"That's why you're the General." Preston greeted you with open arms upon your arrival to Sanctuary.

"That's one more farmstead growing for the Minutemen." You told him as he pulled you into a back-patting embrace.

"Won't be long before Minutemen flags are flying outside every settlement." He pushed open the door to the make-shift tavern the two of you had set up, glass crashed against glass upon your arrival as the patrons greeted you into their drinking ranks.

"What's on the list today?" You asked the bartender, hoping the runners had been able to procure at least a few Gwinnet lagers or stouts.

"We got a few Nuka-Colas, some fancy looking bourbon and we even managed to convince Bobrov to donate some of his moonshine to the cause." The stumpy, moustached man rummaged through the barely working fridge, the occasional kick made sure it kept in top working order.

"Bourbon." Preston leant across the bar to make your choice for you, before you could protest for something a bit milder, he had already poured two short glasses of the amber syrup and happily accepted the handful of caps for payment.

"Bourbon?" Preston smiled as he raised the scratched tumbler to his cracked lips. "Who drinks bourbon at... six in the afternoon?" You protested and protested but when the glass met your lips nobody was forcing your hand.

"We're celebrating."

"What exactly?" The last of the liquid fell through your pursed lips and before your glass could hit the counter the keeper was offering a complimentary refill, 'anything for the general' he remarked happily.

"Every new family, every new person that is willing to stand for our cause is worth celebrating." Your glasses met in the air and it did not take long for them to sit empty. "I'm proud of you... General."

It kind of took you by surprise.

"This isn't me Preston. You stood when everybody else around you fell and even when the odds stacked up against you, you held the Minuteman name proudly."

He smiled, he could try his best to stay modest but he knew what his actions had achieved.

"I'm not the one travelling the length and breadth of this hell every day. I probably would never have made it out of Concord alive, forget about rebuilding. You've stayed true to your word. Look around, all of these people owe their lives to you. Never forget that."

~*~

Written by Aaron.