A/N: Ooft, it's been a hot minute, huh? Lockdown is slowly but surely ending in the UK so I've had a lot less free time since I've been back to work and kind of forgot this fic was even a thing. Here's a little something to tide you guys over until I figure out where I was going with this whole thing, lol.

The mask she was trying her utmost to keep up cracked then, "The fuck did you just say?"

"You heard me."

Her brows furrowed, "How long have you known?"

"Since Goodneighbour."

That's when things started to make a little more sense, he must have overheard her and Deacon talking somehow. It explained why his actions had suddenly changed, why he became so withdrawn and quiet for the last leg of their journey. It partly explained why he had left so abruptly as well, but that fact only opened up more complicated questions, "So, why am I not in a jail cell?"

He sighed and crossed his arms as he leaned against the door, "Believe it or not, Jack. I don't want to see you locked up and interrogated. It had been my intention to keep you away from here so I wouldn't be forced to make that decision but of course, you've ruined my plans."

"You should know by now that me and plans don't go together well," Her face softened slightly. "So, why am I not in a jail cell?"

He ran a hand over his face and turned away from her, thinking carefully before he spoke again, "Your position as General of the Minutemen is proving to be more beneficial than your position as an agent for the Railroad, so I'm willing to overlook it for now."

Of course his answer would have been diplomatic, she wasn't sure what she had expected him to say. Had she wanted him to declare his undying love for her? Maybe a little but it didn't matter, there were far more important things at stake now. The lives of her people, and now his, were far more important than her selfish thoughts.

"For now?" She dared ask.

"Until your efforts with the Railroad directly interfere with the Brotherhood, then it can be a problem for another time."

She wasn't sure what to say to that. Could she remain loyal to the Railroad? At the expense of the lives of her settlers? The brotherhood and the railroad were fighting on opposite ends of the spectrum, it wasn't a matter of if it became a problem, it was when. The Railroad needed her and sure, she didn't wholely agree with their beliefs but they were good people with a good cause. But was it worth countless deaths? What was she going to do if Desdemona asked her to go against the Brotherhood? She could never betray them but she didn't know what she would do if she was forced to make that decision.

All of her worlds were colliding and she couldn't keep up, she ran a frustrated hand through her hair and sighed, defeated. She sank down into a nearby chair, her head dropped into her hands. Denying his help would surely be the death of her settlers, she had lost too many men in the last few weeks. There was no way she could ask the remainders to go on another suicide mission. So where did that leave the farms without the Brotherhood? Accepting his help created just as many problems as it solved. Why was nothing ever easy?

Arthur threw her an almost sympathetic look before he cleared his throat, "I have some other business I need to attend to."

Jack nodded, her eyes never meeting his, "Right, I should-"

"You're welcome to stay here." He said, a little too quickly before correcting himself. "Aboard the Prydwen. It would be wise for you to get to know some of my men if we're going to be working together."

She glanced up at him. God, she was tired. She didn't know if she had it in her right now to go pretend to be a fearless, intimidating leader in front of strangers. She just wanted to ignore her problems and sleep for a week. But she couldn't and he was right, she should get to know them, if not now then when? She nodded and slapped her knees as she stood up.

"We can talk later, if you want." He added. "I shouldn't be long."

Did she even want to talk to him? She was furious that he lied to her, of course. But at the same time she knew exactly why he had done it, though she never outright lied to him, she did keep secrets. With so much else on her plate, did she have the time and effort to give to the situation? Would it help? She had missed him, that much was obvious. But their relationship had now just become professional, so was it going to be counterproductive if they got personal issues involved? She sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose, "I need to get back to the Castle soon."

His entire posture changed then, shoulders pulled back, posture rigid as he nodded, "Very well. I'll send for Paladine Danse, he will be able to escort you. Ad Victoriam, General."