“Before we start, I do have rules,” the mysterious woman told Ellie. “If I tell you to shut up, you shut up. If I tell you to wait somewhere, you wait there. There will be times when I need to check an area to make sure it’s safe, and I don’t want to have to look for you afterwards. I will forgive you if where I left you suddenly became dangerous, but not if you simply think you know better than me. If you don’t like how I’m doing my job, you can leave me at any time, but I reserve the same curtesy. I refuse to die for an idiot.”
Ellie thought these rules over. They could be reasonable, no one wants to work with someone who thinks they know everything. But they could also be a new type of raider trap.
The self-proclaimed bodyguard said her name was Marian, and that she was new to the Commonwealth. Ellie wasn’t sure how much faith to put into Marian, she looked haggard, and something about her demeanor made her seem like someone who never got into a fight in her life. Ellie was never as good at reading a situation as Nick, he could have figured this woman out by now. Something about this woman wasn’t adding up, Ellie just couldn’t figure out what that thing was
As the two women walked out of the gates that guarded Goodneighbor, suddenly it was as if she was standing next to a different person. Marian had her weapon ready; her shoulders were squared with anticipation. She looked left and right slowly and quietly. She was almost frightening in her focus.
“Where to?” she asked with her voice quieter than it had been. It sounded more like an order.
“Turn left,” Ellie told her.
Marian started moving, each step sounded quieter than it should be. This was much different than travelling with Nick. Marian paused slightly when she saw the debris on the ground but moved through it with little problems. They made their way through the streets and alleys until they made it to The Commons.
Marian stopped before entering the area she looked at the warning signs. The woman who claimed to never have been in the area before looked at Ellie and pointed to one of the warning signs. The directness of her face and the fact her eyes didn’t even waver made Ellie feel slightly uncomfortable. It took Ellie a moment to realize that Marian may never had heard of Swan before.
“It’s ok,” the secretary said. “Just stay outside of the fence and we should be safe.”
“Why is this swan so dangerous?” Marian asked.
“He’s a behemoth super mutant,” Ellie explained.
“Say no more,” Marian ordered and went back to leading them out of the area.
When they got to the protectron that had been refurbished into a tour guide, Marian stopped walking.
“What’s there?” she asked gesturing at the lighted area before them with her chin.
“That’s the Combat Zone,” Ellie said.
“Will the people outside it cause us problems?”
“Probably not, Tommy Lonegan is trying to get the place to go legit for months now. I guess he sees it as his only option since Nate killed off the raiders who were his usual clientele.”
Marian was quiet for a moment. Ellie was sure she was new to The Commonwealth since she seemed more concerned by The Combat Zone than The Commons.
“Let’s go quietly, just in case. I don’t want to pick a fight if I can help it,” she said.
They continued walking around The Commons. With every step the dark-haired woman seemed to look in a different direction, but there was enough smoothness with each motion that it was obvious she had been doing jobs like this for a long time. She was really taking everything in. Ellie wanted to know more about this woman. Where did she come from? Why was she in The Commonwealth now? Where was she staying when she wasn’t working?
“Can I ask you a question?” Ellie finally built up the courage to ask as she guided Marian through the twists and turns.
“I would prefer to wait until we are in a safer area before we begin an idle conversation,” the frazzled hair woman answered keeping up her hyper awareness.
“Ok,” was all Ellie could say.
Suddenly Marian stopped short of an alley and held out a hand, palm turned away from Ellie. “What’s that way?” Marian asked, gesturing with her head towards the left, never moving her eyes from in front of her.
Ellie thought for a moment, “Trinity Tower is about a block that way.”
“I hear a super mutant,” Marian said.
“That’s probably Strong, he’s ok. He won’t hurt us,” Ellie explained.
Marian looked straight at Ellie again. A look of disbelief passed over her face before it seemed like she was able to accept the idea that a super mutant was safe.
“He doesn’t attack people?” Marian finally asked.
“No, he’d probably help you in a fight,” Ellie answered.
“Thank you for telling me, I would hate to kill him over a misunderstanding.”
Once again, the two of them continued walking down the street together. They passed a small group of generation 2 synths. Marian looked straight at them as they walked by, but she didn’t seem ready to fight them. They looked straight back at her, it was harder to read their body language. Ellie assumed someone else must have told her they were safe since she wasn’t getting ready for a fight. Soon Ellie led them to the Police Precinct 8.
“Look out for the radroaches as we go through this area. Those green walls are Diamond City,” Ellie told her.
Suddenly, Marian shushed her. Ellie listened; in the quiet, she could hear some gunfire. it was amazing how much this woman seemed to hear.
“Is that area safe?” Marian asked pointing toward the door that led into the library.
“Yes,” Ellie said.
“Go there and wait for me,” Marian ordered quietly before turning around and ran through the dilapidated building, shooting two radroaches, one bullet each.
Ellie did as she was told, growing more confident that Marian was not a raider laying a trap for her. She leaned against the wall next to the intercom box and listened as best she could to the gunfire. It was hard for her to hear, and she wasn’t sure when it was over. After a few minutes she saw a shadow from above her, she looked up to see Marian.
“Come on,” was all the bodyguard ordered.
Ellie walked around the barrier to join Marian.
“Did you kill that super mutant?” the waiting woman asked.
“No, why would you think I did?”
“I didn’t, it’s been dead too long. I would have acted like I believe you if you said ‘yes’, though,” Marian explained.
Ellie was confused by this other woman’s logic. She couldn’t dwell on it when Ellie saw red on Marian’s shirt that wasn’t there before she left.
“You’re injured,” Ellie pointed out.
Marian looked down for a glance before watching their surroundings again. “Yeah,” she confirmed, “I let a swarmbot get too close to me.”
“Why aren’t you using a stimpak?” Ellie wondered out loud.
“All out. It’s ok, it’ll heal,” the emaciated woman explained as if she was talking about her favorite lipstick color and not a lifesaving medicine. “Come on.”
They started walking through the Police Precinct before turning left. Ellie could see the remains of rust devils, both people and robots, scattering the street. There were also Diamond City guards around the area. Some looked injured, and Ellie could see one who did not survive the fight.
“Hey, thanks for the help,” One guard called out to Marian.
“It’s part of what I do,” she replied. “I may need some help myself; would it be ok if I talk with you later?”
“I don’t know, will it cause me any problems?” the guard asked.
“I just need some information.”
“Sure thing, name’s Lucas,” the guard let her know.
Then Marian did something that surprised Ellie. Marian smiled; it was almost like seeing a friendly skeleton smile. It was an easy smile, one that told the people around her that she was safe to tell all your secrets to. Ellie wasn’t even sure why that smile was so startling; she saw it in The Third Rail. It felt like she was being escorted by a different person than the one who she talked to in The Third Rail. “Lucas, huh?” she asked. “I’ll remember that. Thanks.”
Lucas smiled back at the foreign women. He seemed to be captured by that ready smile and he was suddenly standing with a more relaxed posture. “You’re welcome.”
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The travelers continued their walk. They turned right and walked past the outpost and destroyed turret that protected the city a safe distance from the gates.
“You can talk now,” Marian said. “I don’t think anything will sneak up on us now.”
Ellie was caught off guard again, she was still trying to figure out how Marian was able to do what she had with Lucas. Still, she felt more at ease now with Marian smiling and talking. Did she just turn this off and on at will?
“So, you really have never been to the Commonwealth before?” Ellie asked desperate to make small talk. The quiet was becoming oppressive.
“Never had a job that brought me here before.”
“What do you do exactly, just walk people between settlements for directions?”
“If I’m not familiar with an area it’s for directions. Usually it’s for food, sometimes I get paid in ammo or supplies. It just depends on what people can pay me in,” Marian explained in her slow speech pattern.
“That sounds really nice of you. But it sounds like it would be hard to live like that. How do you pay your bills?”
As Ellie talked, they passed the barricade in front of Diamond City’s gate. Marian seemed to lower her guard even more and slung her gun over her right shoulder. Her hand was still on the gun strap holding onto it, but it was obvious she was no longer expecting a fight.
Marian stopped walking and faced Ellie. She was looking more like the woman in The Third Rail again. Someone more relaxed and friendly, not someone who lived ready for a fight. “I don’t live in a way most people would consider plausible. If someone can pay in caps, they normally hire someone better than me, but I would rather help people. I like helping people, that’s really the only thing I know how to do.”
Ellie felt almost like she was talking to Nick. He did normally make sure clients paid, but the big guy was such a softy he often just asked for his money but never followed through on making sure people paid. The worst he did was remind people they owed him caps. She hated doing the bookkeeping part of her job, they had so many caps owed to them they could buy Kellogg’s abandoned house with that much delinquent pay. Nick also always said it was about helping people.
“Maybe I can help you out some more, help you help more people,” Ellie told her. “I work for this guy who likes helping people too; he has some connections because of his job. He may be able to get you hooked up with some work.”
Before Marian could answer, they found themselves greeted by Mayor McDonough.
“Welcome! Welcome!” the mayor greeted. “It’s always nice to see a new face. Ms. Perkins, would you please introduce me to your friend?”
Ellie normally avoided Mayor McDonough, but the man did insist on meeting all new visitors. Normally with the intention of shaking them down for caps or finding out if they planned on bringing caps to the city later. Still, she had to play the game.
“Mayor McDonough,” she began. “This is Marian Halcombe.”
“Welcome to Diamond city my friend,” the mayor said with his usual over enthusiasm and holding out his hand as a greeting.
Marian took the hand, looking uncomfortable with the mayor. “Mayor McDonough,” she greeted, like she was trying to remember his name by saying it.
“I hope that you will find our city to your liking. We have a large market filled with anything that you may want or need.”
“Thank you,” she said. “But I’m a little tight on caps right now. I will probably just stay until someone needs an escort out, then I’ll take my leave.”
The mayor’s smile faded for a moment. “Oh,” he said, suddenly less friendly than he had been. He got his energy back, but not as much as when he thought she had money. “Well anyway, I hope you enjoy your stay in the great green jewel of the Commonwealth.”
McDonough tried to nonchalantly move over to Danny to talk with him. The mayor never could pull off the nonchalant look.
Marian’s shoulders shifted like she was uncomfortable as she scowled at the McDonough’s back. Then she took up her prior conversation with Ellie. “I understand you want to help, but I’d advise that you don’t get too attached to me. I live in a way that I can die at any moment. I’m only willing to stick around if you understand that if you are not looking at me, I am probably dead. I don’t want to hurt you, but that’s just how life is for me.”
Ellie was silent for a moment. She hated when Nick went on cases outside Diamond City, especially when he didn’t have a partner to back him up. Every time, she was sure his luck was going to run out and she was going to be unemployed. Could she handle having another friend in her life who lived like that?
Ellie and Marian continued into Diamond City. As they walked up the steps, Marian moved the strap of her gun so that it was slung across her back and obviously empty backpack.
Nick survived on more than luck, he survived because he had friends looking out for him. Ellie often had to make sure he kept up his maintenance as well as running the business side of the detective agency. Nate, and other partners before him watched his back in the wasteland. If he didn’t have a partner, he often hired someone to watch his back if he expected a firefight.
Marian was a stranger to the Commonwealth; she didn’t have anyone watching her back or making sure she took care of herself. Ellie thought about it and taking care of one more lug head didn’t sound too hard.
Before Ellie could say anything, Marian picked their conversation back up. “I wouldn’t mind meeting your boss, I can use all the connections I can get.”
“That’s great, and I can get you a stimpak so you can heal up from that last fight.” Ellie was excited. She was sure Marian and Nick would get along. Maybe he would even take her as a partner. Nate had stopped answering the radio summons whenever there was a new case; forcing Nick to work on every case by himself and dealing with all the dangers by himself.
“That wasn’t part of our deal,” Marian reminded her.
Ellie waved at Nat as they passed by the child peddling her big sister’s newspapers. “You protected me for nothing,” Ellie said, “at least let me help out by making sure your injuries are fixed. I always keep too many around the office. Nick is always running off on dangerous cases, keeping a large supply seems to be the only thing I can do to help him sometimes.”
“Nick…Valentine?” Marian asked.
“Well, yeah,” Ellie confirmed. “I see you’ve already heard of him.”
Marian stopped in front of Fallon’s and turned towards Ellie. “Nick Valentine…is your boss?”
Ellie was now getting nervous. She wasn’t sure where Marian was going with this line of questions. “Yeah, he’s kind of the name to Valentine Detective Agency.”
Marian blinked slowly, it looked almost like she was reprimanding herself for a major mistake. “I’m sorry, I don’t think I will be welcomed in your place of business. But thank you for the offer.” She started turning towards the entrance to the city like she was going to leave then and there. Ellie couldn’t let her leave in the condition she was in. She deserved to be paid for the help she provided somehow.
“It’s okay,” Ellie insisted. “You’re my guest.”
Marian stared at Ellie again. It was very similar to the stare she gave outside Trinity Tower, but it was much more relaxed now that she wasn’t on guard for a sudden attack. It was almost as if Marian was trying to convince herself that Ellie was telling the truth.
“Alright,” Marian finally said and turned back in the direction they were walking earlier. They walked past Moe and made it to the ally where Nick’s neon sign pointed the way to his office. As they approached the agency, Marian seemed to become visibly nervous.
“It’s okay,” Ellie insisted as they walked down the awning towards the front door. “Nick can be a grump at times, but he’s a good guy, really. Whatever may have happened between you two I’m sure he has already forgotten.”
They entered the office where Nick was talking with Piper. The two of them sometimes shared information since it was usually mutually beneficial. Though Nick did often have to argue with Piper about what information, how much, and when.
Nick looked up to see Ellie entering the office. “Ellie? How did you get…oh.” Nick stopped asking his question as Marian entered, closing the door behind her. “What do you think you’re doing here?”
“Hey, Soft-boiled,” Marian said with obvious false cheerfulness, “always good to see you.”
Ellie suddenly regretted insisting that Marian come to visit Nick. “She helped make sure I got here safely,” she said, trying to convince Nick to be nice.
“Did she now? For how much?” Nick asked shortly.
“Really?” Marian retorted, “You think that’s all I care about is caps? Is money the first thing you talk about when you go around playing Arson Loupine?” She leaned back, resting a hip against the wall and crossing her arms while smiling a predatory smile at Nick.
Nick’s jaw clinched in a way that Ellie knew he was getting angry.
“Who is this?” Piper asked.
“A woman who will not be staying,” Nick answered. “I do not do this job for the caps, I do it to help find people. And his name is pronounced Arséne Lupin. It's French.”
Marian lost the cocky look she had when she was talking. She looked like she was taken off guard. Ellie decided to take that moment to talk before they picked their fight back up. “I’ll go get your stimpaks,” she said hurriedly, “just wait right here.”
“You are not getting anything until you tell me how much she charged you to bring you here,” Nick insisted.
“I think that exchange is between Ellie and me,” Marian shot back. “If you’re so concerned with your caps, why didn’t you escort her back here, yourself? Or are you one of those people who want the glory with minimum work to get it?”
“GET OUT OF MY HOUSE!” Nick roared as he pointed towards the door.
“Your…house?” Marian asked dumbly, her entire posture seemed to go limp as she processed this information.
“Nick!” Ellie scolded. There really was no reason for him to be so angry at Marian.
Marian placed a hand on Ellie’s arm, “No, Ellie, it’s ok,”. She looked a little panicked, but Nick getting angry is enough to frighten anyone. “This is his house, he has a right to feel safe in it. I shouldn’t have come here. Take care.” She muttered quickly. She then turned and left the office quickly, but still managed to close the door without slamming it.
Ellie looked at Nick; she could feel her own face was now tato red. “Piper, will you leave Nick and me to talk privately,” Ellie said through her teeth never taking her eyes off her boss.
Piper looked shocked at Ellie, “Um, sure. We can finish this interview later, Nick,” Piper agreed before following Marian out of the office.
Nick and Ellie maintained direct eye contact with each other while they both waited for the door to close again. She could feel her own nails cutting into her palms. The two of them almost never fought, but when Nick was out of line, Ellie was willing to let him know.
“I don’t know what you were doing with her,” Nick started, “but she is not welcomed here.”
“You made that very clear,” Ellie replied. “I was hoping you two would get along. I promised to help her make contacts here in the Commonwealth.”
“What made you think I would get along with that…that woman?” Nick asked. It sounded almost as if he had to force the word “woman” out. Ellie had no doubt he had worse words in mind. She wasn’t going to let him use them.
“How about the fact you both like helping people? I think that would be a good start to a business relationship.”
“And emptying my savings of every last cap is probably a good second step,” Nick retorted. “How much do you owe her for that job?”
“Nothing, she offered to escort me if I showed her how to get here from Goodneighbor.”
“So, she insisted on coming into my office to get a bead on how much this place is worth?”
“I insisted she come in here!” Ellie was just short of shouting. “She was injured from fighting some Rust Devils near the wall. I thought giving her some stimpaks would be a nice gesture since she was out.”
Nick was silent. He obviously believed everything he had said about Marian. The fact that Ellie was able to point out every flaw caused his theory to fall apart. Nick did sometimes bounce ideas off Ellie. Often so that she would poke holes in his ideas before he followed through and fought the wrong raider gang. Or worse.
“She’s still not welcomed back here,” Nick finally said.
“Fine,” Ellie conceded, he did own the house and the business, “but you cannot stop me from spending time with her when she’s in town. And I will still recommend her service to people.”
Before Nick could respond, the door opened once again, this time a nervous looking woman entered. The heavy dirt on her face and hooded rags showed that she was a settler. With a potential client in the office, their fight had to be postponed and they had to be the welcoming professionals that clients saw.
“Mr. Valentine?” the settler asked with the nervous fear in her voice that was all too common in that office. “I’m hoping you can help me. It’s my grandfather.”
“Why don’t you take a seat and I’ll see what I can do,” Nick responded kindly.
As the woman got to her seat, Nick and Ellie took their places in the office when there was a new case. Ellie grabbed her clipboard and started jotting notes. She would reorganize them later to make the case easier for Nick to study. The fight wasn’t over, but the two of them had to be professional for this woman. As Nick often said, “There’s always another case to close.”