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Chapter Text

It had been a week, maybe, since the Institute had been destroyed. Since Alice and her sister had awoken to gunshots and the scream of the evacuation alarm. Since they had run desperately, hand in hand, not looking back for anyone. Since the molecular relay had dumped them, alone save for each other, into the wasteland.

Alice had no idea where the relay had sent them, besides ‘above’. The only landmark was a small broken road, carving its way through the dead landscape. By day they followed it slowly, desperately hoping to find some sign of civilisation. By night they found what shelter they could and huddled for warmth, Alice forcing herself not to cry even as Julia sobbed herself to sleep.

There had been no time to gather supplies; all the twins had were the jumpsuits they’d been wearing when the evacuation started. Dirty rainwater, pooled in cracks in the road, staved off the worst of the thirst, and they scrounged small hard berries off scraggly bushes for some nourishment. But still Alice’s stomach was painfully empty, and her throat burned. She didn’t need to ask to know Julia felt the same.

But all of that paled in comparison to her leg; on the fourth night they had encountered their first creature, a mangy canine with hungry eyes and vicious teeth, saliva dripping from its maw, and she had tried to scare it off. The thing had sunk its teeth into her left leg for the trouble, before her kicking and screaming finally sent it running.

Julia had retched at the sight of the wound, her stomach too empty to throw up. Alice had done her best to bind it with the remains of her jumpsuit leg; that makeshift bandage was still there, now stained dark crimson, and with every step Alice took it felt like those teeth were being stabbed right back into her leg.

They couldn’t go on like this, but what choice did they have? They hadn’t seen anyone or anything else; for all Alice knew their parents were already dead, incinerated in the reactor blast or murdered by super mutants the moment they relayed out. She kept those thoughts to herself, limping along as best she could and wincing through the pain.

It was getting late. The sun had already set, and the moon was low in the sky. Ahead was the first thing to break through the landscape since they’d left the Institute, besides the rusting hulks of cars. A huge two-deck highway rose above the dead grass, casting a long shadow down onto the ground below.

“We can stop there, right?” Julia’s voice, weak and hoarse, cut through the quiet of the evening. Alice paused, wobbling unsteadily on her leg, eyeing the looming bridge. Underneath it the road dipped into a flooded gully, turning right and disappearing out of sight; on the far side scraggly earth gave way to a sandy beach.

“Yes,” she said quietly. It wasn’t much, but all they needed was some cover. Her gaze settled on a large billboard, just by the bend in the road; that would probably do. “We should get off the road.” Slowly she started limping again, towards the highway, looking back to make sure Julia was still following.

“I can help you,” her sister offered cautiously, glancing worriedly down at Alice’s leg. Alice shook her head.

“I’m fine,” she lied. It wasn’t the first time they’d had this conversation.

“Alice, wait.”

“I said I’m fine!” she hissed.

“No, I mean, look!” Julia protested. Alice looked back ahead and immediately she froze. A pale green light now filled the gully under the highway. The source was hidden around the bend, but it was getting closer. A few more moments and they would be right in its sights.

“Hide!” she ordered, desperately looking around for a spot. The only thing between them and the gully was a wrecked truck, lying on the road just ahead. “Come on!”

She made a break for it, trying to run. Immediately white-hot pain burst through her leg, and she felt it crumple beneath her. She fell, landing on her side on the rough asphalt a few feet from the truck. She gritted her teeth, trying not to cry out, but a hiss of pain escaped anyway.

“Alice!” Suddenly Julia was at her side, trying to help her to her feet. Her arms were shaking, hands clutching at her sister’s jumpsuit, and her chest heaved with panic. But with one heave she pulled them both into cover, out of the light.

“Did they see you?” Alice demanded, voice quavering.

“I-I don’t know,” Julia admitted, pressing herself against the cold metal of the truck. Alice could hear the lump in her throat. “I just saw you fall, a-and I ran, and-”

“Shhhhh!” Alice reached up, taking one of her sister’s shuddering hands in her own. “I’m fine. We just need to be quiet and we’ll get out of this.” Her words rang hollow and she knew it. The chance whoever had the light had missed all the commotion was slim at best. But there was nothing else she could think to say; if they tried to run now, they’d be seen for sure and she didn’t think she could even stand again.

Behind where Julia was crouched, around the side of the truck, she could see the light getting brighter. She took one deep breath and held it, trying not to make any sound; distantly she could hear footsteps on the asphalt, growing closer and closer. She squeezed Julia’s hand, hoping to offer even the tiniest reassurance.

Suddenly they were cast square in the green glare. Julia screamed, frantically crawling back beside her sister, tears of terror starting to form. For a moment it was too bright to see, but as her eyes adjusted Alice could make out the shape of a woman bending down over them.

“Easy there,” she said gently, raising both hands in a gesture of peace. “I’m not going to hurt you.”

“How do we know that?” Alice challenged, hating how her voice cracked. The woman paused, taking a deep breath, and then slowly knelt down.

“You don’t,” she admitted, “but I need you to trust me; I only want to help you.”

Alice eyed her cautiously, able to make the woman out properly now that her eyes had adjusted to the light. She didn’t seem threatening; she wore no armour, only grey waterproof overalls and a canvas backpack over a black jumper. Shoulder length black hair framed a pale face set with concern, beneath a soft woollen hat. The light was coming from her wrist, where a portable terminal was mounted: a pip-boy.

Maybe she was telling the truth? She definitely sounded honest, and she didn’t look like one of the dangerous raiders or mutants Alice had heard about from Quentin, back down below. Besides; in their state, was not taking her word even an option?

“Okay.” A quiet voice broke through the tense silence. Alice looked up to see Julia inching forwards, blinking the tears from her eyes. She swallowed, then spoke again. “I- we trust you. If you want to help, my sister’s injured.”

Alice felt the woman’s gaze pass over her, settling on the leg splayed out in front of her. She breathed in sharply at the stained, bunched jumpsuit leg, the crimson turned to sickly purple in the green glow.

“May I have a look?” she asked. Alice wasn’t sure why she bothered; slowly she nodded, trying to keep from flinching as the woman’s hands reached for the wound. Carefully she shifted the jumpsuit leg up, baring a deep blackening gash in the girl’s skin. “That’s not good.”

Something seemed to come over her. She knelt down, quickly reaching into one of the pouches on her overalls. She pulled out a small tin and set it aside on the asphalt, before reaching in again and fishing out a small cloth. Finally she produced a stimpak; it was dirty, and the gauge was cracked, but the needle shone as sharp and clean as any from the Institute in the green glow.

“I’ll need to clean it,” she said gently. “Can you be brave and hold still for me?”

“Yes.” Alice gritted her teeth as the woman reached in. She felt Julia take her hand again, and glanced up; her sister was keeping her gaze firmly on the ground, too scared to look at the wound.

The woman opened the can and started slowly pouring the contents over her leg. Clean water flowed out, turning dark and dirty as it carried away the worst of the crusted blood and grime. After a moment she set it aside, before reaching in carefully with the cloth. Alice flinched, but the stinging didn’t get any worse as the woman wiped it clean. When she moved away again it looked a little better, but it was still blackening and dark blood seeped from within.

“This might sting for a moment,” the woman spoke again, holding up the stimpak. She tilted her other arm to put the light square on the wound, then with practiced care she levelled the needle just above the wound. Alice couldn’t watch anymore; she squeezed her sister’s hand, turning away to stare into the darkness.

She felt a prick as it went in and heard a hiss of pressure. Instantly the pain dulled, her leg going numb, and after a moment she could feel the needle pull out again. She looked back just in time to see new skin grow rapidly over where the wound had been, leaving only a discoloured patch in the rough shape of the gash.

“Woah,” she couldn’t help muttering, “Julia, look.”

Gingerly, Julia cast her gaze over to her sister’s leg. Her eyes went wide, and she glanced up at the woman in surprise.

“You two have never needed a stimpak before, have you?” the woman asked. Both twins shook their heads. “They accelerate the body’s natural healing; your leg should be okay now, but I’d still give it a little while just in case.”

“Thanks,” Alice said quietly. She pulled her leg in, shifting into a comfortable sitting position. Julia sat down beside her, letting go of her hand. The woman looked them up and down again, her expression still one of concern; realisation seemed to dawn in her dark eyes.

“You two are from the Institute,” she breathed. “You haven’t been out here since it was destroyed, have you?”

“Yes,” Julia sniffed. She scooted forwards, starting to tear up again. The woman’s expression turned somewhere between sadness and horror. “We- the relay put us here. I don’t know where we are or where anyone else is or anything.”

“But that was a week ago,” the woman said weakly, almost as if she didn’t quite believe it. “I’m so sorry.” She paused for a moment, taking a deep breath, before continuing. “But you’re safe now. I have food and water with me, and if you’ll trust me a little more I can get you to safety.”

“Why?” The words were out before Alice could stop herself. “Why are you helping us? Who even are you?”

“My name is Nora,” the woman explained softly. “I’m just a survivor. And I’m helping because you need it. I know what it’s like to be thrown out into the wasteland unprepared.”

Even as Alice felt suspicion rise in her chest again, she could see the wave of relief crash into her sister. Julia couldn’t stop the tears bubbling up again, reaching up to rub in vain with one dirty sleeve. Nora opened her arms and she took the offer, leaning against her overalls and breaking into desperate sobs.

“It’s okay, sweetie, you’re okay,” Nora reassured. She stretched out her other arm and looked over, silently offering Alice the same comfort, but the girl shrunk back. She couldn’t ignore the uncomfortable sensation growing in her gut, and she wasn’t about to break down in front of her sister, let alone a stranger.

After a moment Julia grew quiet, Nora gently rubbing her back as her sniffles died down. Finally they separated, she scooted back on the asphalt, glancing over at Alice with confusion in her red-rimmed eyes, while Nora swung the old canvas bag off her back. She began rummaging through it.

“Where are we going to go?” Julia asked her, barely above a whisper.

“There aren’t any settlements this far northeast,” Nora admitted, looking up from the bag. “The closest would be the Slog, but you can’t really stay there. I’ll have to take you down to the Finches’ farm; it’s a way to travel, but the settlers there will take care of you.”

“What about our mom and dad?” Alice challenged, her voice cracking. “How are we meant to find them?”

“There’s a group looking for everyone forced to evacuate the Institute,” Nora explained, “and the Finch family is working with them. They’re a volunteer group dedicated to protecting people; the Minutemen. If anyone knows where your parents are, it’s them.”

Alice felt her blood turn to ice, what trust she had shattered in an instant. Because she had heard of the Minutemen before; their name had rung out over the roar of gunfire and crackle of lasers on that awful night, cheered by the men and women tearing her home apart. How could she possibly hope to trust the people behind that?

“No!” she said suddenly. Nora breathed in sharply, blinking in surprise, but Alice paid her no mind. Julia looked over at her, confusion and fear twisting her expression. “You know who the Minutemen are, right?” Alice demanded, unable to stop herself, feeling a lump form in her throat. “They’re the ones who attacked us; they’re the reason we’re out here!”

Julia looked back to Nora, tensing involuntarily; Alice could tell she was somehow hoping her sister would be proven wrong. Instead Nora just shook her head sadly, before softly speaking again.

“Yes, they attacked the Institute.” There was pain in her voice. She sighed. “The Institute was doing awful things to wastelanders like me, and they had to be stopped, so the Minutemen made an alliance with a group called the Railroad to stop them. But that doesn’t mean they want to hurt you; their job is to protect people, and they know that not everyone down there was evil. They’re the best chance you have of finding your family.”

“We’re not going,” Alice said bluntly, hating the quaver in her voice.

“The only other places I could take you would be Diamond City or maybe Goodneighbour,” Nora said gently, though Alice could see frustration hidden in her eyes. “That would mean going all the way to downtown Boston.” Julia glanced between her and Alice, her expression shifting.

“Where were you going?” she asked suddenly, all eyes turning to her. “Before you found us, I mean?” Nora paused, looking away from the twins and out to sea.

“Home,” she said wistfully. “I live on an island up the coast, outside of the Commonwealth, and my boat is moored at a homestead just up the beach.”

“Maybe, we could go with you?” Julia suggested. Alice blinked; one look at Nora told her the woman was as surprised as she was. “You live somewhere safe, right?” Julia continued, swallowing awkwardly. “If we can’t go to the Minutemen, maybe we could go there instead?”

The question was more to Alice than to Nora. It wasn’t something she had considered, but she could already tell her sister was committed to the idea, and Nora had healed her leg. Maybe, just maybe, travelling with her to wherever she lived wouldn’t be so bad?

Nora paused; she took a deep breath, seemingly ready to protest, when an idea seemed to hit her. She nodded slowly.

“I do have a long-range radio on the boat,” she said, “I could talk to the Minutemen from there and try and figure out where your parents are. You wouldn’t have to go anywhere near them. But, are you sure you want to leave the Commonwealth, even temporarily?”

“The Commonwealth isn’t our home,” Alice cut in before Julia could speak again. “The Institute was.”

“Alright,” Nora agreed hesitantly. “You two can come with me.” She reached into her bag, pulling out a pair of beaten-up bottles of purified water, and handed one to each twin. Another moment of rummaging produced an open cardboard box, half-emptied. Though the outside was so worn that it was illegible, Alice immediately recognised it: a pack of Institute nutrient bars. “You need to have something to eat and drink first, and then we’ll head out. It’s not far to the dock.”

Chapter Text

Alice wasn’t sure where she was when she awoke. The first things she were aware of were the smell of saltwater and the sway of the ground beneath her, and for a moment she wasn’t sure where the pang in her stomach and the burning in her throat and the stabbing pain in her leg had gone.

For that brief moment panic surged through her, before the evening’s memories came back and she breathed a sigh of relief. She and Julia had finally found someone else, someone willing to protect them, and now they were on a boat bound out of the Commonwealth.

Slowly she looked around. She was lying on the deck, atop a small bedroll; Nora had offered one to each twin, claiming they would likely be sailing all night, and both had gratefully accepted. A quick glance revealed Julia was still fast asleep in hers, sleeping peacefully for the first time since they had lost their home.

They were sleeping outside, under the stars, sandwiched between the rear crane and the robotic arm controlling the outside wheel. The boat’s small wheelhouse was far too cramped to house them both, and the night was clear. Looking over, Alice could see the Nora standing inside it, her back turned, focused on some part of the controls.

Gingerly she got to her feet. The sea was calm, but even the gentle rocking of the deck under her feet felt strange. So did the salty breeze blowing in, and the quiet sound of water splashing against the old hull, mixed with what sounded like distant talking.

She paused at the sound, listening closely for a moment. Sure enough, she could hear the quiet hiss of Nora’s voice from the direction of the wheelhouse. She had mentioned earlier that she was going to radio about their parents; was she doing that now, in the middle of the night? Something felt off, but Alice couldn’t ignore the worries bubbling in her gut. She had to know if she and Julia still had a home to go back to.

So she crept over the rolling deck towards the wheelhouse, as quietly as she dared. Nora didn’t seem to notice, her attention taken up by what Alice could now see was a small ham radio sitting atop the boat’s control panel.

“…calling the Castle; is anyone there?” she was saying. Her fingers drummed the side of the radio impatiently.

“Hello?” an unfamiliar, masculine voice hissed from the radio. They sounded exhausted.

“Preston?” Nora questioned. “Is that you?”

“General?” Preston asked, his words staticky and distant. “I thought you’d be out of the Commonwealth by now.” Alarm bells went off in Alice’s head, even as she questioned what she had heard. Nora was a general?

Nothing added up. Generals lead armies, right? So why would someone so important be wandering the wasteland alone, instead of with her troops? Why would she even be allowed to? But at the same time Alice was sure the man on the radio had said 'General'. Maybe it was a nickname, she reasoned, but she couldn’t ignore the new gnawing sensation in her gut.

“I am,” Nora replied, still unaware of the girl eavesdropping. “I’m halfway to Far Harbour already. But there’s a long-range radio on my boat, courtesy of Kasumi.”

“The Nakano girl? Huh,” Preston observed. There was a moment of silence, before he continued. “Anyway; what did you need?” Nora paused for a moment; when she spoke again there was pain in her voice.

“I found two more Institute survivors, way up north,” she explained. “They’re children, named Alice and Julia, and they’ve been seperated from their family. I need you to talk to Sturges, and maybe Desdemona; find out if anyone we picked up is looking for their daughters.”

“The Thompson twins?” he questioned. Alice froze; whoever he was, he somehow knew her surname. That had to be a good sign, right?

“I’m not sure.” There was a sudden hope in Nora’s voice. “I didn’t ask for their last name. Who told you about them?”

“There’s a kid here, Quentin Filmore, ex-Institute, got picked up with his dad by one of the patrols,” Preston explained. “He’s been asking about them since he got here. I was starting to think they hadn’t made it out.”

“Did he say anything about their parents?” She asked. For a moment, Preston was quiet.

“Their parents were Enrico and Janet Thompson,” he said finally.

“‘Were’?” Nora asked quietly, voice quavering. Alice felt her heart leap into her throat. There was a moment of silence; despite the crackle of the radio and the lapping of waves, all she could hear was blood rushing in her ears.

“They both took up arms during the battle for the Institute,” Preston said slowly. “Their father lead a group of gen-one synths in defence of the reactor, but their mother was one of the scientists who joined our side; she was last seen with Z1. I’m sorry, General, but neither of them made it out.”

“Oh no,” Nora said quietly.

For Alice, everything seemed to freeze. Distantly she was aware of the radio conversation still going on, but it seemed to fade into the background. All she could think was that her mom and dad were gone; they were really, truly gone, and the person to blame was standing right in front of her. Because Nora wasn’t just some survivor like she had claimed. She was General of the Minutemen, leader of the army that had marched into Alice’s home and levelled the place.

She couldn’t breathe; it felt like the stabbing pain from her leg was back in her chest with a vengeance. Tears started to flow, a week’s worth of repressed fears and anger and sadness all forcing its way up at once, embers set alight by the sting of loss and betrayal. Distantly she was aware of movement, but it barely registered against the barrage inside.

“Alice?” Suddenly she felt a hand on her shoulder. She blinked; through the blur of tears she could make out the shape of Nora leaning down.

“Get away from me!” She pulled away as if the woman’s touch burned, stumbling back.

“Alice, please,” Nora was pleading, but she ignored her. In her peripheral she could just see Julia stirring, but in her state she barely acknowledged it.

“Leave me alone!” She took another step back. “I hate you! It’s your fault mom and dad are dead!” Nora kept slowly approaching; another unsteady step put Alice in the shadow of the boat’s crane. She was running out of space to retreat, and she felt panic begin to rise amid the whirlwind of other emotions.

“I’m sorry,” Nora said quietly. Before Alice even knew what was happening the woman’s arms were around her, pulling her shaking form into an embrace. Instinct took over. She kicked and thrashed, words dissolving into broken sobs as she tried in vain to get free.

Slowly she could feel the fight ebbing away from her, the pain she had fought to bury for so long finally taking over. Her arms fell limply to her sides, tears still streaming down her face. Deep down all she wanted was for things to somehow go back to normal, for this to have all been some terrible nightmare. Gently Nora guided them both to the floor, kneeling down with Alice still held gently in her arms.

“I just…” she cried, voice hoarse and breaking, “I just want to go home. I want Mom and Dad back, and Quentin’s s-stupid lies, and clean food and warm beds and everything to be normal! B-but it can’t, because- because…”

“Shhhh,” Nora soothed, gently rubbing her back. “I know, sweetie, I know.”

“No you don’t!” Alice protested. “It’s because of you!”

“I do.” There was pain in Nora’s voice again, subdued but still audible. “I know how much it hurts to lose your home and your family. How helpless you feel, how empty, how you want to turn back time but you can’t.” That gave Alice pause. She sniffed loudly, trying to comprehend what she was hearing.

“Then why did you…?” she trailed off, unable to find the words.

“Because the Institute were the ones who took those things from me,” Nora explained, tightening her embrace. “They shot my husband and kidnapped my son when he was just a baby.” The shock was enough that Alice nearly stopped crying; there was only one baby the Institute had ever taken, and everyone knew who it had been.

“You, you’re Father’s mother?” she said softly, the realisation that Nora had been forced to fight against her own son shaking her.

“Yes,” Nora replied softly, nodding. “And mine isn’t the only family they tore apart. They’ve been kidnapping wastelanders for experiments for decades, replacing them with synths who don’t even realise they aren’t the original.” She shook her head. “And they treated the rest of their synths like slaves.”

“We created them,” Alice protested, but even as the words came out she found herself doubting them. She had seen how close to human the gen-threes were, and her mother had always talked of them as friends and equals.

“And gave them free will.” Nora took a deep breath, before speaking again. “Your mother fought to free them.”

“You’re lying,” Alice cut in, unable to stop herself. Her voice cracked.

“No,” Nora shook her head sadly. “I won’t lie to you anymore.” She looked over; Alice followed her gaze, only to feel a stab as her eyes met Julia’s. Her sister was sitting a few feet away, still half in her bedroll, eyes wide with confusion and fear and hurt from all she had heard.

Nora unwrapped one arm from around Alice, offering Julia the same comfort she had before. The girl scooted closer but didn’t take it, too afraid to act. After a moment Nora nodded, lowering her arm to her side.

“I am the leader of the Minutemen,” she said sadly, “And I’m an agent for the Railroad, a group who work to liberate synths. We helped incite them to rebel, then launched the attack to help free them and destroy the Institute.

“I know there were good people in the Institute; that’s why I activated the evacuation signal. Some of them, like your mother, even chose to help us. But I don’t blame the ones that didn’t.” She shook her head. “I had the Minutemen and the Railroad try and find everyone who was evacuated, and I spent all week helping them resettle. But we couldn’t save everyone.

“I’m sorry for everything; you didn’t deserve any of it, but the Institute had to be destroyed.” She took a deep breath. Looking up, Alice could see the genuine hurt in her expression. She felt the last of her anger fade away, replaced by a tiny feeling of understanding.

“I… understand if you don’t want to stay with me,” Nora continued, looking away. “Once we reach Far Harbour I’ll turn this boat around and take you to Diamond City or Goodneighbour or wherever else you want to stay.”

Julia scooted closer, arms half-extended, almost begging to be let into the hug. She looked like she wanted to say something, and in that instant Alice knew exactly what it was.

“Or…” she said quietly, swallowing the lump in her throat. “We could stick with you?” A kind of nervous hope settled on her sister’s face.

“Are you sure?” Nora sounded like she didn’t quite believe it.

“No,” Alice admitted, “I can’t be. But I want to try and trust you again.”

Nora reached out, pulling Julia in close next to her sister. Both couldn’t help fresh tears from flowing, brought on by a strange mix of pain and hope. Gently Nora squeezed them both, letting out a quiet sigh of relief.

“Thank you.”

Chapter Text

It was morning by the time the boat finally reached its destination. It was dark and overcast, a heavy fog blanketing the sea ahead, and Alice suppressed a shiver as she saw the dark shape of an island crest the horizon. As it drew closer she could make out other boats; some were moving, but many lay still, wrecked along the shoreline.

It didn’t fill her with confidence, but she tried not to show it; a glance showed Julia felt the same. She was holding on to the side of the boat, watching the fog with nervous eyes. Suddenly something caught her attention, and she turned away.

“Look!” she called. Alice followed her gaze in time to see a small island roll past. It was little more than a rocky outcrop, surrounded by sea foam and topped with a small, wrecked shack. But on the facing side was a large, dilapidated billboard, lit by a flickering lantern. An unsettling cartoon lobster stared back from within it, welcoming them to ‘Far Harbour’.

“We’re here,” Nora announced. Alice turned away from the creepy billboard, peering past the wheelhouse. Ruined houses loomed from the shoreline, but ahead she could see the glow from lanterns and window-lights as a town came into view. “Welcome to my home.”

It was tiny; a jumble of old brick buildings and wooden walls spilling down from the shore and out over the ocean, supported atop a forest of thick wooden posts. A broad staircase lead down from a door in one of the wooden walls, connecting to a maze of smaller docks and piers at the waterline. Storm lanterns swung from small posts all around, and nets and old fishing tackle hung between the pillars of the main pier.

As the boat pulled up to the dock, the rumble of the engine dying down to a quiet splutter, a woman walked down the steps from the town to meet it. She was tall, with weathered skin and silvery hair, a small smile on her face; it shifted into a look of confusion the moment her gaze passed over the twins.

“Captain Avery,” Nora greeted, stepping in front of the girls and off the boat.

“Nora, it’s good to see you.” Avery’s gaze flitted between her and the twins. “I see you’ve brought company?” There was no malice in her voice, but Alice couldn’t help feeling a twinge of suspicion. She half-stepped in front of Julia, more on instinct than anything else.

“Yeah,” Nora explained, a familiar hint of sadness in her voice. “This is Alice and Julia. They’re staying with me; they don’t have anywhere else to go.”

“I see.” Avery looked over, meeting Alice’s gaze. “I’m sorry.” She paused for a moment, seemingly expecting a reply, but Alice wasn’t sure what to say. She just nodded, and Avery turned her gaze back to Nora. “What’s the news from the Commonwealth?”

“We finally took down the Institute,” Nora said quietly. Avery’s eyes bulged wide, her mouth falling open in shock. For a moment she just stood there, before she blinked and took a half-step back.

“That’s… I almost can’t believe it,” she breathed. “The Institute, gone?”

“Destroyed for good,” Nora confirmed, the sadness still clear in her voice. “We evacuated everyone we could; I would have come up here a week ago, but I had to make sure we had a system in place to resettle all the survivors.”

“I see.” Avery took a deep breath, shifting uncomfortably. “I had better go and break the news then.”

“Go ahead: I bet Allen will celebrate,” Nora said dryly. She gestured to the twins with one arm. “I’m going to take these two to my place, to help them settle in.” Avery nodded slowly in agreement, before looking over to the girls again.

“I hope the harbour is good to you,” she said quietly, before turning to leave. Slowly she walked off, leaving Nora and the twins still standing on the dock.

“Don’t worry, it will be,” Nora reassured, looking back at the girls. Alice nodded gingerly; the woman definitely sounded sure, but she couldn’t help the uncertainty in her stomach regardless. “Come with me?” Nora turned to walk up the stairs; Alice took Julia’s hand, stepping off the boat and leading her sister after.

The dock above was effectively a small street. The far side had a handful of shops, while the near had only one large house and a small brick building, labelled ‘information’ by a heavily weathered sign, with the staircase emerging between them. Another larger structure perched on the end of the pier, beyond a small open-air barbecue: a large tavern, named by its own sign as ‘the Last Plank’.

Nora approached the door to the information hut, rummaging in one of the pockets on her overalls for a moment before producing a small brass key. Carefully she unlocked the old red door, pushing it open with a creak of wood and a squeal of aging hinges. She stepped inside, gesturing for the twins to follow.

Alice paused at the doorway. Beyond the tiny house looked cramped but homely, with brown wooden walls and red support beams. As she watched Nora lit a lantern hanging from one, casting a warm glow over shelves decorated with sailing memorabilia and knick-nacks, before stepping aside to let them in.

Julia stepped past, a small smile on her face as she walked inside; Alice followed, and Nora nudged the door shut behind them. There was only really one room, with a small wooden table and a counter with a gas stove. At the far end what could generously be called a bedroom branched off, with just enough space for a double bed, a worn black couch, and some more shelves.

To Alice, the whole place felt warm. Not just physically, but in a strange, comforting way. Looking over the old walls and the decorations, she felt an odd sense of comfort rising unbidden in her chest. But at the same time she couldn’t help feeling like an intruder; the house was so clearly Nora’s and Nora’s alone, with no provision for anyone else, and yet the woman was willing to share it.

“I know it’s not much,” Nora said gently, shrugging the pack off her shoulder and setting it down by the door, “but this is my home. You two will have to share a bed, for now, but I’ll try and get a bunk or something set up as soon as I can.”

“Where will you sleep?” Julia asked the question on both sisters’ minds.

“I’ll just put a bedroll down for now,” Nora replied, a hint of awkwardness in her voice. “I’m used to sleeping on the floor.” She paused, glancing over the bedroom before turning back. “I’m sorry it’s not what you’re used to,” she said quietly. “We don’t have all the amenities of the Institute out here, and I know I can’t ever replace what you’ve lost, but I hope this is alright for you.”

Alice felt a lump form in her throat, guilt and gratitude and sadness and relief all filling her at once. It wasn’t like before on the boat; she was too exhausted to feel like that again, and the flash of hatred was long gone, but it reminded her all the same. Slowly she stepped forwards, loosely wrapping her arms around Nora’s midsection in the only show of thanks she could think of.

“It’s fine,” she said quietly. Nora tensed in surprise, before gently reaching around with one arm to return the hug. She felt another, smaller arm wrap around her as Julia joined in, murmuring her own thanks.

They stayed like that for a comfortable moment before separating. Alice stepped back beside her sister, feeling a quiet, uncertain warmth settle somewhere deep inside. For the first time she felt well and truly safe, no more mistrust left inside. It wasn’t a home, not yet at least, but it was close enough.