The job was an easy one. Provide fire support while helping a caravan who lost one of their guards make their way to Bunker Hill. After they reached the trade city, they could find one of many out of work guards.

It was the type of job Marian would have done for less caps than MacCready. Marian had barely been seen in Goodneighbor since she saved him from the Rose Gang. She had poked her head in, normally to drop a charge off and get a meal from Hancock before she had another job. She was thriving in the Commonwealth, and she was happy.

MacCready took a certain amount of personal credit for her happiness. He knew she and Nick would get along. Every time he talked to the synth detective, he felt almost like he was talking to an older version of his adopted sister. He didn’t know how to explain that to anyone until she showed back up in his life, but the more his friends got to know her, the more they thought the same. Now, every time he saw her, she talked about Nick more than she did her books. When she did talk about going back, it felt more like she talked about it because she felt that she had to more than she wanted to. She was going to be safe.

He walked through the incomplete new gates to the city before entering the city proper. He wondered if Hancock would leave the old gates up as a backup defense. It didn’t matter, it was a long time since MacCready cared about politics.

Daisy was closing up shop as MacCready walked up to her.

“Hey, MacCready,” Daisy greeted. “Are you here to admire my figure?”

MacCready smiled at the self-confident ghoul. “You know I’m always happy to see your beauty,” he flirted.

“If I was more skeptical, I would accuse you of lying,” Daisy said. “It’s a good thing I’m not skeptical. Are you wanting to shop before we’re closed for the day?”

“I am, actually, I could use some rad-a-ways and some stimpaks and my boyfriend.”

“I’ll have all three come down to you right away,” Daisy told him. “Hey! Knick Knack, bring down some stimpaks and rad-a-ways from storage,” she called up to the room that doubled for her bedroom and storage.

Knick Knack walked down the stairs momentarily with the needed medicine. He placed the ordered items on the counter before walking up to MacCready and kissing him.

“None of that now,” Daisy teased. “If customers see that, they will get the idea that I’m cutting deals for MacCready. Next thing you know, everyone will be wanting to date us. I know that doesn’t sound too bad, but I do have standards.”

“Sorry, Daisy,” Knick Knack said, his arm wrapped around MacCready. “Couldn’t help myself.”

“I know, but you have to keep business and pleasure separate. Now go on and enjoy your evening together, I’ll close up myself.”

MacCready dropped the caps he needed to pay for the medicine and the two men left for the Third Rail. They didn’t bother to wait for Knock Knock, she had started working nights at the Rexford Hotel under Claire’s instruction, meaning she was already on shift. Maybe Claire would finally get that retirement she kept wanting.

Before they walked past Ham, he raised a hand to get their attention. “Before you go downstairs, I should let you know, your sister is here, and she was not looking good,” he said looking at MacCready.

“Marian’s here?” MacCready asked. “What do you mean she wasn’t looking good?”

“I couldn’t give you details, but I’ve worked this job long enough to know when someone wants to drink their feelings when I see one. I got her into the VIP room to keep her from doing anything that would force me to carry her out, but you might want to check up on her.”

MacCready could feel his heart drop. The memory of all the things she did when they were in the Capital Wasteland, things that in retrospect he realized was her not caring about her fate, came back to him. She was happy, why was she doing this?

“Thanks for the heads up.” He sputtered before untangled himself from Knick Knack and made his way quickly to the lounge. She was sitting against the far wall. Bottles of beer and moonshine surrounded her. Some were on the table next to her; some were scattered at her feet with Faenus laying forgotten among them.

MacCready turned to Knick Knack. “Go get Mayor Hancock. Tell him it’s about Marian.” He said quietly and discreetly.

Knick Knack nodded and ran off without question.

MacCready could count the number of times he’d seen Marian drunk. It didn’t take much to get her drunk. The amount of alcohol she must have drunk was more than he’d ever seen her drink together. He was surprised she hadn’t vomited or passed out.

“Hey sis,” he said, approaching her slowly. He wasn’t sure if it was safe to use her real name, or if she would recognize her current one.

She looked up slowly. Quiet tears were running down her face. The kind of crying he’d seen when her past and present became too much for her. Normally, she would disappear before she started crying like this, or shortly after.

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“Hey, RA,” she said halfheartedly. “Wha’ are you here for?”

“I heard you were in town,” he told her. “I wanted to say ‘hi’ before you head back to Diamond City.”

“I’m na goi’g bac’” she slurred. She winced at the fact she was slurring but didn’t bother trying to fix it. “I’m going home. Give me that le’er, or I won’ be able to ge…ge…. your son.” She rubbed her hand over her face, obviously trying to focus.

He kicked bottles out of his way as he reached her. “Why now? I thought you still had some debts.”

“I don’ FUCKING care about my debts! I jus’ need to get out of here.” She went back to crying.

MacCready reached up and brushed some of the tears away from her face. The streaks of dirt made it look like this cry was the closest thing to a face wash she’d had for a long time.

“‘m a monster, RA, you know that. Everyone knows that, but everyone is too damn polite to say it. Everyone bu…bu…” and she started hiccupping. She reached for another bottle and tried to take a swig. She looked at the bottle, and then threw it towards the door of the lounge. “I nee…I nee,” she said trying to stand up.

“It’s okay,” he said pushing her back down. “I’ll go get you another drink.” He walked out of the room towards the bar. He barely left the hall and tried to call Charlie to him.

“If you want to order something, you can come to the bar like a paying customer,” Charlie responded.

MacCready didn’t like the idea of leaving Marian alone at that moment, but he didn’t have a choice. He made his way to the bar as quickly as he could. It felt like he was waiting forever for the Mr. Handy to get around to him, but he did eventually.

“What’ll it be?” He finally asked.

“Hey, Charlie, can you do me a favor and put some water into a bottle for me?”

“Do I look like someone who would do that? I get accused enough of watering down the drinks around here. If someone saw me putting water into a bottle, there would be no end to it. No, if you want a watered-down drink, you can water it down yourself.”

“I don’t, uggh,” MacCready needed to get back to Marian, and arguing with Charlie was only going to slow him down. “Fine! Just give me your most watered-down drink!”

“See, there you go, accusing me of watering down my drinks like everyone else. And then you wonder why I refuse to put water into a bottle. What a fine howdy-do for you.”

MacCready was losing his patience. “Just give me something that won’t make her any more drunk!” he shouted.

“If that’s how it’s going to be, then I’m not going to bother serving you. You can come back when you can order like a decent person.”

The hand that rested on MacCready’s shoulder sent shivers through his spine. He was sure it was Ham showing up and ready to throw him out. It wasn’t the first time he’d been thrown out of the Third Rail, but it was the first time when his sister was nursing a depression.

“Give me a can of purified water,” Hancock said from over MacCready’s shoulder.

“Mayor Hancock, this man was being indignant. You told me that if…”

“Shove it,” He ordered. “Give me that water, and we will talk about this later.”

Charlie handed the canister to Hancock without another word.

“Show me your sister,” Hancock ordered MacCready.

MacCready lead the mayor to the VIP lounge. They both ran through the narrow hallway, knocking the mannequins over. She was sitting quietly, looking down at the floor. Hancock approached her slowly like she was a wild animal, MacCready hung back to watch.

“You snubbed me again,” Hancock said.

Marian slowly raised her head. Her eyes were still glassy and unfocused. There was a sway to her posture. “I’m sorry,” she said. “I jus’ I couldn’ bring myself to doing any’ing. I know you’re go’ng to evi…evi…throw me out. Le’ me stay until tomorrow, then I won’t be a problem anymore, I promise.”

“What do you mean?” MacCready asked.

“I’m going home,” Marian explained. “There’s nothing for me here, there’s nothing left.” The tears started rolling down her cheeks again.

“Come on,” Hancock said, wrapping one of Marian’s arms over his shoulder before forcing her to her feet. “Let’s get you home. You’re going to have a bitch of a hangover when you get sober.”

MacCready watched as Hancock half dragged Marian out of the room. He grabbed her gun and followed them to Marian’s house.

“I jus’ wanna go hooome,” she whined as they stumbled down the stairs.

“I know,” Hancock said. “I heard about what happened. I’m sorry about your loss.” He moved her to the mattress in the corner of the room and helped her onto it.

“You can’t leave yet,” MacCready blurted. “I’m going with you. You need someone to watch your back.”

“See, sister,” Hancock said as he patted her arm. “You have to wait for MacCready to go back home. Don’t worry, I’ll make sure you both are taken care off. Just give me one more month to get things together. Deal?”

Marian murmured something that sounded like an agreement, but it was obvious she was already falling asleep. MacCready laid Faenus next to her mattress.

Hancock took MacCready’s arm and walked him to the other side of the room. “I don’t want her being alone right now. We don’t know if she’s just drunk or…”

MacCready knew what the other option was, he didn’t want to explore it either. “What was that about?” MacCready asked Hancock. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen her that bad. I heard you saying she lost someone, but He…Heck, she’s lost friends before and never reacted like this.”

Hancock sighed quietly. “Ellie called me on the radio last night. Nick found some holotags in her backpack. Apparently, he took it personally.”

The blood rushed to MacCready’s face. “That….” MacCready had to stop talking, he could only think of swear words at that moment. After taking a breath to get his thoughts back, he started talking again. “After everything she’s done to show she isn’t like that. After everything she’s done her whole life to not be like that. And he fu….he decides she’s like that because she’s carrying a set of tags?”

“Do you know about the tags?” Hancock asked.

“Of course, I do,” MacCready told him. “Now she’s lost all hope, because he couldn’t stand the thought that…” MacCready went silent again, he then turned around and headed up the stairs.

“Where are you going?”

“I’m going to punch a certain synth detective in the face,” MacCready growled.

“Mac, wait up,” Hancock called.

He didn’t want to be talked out of punching Nick, but he knew that Nick and Hancock had a history, and they would have to deal with each other long after he and Marian were dead from old age. He turned around, readying for the arguments.

Hancock instead pushed some items into his hand. “Take the med-x before you enter his office, that way you won’t feel the pain. The stimpak will help fix your broken hand afterwards.”

MacCready looked down at the meds before pocketing them. “Thanks,” he said.

“I’ll stay with her, make sure she survives the night. Let me know how things turn out, and let Ellie know about the latest.”

MacCready nodded and hurried out the door.