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Lucy stepped away from her father, at least the man who once was her father. Hank MacLean had no memory of her, and it broke her. As horrible as her father was, he was still her father.
She dragged herself away, spotting a familiar person out in the distance.
He looked back.
He waited.
Lucy made her way over to him, crashing into his arms.
And surprisingly, he let her. Cooper hugged her tight, not-so-surprisingly strong, knowing she needed it.
At this point he wasn’t going to stop it.
Lucy clutched to him like a lifeline, like he’d fade if she let go.
Even if he wouldn’t.
She didn’t know that, though.
Her whole frame shook as she cried into The Ghoul’s chest. And he just stood there holding her.
He didn’t know what to say. Why would he?
Even having lost his own family, it wasn’t like this. Even with his hope of things being okay, it might be for him, but not for her.
She lost her dad.
The Ghoul, Cooper, knows how to comfort through that.
“Vaultie, hey…It hurts, and it will. But I’m not gonna fade. And he’s not gone forever either.”
He is in the physical sense, mostly. Everything that made Hank Hank was gone.
But Lucy had the memories at least. Even if some may be tainted.
Lucy clutched him tighter and shook her head.
“Maybe not th’ best wordin’ there, huh…I’m not gonna stop ya. But it’ll be alright.”
He hopes it doesn’t sound so much like a lie. Something even he can’t believe.
To Lucy, it just sounds like encouragement.
She won’t let go of Cooper. She sniffs into his shirt.
She reminds him a lot of himself, centuries ago now. When he’d lost his daughter and wife.
He still had hope. Somehow.
He bets Lucy will too. After the grief.
Hope of…who knows what.
But he shuts up.
Lucy eventually lets go a bit, looking up at The Ghoul, at Cooper.
One of Lucy’s hands reaches up to touch The Ghoul’s neck, feeling for one of those miniature devices.
None were found. And if anyone would’ve tried to latch one on him they’d have been long dead.
“He didn’t get you,” is the first thing she says. Like Hank would’ve had a chance. But she was scared, struggling with more than enough.
“Nope. If anyone woulda tried, I’d ‘ve shot ‘em in the ass.”
Or worse.
Lucy nods. “Thank you for saving me.”
“Anytime, Vaultie. Sorry y’didn’t get yer answers.”
“I’m sorry you didn’t find your family.”
“I know where they are. Ain’t a lost cause.” Not entirely. “I’m sorry y’lost your daddy like y’did, too.”
Lucy just nods at that. The Ghoul wipes her tears.
“Where…is your family? If not here…?”
“Colorado, apparently.”
Cooper caught the want to change the subject. Lucy still looked dejected, pulled back but keeping physical contact with The Ghoul.
“So, you’re gonna go there?”
“That’s the plan, sugar.”
She nods again. She’s staring at Cooper’s hands. The Ghoul’s hands. One finger was hers, blending close to perfect, somehow still smooth skin unlike the rest of him.
“What if I come with you?”
“Sugar, you have your hands full with things here. An’ I bet what’s left of the NCR or someone will protect ya too. Don’t y’got that Knight?”
“I do. But…we came here to find my dad, and your family. My dad’s-…” Gone. He’s gone. Cooper nods. “And your family is in Colorado. I can’t take my dad to justice when he doesn’t even remember anything.”
“There’s more t’that…shit than just memory wipin’, ain’t it?”
She nods, after a few seconds. “The boxes…make people suggestible. Dad’s…R&D department…has people up here on the surface with them. He said that the surface is the experiment. Not the Vaults.”
For a few seconds, The Ghoul looks on in horror. He resembles his old self, when the bombs dropped. He knew the Vaults were the experiments, but not the surface. Not the Wasteland.
“You gotta stay here, sugar. It ain’t the end of the world if I’m not with ya. Y’got your shit t’maage here.”
“But…”
And Cooper could just hear that heartbreak.
“Vaultie, you gotta stay. I’ll find a way t’get t’ya if it matters, updates or some shit.”
“Pip-Boys can send and receive messages. You can…keep a spare. Only for keeping contact?”
“If y’want, sugar.”
She guides Cooper back to the building she’d just left. Hank is gone. But there’s a Pip-Boy by the door. Lucy hands it to him. And The Ghoul wears it like he wore the one Robert House gave him back at the Lucky 38. For now he’ll wear it.
But he will only use it to update Lucy. Nothing else. This isn’t his thing. He can keep it on the rifle strap, to make it easier to access but not having to wear it.
“Please…update. Stay safe.”
“I will, Vaultie. Been alive over 200 years.”
“Right…” Lucy weakly laughs.
Cooper, The Ghoul, nods.
“You got this without me. You ain’t alone.”
“I hope you find your family. You need to.”
“You know I won’t stop until I do.”
Lucy nods again. “I know.”
“And you won’t stop until things are right again, won’t ya?”
“Exactly.”
“Y’know, the Vault dweller I met back in Filly woulda run her ass back to 33…or just stayed here even. Real proud’a ya for not just runnin’.”
“The Surface changes people.”
The Ghoul nods. He knew he had a big hand in that, too.
“That it does, sugar. You’re doin’ damn well up here.”
She looks proud, still hurting despite everything. Despite losing her dad.
And the Ghoul smiles at her for it.
“It’s going to be weird without you around.”
“I’ll be back.”
“I know. But you’ve always been around me, since pretty much my first day.”
“You survived without me, don’t worry yer pretty head about it. Plus y’gave me this thing. Contact’s gonna be fine.” He shows off the Pip-Boy, which feels so foreign around his wrist. The reassurance however felt so much less foreign. Mostly because it was her.
“Okay. Okie-dokie. No worries…”
She runs a hand through her hair. She’s clearly worried. Beyond it, really.
“I mean it. No worries, darlin’. Yer gonna be fine here. You’ve learned.”
“You’re right. I have. I’ll…be okay. Except I don’t know how to stop what my dad did. Or the…war that’s probably going to start out.”
“Y’got that knight, dontcha?”
“Max…Maximus. Yes.”
“Then he’s got ya while I’m gone. Can’t say much fo the Brotherhood, but if y’need more people, I got help from the NCR back in the day.”
“I don’t think that would work for me. But…I can try and find Max. Get his help.”
“Good. You got this, see?”
She nods. It seems she believes it this time.
The Ghoul just barely relaxes at it.
“You…have to get going, right?”
“Probably best I head out while we still got light.”
“Okie-dokie. So…remember to message?”
“Of course, sugar. You should go find that Knight a’yours. He’s out here somewhere.”
“He’s close?”
“Probably around the Lucky 38 or so. Not too far at all.”
Lucy relaxes, glad she won’t have to go even further alone.
“Find somewhere safe, okay?”
“You worry too much.”
“Can’t help it.”
“Y’totally can.” The Ghoul smirks. He hands her something. His jacket. The rifle strap temporarily rests on his arm, with the ammo and everything else.
Lucy looks at him quizzically but takes it. It looks strange over the bloodied yellow dress, but also oddly fitting for her.
“Perfect. Keep it as a little memory while I’m gone if it helps, alright?”
“Alright.” She nods.
She seems to already fit in the Surface much better. She adjusts the jacket and hugs The Ghoul, after he’d settled his weapons.
“Goodbye. For now.” She says, doing much better already than when she’d sobbed into his chest.
She doesn’t recognize the shirt as something from one of Cooper’s films. Or connects the dots. The Ghoul is glad for that.
“G’bye for now, Vaultie. Don’t get inta too much trouble while I’m off, alright?”
“I won’t.”
“Says the gal who got crucified by the Legion.”
Lucy rolls her eyes. “I’ve learned.”
“Well y’better have.”
“I did. Now, go head out. We’re losing daylight.”
She pulls back from the hug as she speaks, looking up at him.
“Go find your knight.”
“I will.”
The Ghoul does his little salute before he walks off, Dogmeat following at his side. Lucy waits and watches until he’s too far out of view to make her way to find Maximus.
She finds him.
Things might just be okay.