The Knight and the Paladin - A series of Oneshots

30 Meeting Kate Part 2

 The women looked at each other. One glared while the other stood there with a neutral expression.

"Who are you?", Kathryn asked.
"I'm Kate. Come on, let's talk somewhere else.", Kate said.

Kate. The name made perfect sense. Kathryn and Kate. Kate and Kathryn. Twins. Twins!!
But Kathryn still couldn't believe it when she walked after Kate. A Sister... After all that time she was alone. But if she was honest, Kathryn always felt like she was being watched and she almost became paranoid. She thought about all that had happened in her past. At least now she knew that the bastard who raped her was dead. A grim smile appeared on her face but it changed into a grimace as soon as she was back outside the church. She was so caught up in her thoughts that she didn't notice that Kate had led her outside again. Danse still sat at the stairs where she had left him, looking at the two women in front of him. He had his rifle in hand but as he saw that they were approaching him without a sign of a threat he lowered it again.

"You must be... Kathryn's sister.", he said unsure if he should talk to her or not.
"Yes, this is me. My name is Kate." She held out her hand as a sign of good will and waited for him to take it.
"Paladin Danse, of the Brotherhood of Steel.", he said and took her hand with a tight grip.
"I know who you are."

This deflated him a little. But then on the other hand... She knew him, which meant that she also knew that he would take no shit and kill her if she made one wrong move. "So, do you care to tell us why you contacted Paladin Kay?", Danse then asked back in his 'Paladin-Mode'. Kate narrowed her eyes at him but didn't say a word about it. In fact she turned around to her sister and her features softened. "Kathryn, I wanted to contact you all those years. As I wrote in my letter, you were gone by the time I arrived at Taffington Boathouse. You vanished for ten years... I- I was so worried about you! But you were never alone, I was always around. You have to believe me." Somehow Kathryn got angry about what her sister said. "Then why didn't you approach me, huh? Help me flee those people who hit me, who humiliated me, broke my bones and raped me?! Just to leave me lying in the dirt to die..."

Kathryn's voice broke as she began to cry angry tears and she hugged herself. Danse walked over to her and tried to pull her into an embrace. She swatted at him and glared the angriest glare he ever saw and he flinched while taking a few steps back.

"Because I was the same age as you... I wasn't strong enough. Just imagine what might have happened if they'd caught me? We both would be dead long since." Kate also had tears in her eyes now, but out of desperation. "Can't you understand that?" Both women wiped their faces, black smears of eye liner around their eyes. It would have been funny if it wasn't for the situation they were in. Kathryn nodded, of course she understood. She would have never had the option to meet her now or even know that she existed. "Kathryn...", Kate said and placed a tentative hand on Kathryn's shoulder. She grabbed at Kate's hand and took it in hers. Their fingers were the same length, slender and elegant. "Do you know that I was pregnant and how I got rid of the fetus?", Kathryn asked, still watching at Kate's hand and intertwining their fingers. "I do. I was the one who lured the Deathclaw away and killed it."
Suddenly Kate found herself in an embrace, covered in teal colored hair from the shaking woman that wrapped herself around her and cried her heart out.

"It could have killed you!", Kathryn exclaimed loud and began to shake her sister. "You were only eighteen years old, goddamnit!" She fell down to her knees, another emotional meltdown... She didn't have one since she was back from Far Harbor. Kate fell down with her and Danse was at their side in a second. Kathryn kept clinging to her sister and cried and cried. Danse didn't know what to do. He wanted to comfort her so bad, but she didn't let him. He thought that this must be something only her sister could fix. So he stood up again and took a few steps aside. This whole ordeal started to nag at his nerves and he really needed a cigarette now. And just as he lighted one it got snatched out of his hand. At least Kathryn finally stopped crashing Kate to death. He didn't know if he would like her but he knew that twins had a special invisible bond with each other. He lit another cigarette and held it out to Kate but she declined. Well, at least he didn't have to light a third one and shrugged to himself. He began to wonder why they had to meet here, surrounded by god knew what creatures, gunners and raiders. He thought about the drawn lantern next to the door, then it hit him.

"You're Railroad, aren't you?", he said quietly and took a long drag of his cigarette, glaring at Kate. She nodded at him. "Tell me why I shouldn't arrest you right away and bring you to my leader?" Both Kathryn and Kate were taken aback by this. "Danse! I- I just found her! Why are you saying this?", Kathryn demanded and heat rose into her skin, angry and red. "She's the enemy Kathryn!" Danse was angry too now.

"I don't care! She's my sister!"
"But I care. For your sake and for mine!"
"What does this have to do with-"
"EVERYTHING!"

"Come on, we're leaving...", Kathryn then said to Kate, taking her by the hand and began to walk away. "I'll come with you Sister. Just let me grab my stuff first." Kathryn nodded and Kate hurried inside the church.

"Kathryn-"
"DON'T!"
"I'm-"
"No, you're not."
"You don't even know what I want to say!"
"Oh Danse, I know exactly what you want to say..."

Kathryn walked over to him, the anger she felt subsided as fast as it bubbled inside her and she caressed his face with a sad look on her own. "Please, give me time with her. I want to, no, need to know more about her. You said that you know how important this is, for me and I bet for her as well." Danse placed his hands over hers and closed his eyes, he exhaled a breath and sighed. "I know. Just, be careful, okay?" He opened his eyes again, apologetic and sad. "Will do.", Kathryn answered before she pressed her lips on his.

It was depressing. While the two women walked away he stood behind for a while. It was a mystery for him how Kathryn was able to trust Kate so quickly. But then he remembered his thoughts from earlier, they had a special bond. His Kathryn knew when her sister was around but never could get a grip on it. She often told him that she felt like they had eyes on them. He felt it too, but never as intensive as she did. And now it turned out that Kate is a Railroad agent... Would he really arrest her? For the sake of Kathryn he decided it would be against their relationship, and he didn't want to cause a ruckus with her morals. She already had enough of that bullshit in her life...

Kathryn and Kate were long out of his sight and he finally started to head back to Cambridge. Yet again he was in trouble to explain the absence of his Paladin. He thought that he never sighed more than since Kathryn came into his life. She might make him happy, true that... But she also often robbed his last nerves and he struggled to keep his cool around her while she laughed at him. But in the end they both laughed their asses off. He decided it was just fair that she was able to get her sister known. He just wished that he would also have such a chance...

___

The sisters came to the Red Rocket Truck Stop and were greeted by Dogmeat. He didn't even growl at Kate, instead he barked a happy bark at her, demanding scritches. Kate smiled at the dog. "Hello Dogmeat, it's good to see you again." She knelt down and scratched him behind his ears and his tongue lolled out of his mouth.

"What, again?", Kathryn asked in disbelief.
"Yeah... Who do you think takes care of him when you're not around?"
"You did? But... that wasn't even necessary."
"He was lonely. And I gave him a Radstag steak once, since then he loves me."
Dogmeat barked in agreement. "Well, that makes some things easier I guess..."

They stepped inside the truck stop and settled down. Kathryn brought two bottles of beer from the fridge before she sat down on the couch. Dogmeat laid at their feet, huffing and stretching out his paws.

"So, what can you tell me about you?", Kathryn asked before she took a swig of her beer.
"What do you want to know?", Kate then said and also took a swig of hers.
"Tell me everything."

Kate looked at her, brows knitted together, but she sighed defeated and began to speak...

***

We grew up on a farm in a small settlement, just like everyone else in the Commonwealth. Our parents were so proud of us. We were inseparable as kids, always together no matter what happened.
But one day, I can remember it like it just happened yesterday, we got attacked by Raiders... I was so scared, clinging to you with all the might I had. We both were crying, screaming for our parents. Mom came rushing while dad tried to fend off those Raiders. He died with a bullet between his eyes.
They tried to separate us. Mom clinged to me, tried to get you too. But I wasn't strong enough. My grip on you loosened and they took you away. I cried and cried, trying to pry myself free to get to you, but Mom didn't let me go. She was screaming and crying. I heard you screaming my name and it broke my little heart back then. I passed out before you were gone and when I woke up we were somewhere else...
I- I never left this place. I was too afraid, too scared to search for you. It took me years to become who I am now. You know, the Railroad took us in, despite the fact that we weren't some synths, they just took us in and we kept staying, became agents for them. You should have seen the Switchboard, it was huge. I often lost myself in it and needed someone to rescue me 'cause I was sitting in a corner crying over everything... that I was lost, that I had lost YOU.
And some day the synths came and overran the place. A lot of people died, Mom too... I had nothing anymore... NOTHING! And they decided this was an advantage, that I had no ties anymore so that if I got caught I wouldn't sing like a bird because someone might die... I was so angry at them, but I kept staying with them, moved to the new HQ at the Old North Church and kept working. And then I found you.

Even though I was a child soldier for them my priority was you, always. I hid in the shadows to keep you safe. I watched everything that happened to you. And you don't know how much I was crying because I wasn't able to help you. All I could do was keep on watching. And I watched how you became strong, fierce, loyal. How you became a friend to the people, to Dogmeat.
I couldn't believe when you rushed to the airport back then. I knew I should have approached you then. But again, I was too late. I followed you to Cambridge and saw how you killed those ferals. I had those Brotherhood of Steel soldiers on my watch list too. And I wasn't pleased with what they were saying, what they spoke about. It frightened me...
I've had never seen their Paladin smile before. Then you came by... Just by saying hello to him he smiled. And I knew then that you were able to change things, probably everything! I felt hope again, and courage. And so I wrote that letter. I needed to see you, to finally tell you that you never were alone and that I won't leave you...
Kathryn, in all those years I never stopped loving you. You're my twin sister and nothing will separate us ever again!

***

Kate took Kathryn's hand in hers, tears filled her eyes while she talked about their past. She wanted to say so much more, but couldn't bring herself to more. She began to choke on the words and only shook her head. Kathryn then took her into a sweet embrace, kissing her on the head and told her that everything was okay now.

"I- I can't stay there any longer..."

"Where?"
"The Railroad. Since I know their big plan, I can't stay there anymore."
"Stay here. I think Dogmeat would love to have someone around him. And so do I."

Kathryn tightened her embrace and Kate did too.

___

Days had passed and the sisters grew together. Dogmeat loved the attention they both gave him and he often couldn't decide with who he might settle down at night. Kathryn had built a second bed and it stood next to hers. Every time they fell asleep they had their fingers entwined and a smile on their faces.

One day, Kathryn was on her way to Cambridge to check in with Danse, a vertibird approached the Red Rocket Truck Stop, landing on the street and a knight jumped out. He hurried inside, not looking the woman in the face and just dragged her behind him into the vertibird. Kate was so perplexed she didn't even say a word. The knight had said something that 'Elder Maxson wanted to see her immediately' and that there was no time for any arguing from her side. So she sat there in the vertibird, flying across the Commonwealth into the unknown.

Her jaw dropped when the 'bird approached the Prydwen, she'd never seen the ship up close and personal. She had to admit that it was impressing, but then felt the pang in her guts when she thought about the Railroad's intention to destroy it. The knight dragged her out on the flight deck and into the airship's command deck, where Elder Maxson turned around.

"Who are you?!"