Water. Rations. Stimpaks. Radaway. It was enough for a week long trip - but even so Nora hovered by her pack, glaring at its content and wondering if it was a good idea to stop by Myrna and pick up some extras.

From his desk Nick asked, "why are you going back there anyway?"

Nora - who was busy tossing a Radaway from hand to hand and considering her options - turned to him with a quirked brow. "Nick, he's been there for two weeks with no sign of leaving. It's hardly healthy, and he can't live there forever. It's not like the Brotherhood are looking for him any more."

"Look, I've got sympathy for the guy too; but maybe he needs time to work it out on his own." Nick didn't even glance up from his stack of paperwork as he spoke, and Nora's restlessness grew. The scratch of his pen, the bitter-smelling smoke wafting from between his lips...

"I'm not asking you to come with me," she snapped, "I'm just asking for some understanding." The packet of Radaway sloshed between her fingers as she rolled it against her palms. "I'm not going to let Danse do this alone. He needs to know he still has people who love him."

Nick did look up then, golden eyes glowing in the dim light. He raised a brow, lips quirking into a small smile as he plucked the cigarette from his mouth. "Love, doll? I didn't know it was that serious."

"It's not - I mean it is, but it isn't like - ugh." Nora's cheeks flushed scarlet and she ducked her head just so Nick wouldn't catch the stupid grin that flashed across her features. "We haven't said it yet, all right? Danse isn't exactly the most affectionate, and I don't want to scare him off."

"But the two of you are soulmates."

"Which doesn't mean we're obliged to fall in love immediately."

Nick hummed quietly and turned back to his stack of papers - which teetered dangerously as he plucked a folder from the top of the pile. Where he even found so much usable paper Nora didn't understand.

Not that it mattered; she had more important things to think about. "I think I've stuffed about as much stuff as I can into this bag. I want to start moving before it gets dark."

He nodded and took a slow drag of his cigarette before replying, "you've packed enough for a whole army - you're not planning on staying at Post Bravo, are you?"

She hesitated with her answer. No, Nora didn't plan on staying - right from the beginning her plan had been to talk to Danse and bring him back to her home at Sanctuary. Now however, it occurred to her it probably wasn't going to be so easy. He was a stubborn man at the best of times; and now, it was impossible to know what to expect. Letting out a heavy sigh, Nora settled with a noncommittal shrug. "I'm preparing for every option," was her simple reply.

She caught Nick watching her from the corner of her eyes - but he said nothing more on the matter. Instead he stood, opening his arms and beckoning her forward.

Nora accepted his embrace - a rare thing, even rarer than a hug from Danse - and buried her head in his shoulder. She didn't even mind how the loose wired tickled her neck. "Wish me luck," she replied uneasily.

"With Danse, you'll need it." Nick paused, a small huff escaping his lips as if he realised his words. Then he amended with a chuckle, "I'm kidding. You'll get through to him, you don't need luck."

Nora snorted out a laugh - but it didn't calm the uneasiness in her gut. "I hope so."

Nora huffed as she clambered over an old, sunken wall. She had never been athletic; short and a little thick, she hadn't lost the pre-war curves that had earned her so much attention in her lawyer days. Not that she minded - but as she stopped for a breather, hands on her hips as she sucked in deep breaths, she realised perhaps she should be more used to this by now.

But when she straightened up and her eyes caught the sight of the familiar squat, dull building in the distance everything else was forgotten. It was right there - barely a ten minute walk away - and there she was wasting time taking a breather. Nora grunted as she kicked a chunk of brick to the side; and then she was on the move again. Slow but sure, which was her approach to most things.

Besides, it gave her more time to think over what exactly she was going to say. So far she had focused so much energy on getting there, on bringing Danse home; yet she hadn't actually considered how she was going to convince him. He wasn't staying in Post Bravo for nothing. Who would want to stay there, cold and isolated, unless there was something going on behind the scenes? There was something wrong, something that ran deeper than Nora had even scratched the surface of.

The terrain was rocky and Nora tripped more than once, clumsy feet stumbling over dry earth. Even so Post Bravo crept closer and closer; until she stood right outside the rusted metal door. It only took a few minutes more to reach the side area Danse had decided to hide away in.

Should she knock to give him warning or stride right in? She shifted awkwardly, raising one hand to knock - and then let her arm drop lifelessly back to her side. He was her soulmate for God's sake, this shouldn't have been so difficult. So she rose her hand again and, without giving herself time to back out, thumped a fist against the door. "Danse?"

No answer. Just a stretch of tense silence disrupted only by the dull breeze through dead trees. Had he heard? For a moment Nora stalled, wondering if he even wanted to see her at all. Perhaps he was ignoring her. No, there was no point thinking like that; he needed help, and she was there to provide. Or at least get to the bottom of why he had holed himself up here even now the Brotherhood were off his case.

She waited a moment longer, hopping from foot to foot as if it might control the energy threatening to spill over. It only made her jittery. When she checked her Pip Boy and confirmed three minutes had passed she realised no, he wasn't going to answer. The door was heavy, fighting against her as she put palms flat and pushed. A grunt escaped her lips as her arms struggled; but after a moment the door creaked open.

Sure enough there was Danse, perched on an old office chair reading what looked like an ancient copy of the Unstoppables. She took a moment to admire him, even if most of his face was obscured by the way she half-hid behind the wall. He looked exhausted; dark circles rimmed his sombre eyes and his hair was an uncharacteristic mess; but he was still so handsome, head bowed low and a small smile creeping onto his features.

It was that smile that made her realise she had been caught.

"How long were you going to stand there?"

Nora ducked her head as she revealed herself - though in the dimness of the room she doubted he could see her much better. "It's not like I was spying on you," she replied, though she averted her gaze. Why did she feel so awkward? A few weeks ago she wouldn't have thought twice about throwing banter between them; but a lot had changed in such a short time. Shifting from one foot to the other, Nora hesitated to step closer.

When it became obvious she wasn't going to say more, Danse sighed. The comic flipped closed as he slowly stood up and took a small, wary step toward her. "Why are you here?"

"I could ask you the same thing," she replied gently - at least that was what she wanted, but her throat closed up and she just sounded weary. Fed up. Which wasn't exactly untrue anyway. "I just came to talk, Danse; and I know you don't want to-"

"You're right, I don't. So why come all this way?"

Nora was a tall woman, especially for someone post-war; but even she had to tilt her head back to meet Danse's eyes, and when she did the darkness obscured his expression. Wasn't there even a lamp in here? Not that it was important, but she just wanted to see his face. With pursed lips and a muffled sigh, Nora shook her head. "You haven't left this place in two weeks. What are you doing for food? Water? Company? It can't be entertaining, stuck in here with nothing to do."

His expression was steely - but Nora didn't miss the way his lips twitched in that telltale way, or the way his head dipped. Even if she could barely see him, Nora knew him far too well to miss the crack in his stoic stance. "Nora, you can't expect me to go back, not knowing what you do-"

"That you're a synth? Danse, I'm best friends with Nick and Curie is practically glued to me half the time. Do you really think I'm going to treat you differently? That anyone will? For fuck's sake, we have a super mutant wandering around Sanctuary!"

"And you know how I feel about that," Danse replied stiffly, "that... thing shouldn't be allowed in Sanctuary. Neither should I." His voice dropped until it was barely a whisper - so different to the man she knew. Strong, bold confident Danse was crumbling right in front of her.

Nora had never felt so useless. She wanted to kiss him, to gather him up in her arms and never let go; but it didn't take a genius to know that was a bad idea. Instead she settled for a soft hand against his arm and a smile she hoped was reassuring. "We'd all welcome you back with open arms." Well, perhaps not everyone, but Nora kept that to herself. "This hasn't changed how any of us think of you. You're still Danse, still my soulmate." Nora reached out to cup his cheek with her hand.

His gaze dropped - and then he flinched back as if her touch had burned him. Danse didn't even look at her as she dropped her arm with a gasp of surprise. "What if I'm not your soulmate?"

Nora's lips parted, but the only noise to rise from her throat was a strangled oh. Silence descended on them, thick and clagging and stifling - but Nora couldn't force a single word from her mouth to break it. Instead she sucked in a breath and held it, refusing to let her gaze drop despite the way her chest stuttered. When she finally blew out that breath, all she managed was, "why would you say that?"

Danse, despite his attempts at stoicism, deflated in moments. For a tall man with such a demanding presence he suddenly seemed to small, so fragile in a way Nora had never seen before. He shifted, hand drifting to the hidden mark across his wrist - his soulmark - but made no attempt to reply.

The silence stretched on, Nora's anxiety rising until she was a fidgeting mess. She itched to repeat her question, to press for answers - and she had to remind herself how awful this was for him. She had to give him time.

Her patience worked and after a long, tense beat Danse finally looked up. He didn't quite make eye contact, but it was a start. "Maybe," he began slowly, still thinking over his words, "I'm not your soulmate. Synths aren't human, they don't have souls." He flinched when Nora cast him a sharp look. "Just listen, all right? What if I replaced the real Danse years ago and I'm just an imposter. A fake person, fake Brotherhood Paladin, fake soulmate."

Oh. This was the root of the problem, and it became so much clearer as the seconds ticked on and Danse withdrew in on himself. Broad shoulders slumped, head bowed to shield his twisting expression. After all he had been through - discovering he was a synth, being hunted by the people he once thought of as family - this was his biggest fear?

Nora couldn't hold it any longer. She moved forward; slowly so Danse could pull away if he wished - and when he didn't, she wrapped her thick arms around him in the tightest, most loving hug she could muster. It didn't take long for her to bury her head in Danse's shoulder, clinging to him as if he was her lifeline. Ironic, considering the circumstances.

Danse's hands hovered above her shoulders and she felt him wriggle as if he was thinking of pulling away; but he didn't. Instead he wrapped those firm arms around her waist and pulled her so close that for a moment the air was rushed from her lungs. "You're not angry? Confused?"

"You idiot," she muttered - and despite the tears pricking at her eyes a giggle burst from her mouth. He tensed against her, nervous, so she quickly amended, "We couldn't find you on any database, a designation or a synth sent to replace a human Danse." She paused, lifting her head from his shoulder to gaze into his gorgeous, dark eyes. "There's only one Danse. You're you - not a copy or a fake or anything else. You and I are soulmates, babe, I knew it since the second we met."

His arms tightened around her waist as if he hadn't already been clinging on for dear life. He didn't reply; but he didn't need to. His strong arms around her, the quiet sigh that left his lips - it said everything, the emotion spilling from him clear even if he hadn't uttered a word.

Nora returned it in kind, thick arm wrapping around him, free hand reaching up to tilt his head toward her. They held each other's gaze for a moment; her expression warm and gentle, his wide eyed and brimming with something she couldn't quite place. For a moment she thought he might cry - but Danse ducked his head before she caught anything other than an unusual shine in his eyes.

"I'm serious you know," she spoke quietly, then reached up to press a kiss to his cheek. "Since the second we met I knew we were soulmates; before I even knew your name. It isn't something I could have imagined."

He let a small smile drift across his face; tentative and brief, but more than Nora had seen in a long time. "I know," he replied after a moment, "I don't doubt you, it's just... this is something I never could have imagined. It has changed everything - every aspect of my life."

Nora knew - God, she couldn't even begin to understand what this had done to him. The only thing she could help with was this - them - so she was damn well going to do everything possible to let him know she was there. No matter what. Despite her height Nora still had to stand on her toes to place a careful kiss to his forehead; and even after all of their months together it still sent butterflies fluttering in her stomach. With a smile she said, "I'm here for you no matter what; and if you think any of this changes how I feel about you, you're dead wrong."

"Thank you, Nora."

He had nothing to be thankful for; she wasn't doing this out of a sense of duty or loyalty but because she loved him; because they were soulmates and she couldn't stand to see him like this. She didn't say any of that though - instead she just grinned so wide it hurt and leaned up to press her lips to his.

The kiss was brief, as their intimacy always was - but those few moments were fantastic. She didn't realise how much she had missed him until she felt his soft skin flush with hers, his hand brushing stray brunette curls from her face.

They parted so soon - too soon - but still it left Nora breathless. Danse slipped from her as if to move but she caught his rugged hand in hers and pulled him back. They stood like that, hands clasped and foreheads touching, for what could have been eternity.

It was so peaceful, so sweet - and so rare for Danse; but Nora still needed an answer. So, voice hushed and breath brushing across Danse's lips she asked, "so, are you coming home?"

He stifled laughter - real laughter, so fresh to Nora's ears, and replied, "I am home when I'm with you; but if you mean Sanctuary then... yes, I suppose I should come back with you. I've been hiding for long enough."

"Good," Nora replied with a satisfied nod. Just like that the relief flooded through her, leaving her breathless and seeing stars. "I've missed you, love."

"I missed you too, more than you know. I apologise for... for putting you through this." He shifted, and although his hand never left hers it was painfully clear just how uncomfortable he was.

Nora wanted nothing more than to wrap her arms around him and hug him close; but she also wanted them both out of this damn place as soon as possible. Still, a few more minutes wouldn't hurt. "I know this goes so much deeper than our relationship, and I know it won't fix everything that happened with the Brotherhood; but I need to tell you I love you."

There. She had said it - finally, after months of keeping it locked away, months of nearly letting it slip only to scramble to cover her words. It was out in the open - and her cheeks were burning, heart thundering in her ears at those three simple words.

Danse froze. He stared at her, dark eyes wide and lips parted. She had said the wrong thing - she had messed up, and now her fucking soulmate was mad at her-

"I love you too. I don't know how you could ever love me, knowing what I am - but I love you too. I couldn't ever bear to loose you."

A nervous laugh bubbled to the surface - but then Nora tackled him, all but flinging herself into his thick, muscular arms. He caught her with ease, as if she weighed no more than a doll. Then his laughter mingled with her own as he pulled her close. Within moments their lips melded together and Nora found her heart soaring.

Things were far from fixed - but just maybe, now they were back together, they could work on it together.