#also realized that Ashley and Hancock do a lot of shoulder-bumping and that stuff

[pikuna]

The Deathclaw Nest

Adventurous short-stories of Sole Survivor Ashley and her Ghoul friend Hancock, how they shoot and flirt their way through the Commonwealth. Contains either things that happened to me In-Game or where I thought that there could be more conversations with Hancock. Mostly Side Quests and pre-relationship.

After a few months I started playing Fallout 4 again and of course this also brought back my muse to write for it. Had the first part of this chapter hand written down for some time and I'm happy to finally type it on the computer. I really love the mission with the friendly Deathclaw, really wished you could pet it or something like that. xD Also little update to Ashley's appearance, since I installed a few mods.

"You are batshit crazy."

"And you are getting more charming with every hour."

Hancock muttered a few more curses under his breath and Ashley ignored them. Since she had told him what she wanted to do with the Deathclaw egg, he had been in a sour mood. They could've brought the egg to Wellingham and pocket some nice caps, but nooo she desperately wanted to bring it back to it's nest. The location of it had also been on the holotape and Hancock could've killed the Gunner for that, if they hadn't been dead already.

They had departed in the morning and where now close to their destination. The Mayor of Goodneighbor still wondered how he could've allowed it to be talked into to this. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Hancock dug his heels in and tried to convince Ashley to simply sell the egg, but with not much success.

"I really don't get why the hell you wanna go to that Deathclaw nest. Thought you hate those things!"

"I do! When they are chasing and trying to eat me. But this is different." Frustrating swung in Ashley's voice, since they had been debating this for more than an hour now. "We killed a mother,-" "In self-defense," he chipped in, but she didn't react to it-"but I'm sure there is still some...thing that waits for her to return. And when she doesn't, the least we can do is to return the egg."

Also getting frustrated, Hancock threw his hands up into the air. "Yeah, that might be right. But what do you care?"

There was no answer, at least no verbal one. Instead Ashley looked down at the egg in her arms with a sad determination expression on her face. The same she always had when she thought about her kidnapped son. That realization took the bite out of his next question, even when he still sounded utterly incredulous: "Do you actually compare your own situation to this?"

"No!" she denied immediately, but sighed and corrected herself. "Not really. I know they are just animals and don't feel the same as we do, but still..." Ashley trailed off, not finding the right words to logically justify her cause. Then she looked at him with a steady, but also slight pleading gaze. There was no pouting, fluttering of eyelashes or some other thing woman did to get their ways. And it still made his knees go weak, like whenever she looked at him with her beautiful blue eyes. 

"Don't give me that look," Hancock raised a warning finger at her, but she only blinked puzzled at him.

"What look?"

"Ya know, that one," Hancock tried to explain. Since it wasn't very telling and he didn't want to elaborate it more, he simply turned around with a grumble.

Still confused, but also amused Ashley let out a huff and walked towards him. With the egg still in her arms she leant against Hancock's back, laid her chin on his shoulder and looked to him with a smile.

"Come on Hancock. Please do it for me. I won't be able to sleep peacefully anymore, if we don't return the egg."

He had crossed his arms and slightly glanced sideways to her. It still surprised him so much, how okay she was with being this close to him. The proximity and her smile caused a warm flutter in his stomach that certainly had nothing to do with radiation. Annoyed about his weakness for this woman and her stubbornness he sighed through the remains of his nostrils. Gently he freed his shoulder from her chin, so he could put his arm around hers.

"Okay Scorch, you win. But don't come to me runnin when the Deathclaw isn't so happy about you invading it's home."

With a laugh Ashley bumped her shoulder playfully against his side. 

"Oh, have a bit more faith in me Mr. Mayor. It won't escalate, I'm sure of it."

"From your lips to his ears sister," he mumbled with a chuckle and ruffled her hair.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

It was midday and they were just passing the Parsons Creamery.

Hancock walked a few steps behind Ashley, already scanning the surrounding for any approaching Deathclaw. She on the other side was extremely relaxed and didn't seem to care about the fact they were coming nearer and nearer to the nest of one of the most vicious beasts in the Commonwealth. Heck, she even hummed to the egg while she stroked it's shell. Still it was kinda adorable and so Hancock let out an amused snort that she caught on.

"What?" Ashley asked and looked over her shoulder to him. He just shrugged with one shoulder.

"Just...for someone who insist on being a bad parent you are awfully...motherly to that egg." He had speeded up and now walked besides her, grinning. "Sure you don't want to keep it for yourself?"

At first she had starred at him perplexed, but now scoffed at his last words. "As if you would allow that."

"Ah, but the thought was there, right?" he asked with a smirk and slightly bumped her shoulder. 

"Well, raising your own pet Deathclaw would be pretty cool, don't you think?"

"It would be totally stupid and dangerous. But yeah, also cool."

They laughed and were now ascending a small hill. When they heard a growl they stopped with their bantering and looked around. They didn't spot a Deathclaw immediately, but the growl was there again. She gestured into the direction before them and He nodded. They both started walking crouched down to the top of the hill, Ashley still holding the egg close to her and Hancock having his shotgun at ready. 

Reaching the top of the hill they realized it was actually the edge of a little crater. And down that crater where a bunch of nest and the cause of the growls: A Deathclaw, not a very big one luckily. It circled one of the empty nests, occasionally pawing around it. They observed it for a few minutes, before Ashley beckoned Hancock to slowly following her down.

Of course the Deathclaw noticed them as soon as they reached the ground of the crater, but it didn't charged at them. Instead it waved with his horns and roared, most likely to chase them away. Ashley took it as a good sign that they weren't attacked right away, so she hold the egg up and walked slowly towards the nest the Deathclaw had circled. It had the desired effect that the best calmed down and looked almost curious at her.

"Careful there Ash," Hancock murmured, not aiming with his weapon yet, but already having his finger on the trigger. 

"I am, don't worry," she tried to calm her friend and don't breaking the eye-contact with the Deathclaw. When she reached the nest, she gently laid the egg down and then slowly backed off. The Deathclaw watched her some more moments, before it walked to the egg, nudging it with it's snout several times and then used it's claws to bury it under a pile of dirt.

"Really didn't believed that this would work out," Hancock huffed when Ashley was back at his side. She grinned from one ear to the other, very pleased with herself. He was about to suggest that they should leave now, when Ashley put down her backpack and rummaged through it. 

"What the fuck are you doing?" he hissed irritated. 

"Just want to try something," she answered with almost childlike enthusiasm. Hancock grumbled and looked back to the Deathclaw, which was still occupied with the egg. A triumphal sound made him look back at Ashley, who pulled out a piece of Brahmin meat. Immediately he realized what she wanted to do.

"Oh no," he warned her, but just got a cheeky grin from her.

"Oh yes." Quickly she scrambled away from Hancock, who tried to grab her by the arm.

"Dammit Ash!" he hissed angrily and was about to get after her, when the Deathclaw growled again. All the commotion had gotten it's attention and he was eyeing Ashley again, who walked slowly to it with her arm outstretched and the cooked meat in her hand. The nostrils of the beast flared when it caught on the smell and when she stopped in her advance, it started to walk towards her. 

Hancock's pulse was beating faster than it ever had when he used Jet and he tried to calm himself down. So far the Deathclaw didn't seem to be hostile, but shooting at it with no reason would change that. Regardless if they would walk away unharmed or not, he would haul Ashley over the coals for this. Who would have thought that he, of all people, would be the more responsible one?

The Deathclaw was now standing right in front of Ashley, it's shoulders just reaching her head. Curious it sniffed the meat and without a warning it seized the meat with it's fangs out of her hands. She let out a surprised yelp, but laughed immediately after that. Hancock had sprung up from his crouched position and now aimed at it, but the Deathclaw still didn't attacked, simply chewed at the meat and then raised it's head to swallow it. 

"Good boy~"

Hancock couldn't believe that Ashley was actually cooing. At a Deathclaw! And it even seemed to react to that, for it made a growl that one could mistook for a very...very deep purr and waved with it's tail. She then raised her hand and the Deathclaw lowered his head so she could tenderly pet it's snout. 

I think I got off at the wrong station!, Hancock thought while he lowered the gun and watched how Ashley scratched the Deathclaw here and there and the animal clearly liked it. As surreal as it was, it was also very adorable. 

But the peaceful moment was fleeting, for the Deathclaw seemed to have enough now from being the docile animal. It shook it's head, took a step back and snarled at Ashley, who stumbled surprised backwards. As soon as she was in his reach, Hancock grabbed her upper arm and pulled her further away from the Deathclaw, after he had picked up her backpack. 

"Hope you had your fun," he grumbled, his eyes still on the beast which luckily didn't followed them and occupied itself with the egg again.

"Did you see that Hancock? I petted a Deathclaw!" Ashley laughed breathlessly. 

"Saw it, but still can't believe it." 

Only when they had left the crater and where far enough away from the Deathclaw did Hancock let go of Ashley's arm and shoved the backpack so harshly into her arms that she staggered back a bit.

"What the hell where you thinking? Feeding this thing like it was a stray dog. It could have chewed your arm off!" he snapped at her. 

"But it hasn't," was her only reply, while shouldered the backpack. At least she had the decency to look sheepishly to the ground. 

"Thank the guy above for that! This little stunt of yours could've backfired very badly and then we would've been in trouble. As you can see, I don't have a Minigun with me this time."

Ashley didn't know if this little joke was intended from him or not, but she still had to snort at it. 

"I know. And I'm really sorry. In retrospective this maybe wasn't one of my best ideas."

"Glad we can agree on that," Hancock harrumphed.

"But I only did it, because I knew you would have my back. So I felt safe enough to try."

Hancock narrowed his eyes at this words and her smile. They still made his heart flutter, but he knew her well enough to be wary of her silver tongue. 

"Don't try to soft-soap me, Scorch. I don't appreciate it at the moment."

"Hancock, you know I would never do that with you," she said with acted indignation and then laughed, giving his shoulder a fist bump. "Besides, aren't you the one who always says, that you haven't lived when you haven't risked a bit?"

"Maybe, but I doubt that petting a Deathclaw is worth risking your life," he grunted at that, which made Ashley raise an eyebrow.

"But using dangerous chems is or what?"

"Not anymore."

The answer was out, before Hancock could really think about it. And he meant it. Unlike before he would think twice to take something that could risk is immediate life. Not only because now he had a city to take care of, but also because of Ashley. She surely would come down to hell only to beat the shit out of him just for dying like that.

Ashley became worried by Hancock's sudden silence and the thoughtful look he had on his face, so she stepped closer to him and put two fingers under his chin to make him look at her.

"Tell you what: I will make it up to you for making you worrying so much. Next few rounds of drinks are on me."

At first he blinked confused at her, but then huffed and swatted her fingers away. "I wasn't worried. Would've served you right to loose an arm to a Deathclaw like that." Before she could reply or withdraw her hand, he caught it with his hand and gently squeezed it with a smile of his. "But I surely don't turn down the offer of free booze." 

Ashley chuckled slightly bashful at that and interlocked her fingers with his. "Great. I also will at least try not to do such stupids again. Emphasis on trying."

"Well, it's a start," Hancock chuckled.

Still holding hands they started to be on their way to find the next bar. It had been a long few days.

"Oh and Ash?" he suddenly said. "You wouldn't happen to promise me not to talk with Deacon about this?"

"Sorry Hancock, won't do any promises that I can't keep," she answered with a lopsided smile, which made Hancock sigh. 

"Dammit. As soon as he hears of this he will drag you out here again."

"Well, then you have to have an eye on both of us the next time," Ashley chuckled.

"Great, I am the mayor of Goodneighbor, the toughest settlement in the Commonwealth and I'm designated to be the babysitter of two Deathclaw-fanatics." he grumbled, but with amusement in his voice. She gently petted his arm.

"But for that you are the loveliest babysitter."

He had to bark out a laugh at that. "Hold that silver tongue of yours Ash, you are making me blush."

"Maybe that's what I'm aiming for?" She shot him one of those cheeky grins that just spoke of trouble. Oh and he knew how much trouble this woman meant for him. She would be the death of him one day.