Head for Concord.

Once they'd slipped back into their suits, the couple made their way down the hill and over the wooden bridge towards Concord. Of course, it had been a lot less rickety when last they had crossed it.

On the other edge of the bridge, was a grisly scene. A post-apocalyptic brigand lay dead, mauled by a nasty looking wild dog. The raider had finished the dog off with a makeshift pistol, but not before the rabid animal had gotten it's licks in.

"This used to be a nice neighborhood." Nate quipped, as he knelt to examine the weapon. It was an odd weapon, a ramshackle mixture of wood and piping that their new friend had obviously cobbled together himself. The ex-soldier was sure he'd read something in Guns & Bullets about street gangs doing the same.

"Here." Nate said, passing it to Nora once he determined the gun was safe to use.

Nora somewhat gingerly accepted the weapon. She had never been entirely comfortable with firearms. Sure, she had spent some time at the range with Nate, but the things had always made her a little uneasy. Still, Nora thought, as she surveyed the ruins of their old neighborhood, she'd have to get comfortable.

They continued on. Nora had to admit, the wasteland seemed marginally less intimidating, now that she had the weight of a gun on her hip.

A few moments later, the couple arrived at the Red Rocket Truck Stop. Two hundred years had not been kind to the previously well-maintained gas station.

The couple found a dog, remarkably friendly and well-groomed, sniffing around the long-abandoned truck stop. After it helped them fend off a few mutated mole rats, they decided to bring it along with them.

Nora seemed more excited to have the mutt along than her husband. Nate had his suspicions as to why.

The former serviceman had entertained the idea of getting a family pet when Shaun was older. The dopey dog, which he'd christened Dogmeat, wouldn't have been his first choice, though. But times change.

As Nora stroked their new pet, Nate pondered there next move. Concord was close now.