before the bombs, but we already produce enough food that the complaints about being hungry have lessened. Add to that we've been rounding up plenty of stray brahmin."

"Okay, so we accept your produce, what would you like in return?"

"There are plenty of empty rooms here in the vault. What I'd like is for some of my people to have the opportunity to spend a week living in what could be considered luxury compared to the surface. Hot showers. Clean sheets and bed. Warm. No radiation. Good food."

She chewed on that for a couple of minutes before a slight smile formed. "Well, you certainly helped changed opinions around here, Nate. Not sure how people would react to loads of people arriving all the time though."

"How many spare rooms are there?"

"At least half a dozen."

"I'm sure we can come to an agreement on numbers that we can send down here. Anyone who lives here interested in visiting the surface?"

"I can think of a couple. I think they'll find out that escaping the vault won't lead to the freedoms they think exist up there. Would I be right in thinking that?"

"The only reason I've survived is that I can fight. Growing up in safety and security here then heading out there?" I shook my head. "Unless they make it to Diamond City, or somehow make it to a smaller settlement, maybe they'll be okay…"

"Anything else on your mind?"

"Yes, actually. I'm willing to offer this vault protection from Minutemen. I know you have security guards, and you have your big thick steel vault door, and you can likely even shut down the elevator. But I can certainly protect trade routes leading here, and also offer protection to any vault dwellers who wish to perhaps have a look around outside."

"And maybe they too would like a night in comfort down here?"

"Just like all the people who live in our settlements, the simple luxuries I used to enjoy, and you still enjoy down here, simply don't exist anymore. Or if they do, they are very hard to find. But if you give them a place to stay, I'll make sure they don't take advantage of it. I know you need help maintaining this place, and everyone who lives in one of our settlements contributes in one way or another. I'll make sure they do the same when they stay here."

"What's the end goal, Nate? I didn't hear your speech but certainly heard enough about to gain an understanding of your ambitions."

"Clear Boston of enemies, make it safe for people, then hopefully bring together all the major settlements to form a civilian government. And I think your vault should be involved."

"Really? I've never even been to the surface, Nate. I've never even taken a step beyond that massive door. I've spent my entire life down here. What would I have to offer the people of the Commonwealth?"

"This vault offers safety and security to the people who were born, grew up and lived here, and while it will continue to offer that, like I suggested before, there could be population exchanges, a few people from the vault heading out to live outside, even if only for a few days, while civilians on the surface can enjoy a few days down here in comparative luxury." I paused, leaning forward on my forearms and sighed. "What life is like up there, Gwen," I added quietly, "You're used to life in this vault. I grew up and lived before the bombs. Even life in this vault is only a glimpse of what life was like before."

"Miss it?"

"Between you and me, of course. Every damned day. But I've always been someone that spent most of their time looking forward. I have my mission. Self-imposed, but it's means I'm busy most of the time, thinking about that. No point living with regrets. There's nothing I can do about the past now. What's done is done."

"Can I have some time to think about it?"

"Of course. I wasn't expecting an answer right now."

"It would be nice to have some more people in the vault. Does feel a little emptier nowadays. So many were willing to leave, no matter the consequences. Wonder how many of them managed to survive out there?"

"Depends if they made it to Diamond City. Make it there, you're assured at least a modicum of safety. Don't make it there, you're in for a difficult time." I took one of her hands in mine. "Would you ever like to visit the surface?"

"Where would you take me?"

"Well, most of central Boston is ruins. I'd take you north to our settlements, show you how we've grown over the past few months. And if I'm in power armour, I'd get you there and back safe and sound."

"I'll think about that too." She gave my hand a squeeze. "Any other business you wish to discuss?"

"Nothing that comes to mind."

"Want to head back to my room?" I raised my eyebrows as she simply gazed at me. "I want more of yesterday, Nate. God, I want a whole lot more of that before you have to go."

I ended up spending another two nights with Gwen. Safe to say, she got very little work done while I was there. We must have made love and fucked everywhere around her bedroom and office. Bending her over her desk and fucking her had us rolling with laughter afterwards. She was tempted to press herself against the glass as I fucked her, but thought that as a step too far. We would head downstairs for breakfast and dinner, but otherwise we kept mostly to ourselves, Gwen only receiving visitors if something was urgent.

She couldn't get enough of me, and I felt exactly the same way. Her body was something else entirely. But we could lie back and talk for what felt like hours about anything. No topic off-limits. She was intelligent, funny, and had a good heart. Cared for and wanted the best for everyone in her vault. But she confessed the job was draining at times. It was slowly but surely starting to fail, and she knew that, one day, there might be nothing they could do to stop it all falling apart. But she still hoped that day was far in the future.

It was only when I let her know that I had to leave the next day that she let her emotions really show. Riding me as she was, she leaned down and kissed me deeply as always, though I felt a drop or two of moisture on my face as I caressed her face. "Really don't want you to go," she whispered, hearing the catch in her voice.

"Would love to take you with me," I whispered back.

She moaned softly as she knew how to ride me perfectly. "If I could do this every day, I'd say I would find the offer very tempting. You're turning me into a sex addict, Nate."

"That's a bad thing?"

She giggled. "It is when I need to concentrate on work, and instead I find my mind wandering, and before I know it, my panties are wet and I need to masturbate."

Dragging her down for a kiss, I asked softly, "Do that at your desk?"

Grinning, she nodded. "Feet up on the desk, legs wide, fingers going wild. Most of the time imagining what you'd be doing to me."

Making her squeal as I rolled her onto her back, she spread her legs as wide as possible, just begging me to fuck her, aware I wasn't going to last much longer. Only grunts and moans echoed around the bedroom for the next couple of minutes until I released one last groan as I came again. Relaxing above her, she wrapped her arms and legs around me tightly, both of us breathing deeply, skin glistening from the exertions of the past few hours. We'd barely stopped except for dinner that day. Reminded me of the early days with Nora. If we spent a weekend together, most of that time was spent in bed.

Enjoying a last shower before bed, she spooned against me as usual when we slid under the covers, enjoying the feeling of her soft body against mine, fingers running up and down her smooth skin. Holding my hand in hers, she whispered, "Used to you being here already."

"I'll try and visit quicker next time."

"Bring your friends. I'd love to meet them. Even your other lovers, if you want. If they share your bed, they must be special."

"I'm sure Piper would like to visit an actual working vault. Plus, she's a journalist. Could write a story about this place. Knows about it, of course."

"How can I contact you?"

"I'll send Minutemen here once I'm back at the Castle, station them outside. Send word to one of them, and they'll get a message to me. Won't be a problem."

Waking up the next morning, Gwen was already awake, facing me with a slight grin on her face, no doubt having watched me sleep for at least a few minutes. Pulling her close, we made out for a little while, which turned into one last round of lovemaking. Couldn't help ourselves, I guess. Then we showered, dressed, and headed downstairs for breakfast.

Everyone knew I was leaving, as although Gwen was smiling, it was obvious her demeanour had dimmed. After finishing breakfast, she walked with me to the elevator then all the way to the entrance. Asking everyone to give us some privacy, they all disappeared around the corner as we said farewell. Few words, a very long embrace and the sort of kiss that left both of us breathless by the end.

She watched with interest as I stepped into my armour, turning to face her. She couldn't help the chuckle. "You like a one-man army, Nate?"

"Sometimes. And this is a new suit. Better than my old one. Scared the crap out of a couple of your guards when I turned up in this."

"Next time you visit, I'll join you outside. Take my first breath of Commonwealth air."

"Doesn't smell as bad as you might envisage."

"Take care, Nate. Please come back soon."

"I will, Gwen. Trust me on that. I'll see you soon."

I'll admit, I left with slightly heavy heart. I'd admitted my feelings for Piper, but there was something about Gwen that I adored already. Heading back out into the sunshine, I knew I couldn't just worry about my personal life. I thought about it and came to a decision. I'd return to Diamond City, check in with Piper, then I'd return to the Castle and discuss with Preston the next steps. I had plenty of ideas, it was a case of what to do next.

Strolling along without a weapon in hand, it didn't take long to make it back to Diamond City. Heard sporadic gunfire. Passed by a couple of traders. Even walked by some civilians who were confident they could move about somewhat freely and not fear being assaulted or worse by raiders. I had that sense I was watched at times during my walk back, but I think even super mutants, despite being quite fucking stupid, would take a moment to consider attacking a walking tank.

Piper was hunched over her terminal like the last time I'd walked into her home. She knew it was me, and I barely had time to sit down before she was up, taking me by the hand, dragging me to the Dugout Inn, claiming she needed a break, and definitely wanted a drink and a smoke. Relaxing back on one of the couches, cigarette in hand, she asked if my visit had been a success. I admitted that nothing had been agreed, but Gwen had certainly shown interest in all my ideas. Having not told her all my ideas, I let her know about the idea of having civilians visit the vault so they could enjoy some of the amenities available. She thought that was a fantastic idea.

"And how's Gwen?"

"She's good."

"Bet you fucked the entire time." I couldn't help burst into laughter as she was pretty much on the money. When I nodded, she gave me a gentle dig in the ribs. "Never met her, but if you like her, Blue, then I bet she's a diamond."

"Just like you, Piper." That earned a soft kiss on the cheek. "She's invited all my friends to go visit. Told her you would be interested. Could even write an article about it."

She gave me a look. "Well, well, look at you, trying to keep me busy," she said, a smile quickly forming, "But it's a good idea, Blue. Many people are generally curious about these vaults. Since most have been abandoned over the years, the fact one is still fully functioning after so long…"

"I'm returning to the Castle tomorrow. It's time to resume what I set out to do. Taking the Castle was a good moment for us, but we can't rest on our laurels. And, to be honest, it makes us a target."

"Want my company?"

"Of course, but I won't ask because I know you have your own life to get on with. Nick is apparently busy with a few cases that ended up on his desk. I'll catch up with him later."

We stayed at the Dugout Inn for a few hours, long enough we both got a little drunk and staggered back to her house. She was giggling away about not waking her sister, but if anyone was going to wake her, it was Piper. No chance of anything happening. Soon as she was naked, she rolled back against me and promptly fell asleep. Still, it was good to relax together, and I couldn't remember the last time I'd had that much to drink.

I woke the next morning to find Piper already sat downstairs with a bag packed ready to go. I sat on the couch next to her as we enjoyed a morning coffee and cigarette. I didn't ask how long she was joining me for. I only asked about her sister.

That earned such a smile from her, the old heart fluttered. "She'll stay here or with friends, Blue. She's used to being on her own. Most kids get used to it at a young age, and she's used to me disappearing for days on end."

"Sure?"

"Nice to know you care."

"I know kids have it tough nowadays, and I also know how much you love and want to protect her." She had to look away, wrapping an arm around her waist as she leaned into my side. "Honest as always, Piper. She's a good kid, and has a big sister who…" She shushed me, stating she was going to cry if I didn't shut up.

In my power armour a few minutes later, I offered to carry her bag, Piper insisting it was fine, and I should worry more about keeping my hands free in case something attacked us. I didn't think anything would, but I carried my assault rifle, just in case, as we headed south, following the same path we'd taken previously.

The only time we had to be careful was when the Castle did come into view, as I was aware that raiders and mutants were in the vicinity of the Castle. I hadn't been gone long enough for Preston to perhaps really start dealing with them. I had left with orders that he focus mostly on getting the Castle back into working order.

As the walls were in the process of being rebuilt, ordering that be one of the first things to be completed, we had to follow the narrow strip of land around to the old entrance. A pair of Minutemen were standing guard, one to either side, saluting me as I approached. Walking into the courtyard, I'd only been gone a few days, but already there were noticeable changes.

Preston was obviously notified of my return, approaching me once I'd stepped out of my armour and leaving it at the docking station. Sturges was by his side, shaking hands with them both. And I got to business straight away, realising I'd forgotten to do something before I'd left.

"Sturges, you're not part of the Minutemen, are you?"

"Technically, no. Guess you'd call me a contractor."

"Want to wear the uniform?"

He grinned. "What are you suggesting, General?"

"The old United States Army wasn't just infantry. There were numerous departments that made up the armed forces, and one important part was the engineers. They were what kept the army moving at times. Considering what you've already done for us, I want you to lead the engineers of the Minutemen. Already thought about this. I've got four platoons, one through four, and two companies, which I'll think of names for later. But I want you to lead the First Engineer Regiment. The title of regiment is excessive considering the number of those under you, but I want it to reflect how important you will be to our success."

I was impressed by him coming to attention and saluting. "I would be an honour, General." He then expertly stood easy, the grin not fading. "Thank you, sir."

"Normally, the leader of a regiment would be a Lieutenant Colonel. I can't have you with a rank higher than Major Shaw. So, it's quite the leap of rank, but considering I have few officers under my command, I hereby award you the rank of Captain of the Minutemen, First Engineering Regiment." I came to attention and saluted, Sturges returning the gesture. We then shook hands. "Better get you and your people into uniform."

"Been inducting quite a few people since you left, General," Preston added, before he shook hands with Sturges.

"General, one question," Sturges stated, I met his eyes and gestured for him to continue. "Quincy. When you decide to make your move. I want go with you, sir."

"Consider it done."

"Lost a lot of friends there, sir. What they did to us…" He paused and looked away for a moment. "It was my home, sir."

I glanced at Preston. "I'm almost tempted to do that before we tackle Boston."

"Won't complain if you made that decision, sir."

"Let me give it some thought. Haven't been that far south yet. Don't know the lay of the land. But that's what we have scouts for. Sturges, you're dismissed. Tomorrow morning, bring forth those working of you. I'll officially induct them into the Minutemen."

"Yes, sir!"

I turned to Preston. "Anything else to report?"

"Rebuilding of the walls takes precedent, General. Scouting groups have been sent out and they will return with information of what we will face over the next few hours and days. Other than that, I've made sure that they are continuously training. The idea is professional, yes?"

"That's the aim, Colonel." I noticed him grin, before I asked, "Are you doing okay, Preston?"

"Haven't felt this good in years, Nate. I mean it." He paused before he met my eyes. "Thank you," he said softly. I knew he meant a hell of a lot more than those two words. I'd learned since the day I'd met him that the scars of Quincy ran deep. "I'll go check on the walls. Fairly sure they'll be looking good within a few days."

"Swing by my quarters later, Preston. We'll have a drink."

"Thank you, sir."

Watching him disappear, I felt Piper step to my side, wrapping an arm around her waist as she leaned into me. "Would love to have seen you in charge a long time ago. Was it like this?"

"I had many more soldiers under my command in Alaska, and I had to answer to my superior. Now, no-one is ranked higher than myself. The buck stops with me."

"Worried?"

"No. I'm used to giving orders, and I'm also used to knowing that the orders I give could go completely wrong, perhaps leading to the death of those under my command. The only difference is knowing I have to organise everything, but as numbers are still so few, it won't be too big an issue."

Ronnie walked into my quarters as I was settling back in. She let me know a few things she was in the middle of, handing over a few scouting reports, a tally of everything that we had in the armoury, plus a couple of her own ideas as to what we could do with the Castle and what we could do across the Commonwealth. She and Sturges had also got started on fixing the artillery, confident that they would probably be fixed quicker than the walls. Once they were in working order, we'd need to test them before relying on them for assistance if and when needed.

Preston joined us when the sun went down. Patrols around the Castle were already well established, and that was the sort of thing I left for subordinates to organise. A General of the Army looked at the broad picture, leaving it to those under him to organise the finer details. Pouring him, Piper and myself a drink, a map lay on the table as we gathered around. We'd discussed plenty of times my ideas, and I'd spent the late afternoon looking over the map with Piper, deciding where to go next.

"I'll wait for the last scouts to return. Tomorrow? Day after?"

"Another forty-eight hours at most, General."

"Okay, once they're back with information, that's when I'll decide what to do next. I'm going to leave this area here," circling the area between the Castle and the closest highway, "For you to organise. It'll give some of our soldiers their first taste of real action. Definitely raiders in the school here to the south, while to the north, I wouldn't be surprised if mutants are holding the brewery. Best way to get our boys and girls to fight will be the promise of alcohol should we take the brewery."

"It'll make their year, General."

"How many scouts did you send north to Boston central?"

"Three squads of five. Orders to simply gain information and avoid contact when possible."

"Okay, I'll hold fire on leaving until all the squads return, but I already have ideas of where to go. I want to scope out Goodneighbor. From what I've heard, I doubt they'll be particularly co-operative, but if they buy into the 'We're in it together' argument, perhaps they'll come to an agreement. Still want to take out this Combat Zone place that's just choc-full of raiders. And then there is taking down a couple of places I've been told where raider leaders are basing themselves. Then it'll be the turn of the Gunners. Not as big a pain in the arse as raiders, but I think a little more dangerous in the grand scheme of things."

"Whatever you decide, we'll back you, General."

We shared half a bottle before Preston headed off to the quarters he shared with a few of the others. Once he was gone, Piper shut the doors to my large room, and managed to strip herself naked between the doors and the bed. We made love for a couple of hours before she fell asleep in my arms.

The work still felt like it was only just beginning.