"Where's Piper?" asked Nate running through the house of tomorrow. "Anyone seen Piper?"

He checked every room of the house. She wasn't there. He darted outside in a blind panic.

"Has anyone seen Piper?" he called through Sanctuary.

Everyone looked up from what they were doing as he dashed towards the bell. He rang it once, twice, three times. The residents dropped what they were doing and formed a muster around the bell.

"Has anyone seen Piper?" asked Nate at once when everyone was gathered.

"I saw her last night," replied Cait. "She was at your house and was pretty pissed because you were working on your power armor."

Nate nodded.

"Who was on guard duty last night?" asked Nate.

A man in a mechanic jumpsuit and a woman wearing an atom cats jacket raised their hands.

"Did you see anything unusual last night?" he asked them.

"Nothing," they replied. "A couple of Bloodbugs and a few Bloatflies but that's it."

Nate was silent.

"How can you be sure that she was taken?" asked Cait. "She might have gone for a walk."

"Piper is smart enough to know that walking that wastes alone is dangerous," replied Preston.

"She could have gone to Red Rocket," replied Curie. "Remember you fought those Muties there yesterday? She might have gone to help them clean up."

"Or what about Abernathy Farm?" suggested a settler. "They said they were having trouble yesterday."

Nate was unconvinced. Both seemed plausible but highly unlikely. Regardless of who needed help, Piper would never leave Sanctuary on her own. She knew how dangerous the Commonwealth was. Nevertheless, he thought it was a good idea to check them out just to be safe.

"Alright," he said. "Curie. You and Preston go and check out Red Rocket. Me and Cait will go to Abernathy Farm."

"I'll go get Ashmaker," said Cait eagerly.

After being given their instructions the settlers got back to work. Preston grabbed his Laser Musket, Curie picked up her syringer and they left for Red Rocket. Nate and Cait left in the opposite direction for Abernathy Farm.

Piper was still struggling with her captors. The harder they held onto her, the more she would struggle.

"Get off me," she screamed. "How dare you kidnap me."

They stood on the ground of the ruined C.I.T. building. Piper looked up and gasped.

"Oh no!" she cried in horror. "Not me. You're not turning me into a synth."

She kicked the shins of the captor holding her. He fell down in pain. She grabbed her second captors arm. She grabbed it and bent it back on itself until the bone snapped with a sickening crack. She grabbed his 10mm and raised it. She pointed it at the captor with the smashed shin.

"Stand up!" she commanded.

She pointed it to the second captor who was nursing his broken arm.

"You too," she commanded. "Get over there."

His eyes focused on the barrel of the gun. He then reluctantly did as he was told.

"Now," she said. "You tell me what you want or I end your pathetic lives right now."

She clicked the safety off. They looked at each other.

"I won't ask you again," she yelled.

Suddenly, a small army of Synths materialized behind her.

"Drop your weapon," called the Synth commander.

Piper looked behind her.

"Shit!" she cussed.

She shot the captors square between the eyes. Wheeling around she pointed her gun at the commander.

He pulled out a shock baton. Piper opened fire. She caught it in the left arm. The synth raised his right arm and struck her with the shock baton. It caught her on the shoulder and she fell into a heap on the floor. The synths looked at the dead human kidnappers.

"Never send a human to do a synths job," said the synth leader.

"Quite," replied the commander. "Take her underground. I'll deal with these reprobates."

The synths teleported underground to the Institute. The leader picked up Piper's lifeless body and teleported her underground. Once his comrades were gone, the commander picked up the bodies and tossed them into the river. Hopefully the mirelurks will devour them and remove all evidence of their crime. He looked around and in one move teleported back underground.

Later that afternoon, Curie returned with Preston. The gave Nate the news that they couldn't find Piper at Red Rocket. Piper was nowhere to be found either at Abernathy Farm. It was getting dark and Nate's fear was growing more and more. If she had been out walking, she could be anywhere by now. Not to mention the Behemoths and Deathclaws out there. He sat at the dining table, when there was a knock at the door.

He looked up to see Nick Valentine standing in the doorway.

"Nick?" asked Nate.

"I'm surprised quite frankly," he began. "Piper is missing and you didn't think to call me? I'm a detective after all."

Nate looked at him

"I thought she had just gone for a walk," he said echoing Cait from this morning.

"This is the Commonwealth," replied Nick. "Most people who 'go out for a walk', don't go walking for long before something finds them."

Nate gestured Nick to sit at the table with him. He obliged and sat opposite him.

"Are you suggesting that Piper has been kidnapped?" asked Nate.

"It seems to be a better theory then Cait's, 'gone for a walk' scenario. You know Cait and Piper don't see eye to eye," replied Nick.

"But who would want to kidnap Piper?" asked Nate.

"Think hard," answered Nick. "Who are the people that are desperate enough to take her?"

"That could be anyone in the whole wasteland," replied Nate. "Mutants, Raiders, The Brotherhood of Steel, The Institute..."

He stopped for a second. The Institute, that is something they were likely to do. Kidnap random people and make them into Synths.

"The Institute," began Nick. "The Commonweath's bogeyman. We of all people know they are capable of."

Nate thought about it for a moment. The idea of the Institute kidnapping Piper seemed a real possibility.

"But why would they want to kidnap Piper?" asked Nate. "If they wanted to make a better human they would be better off kidnapping Cait, after all that girl has been through."

"I think they would have a hard time kidnapping Cait," said Nick. "She could take on the whole institute and come out with a broken arm."

Nate thought again once more.

"There is one more thing," he began.

Nick prompted him to answer.

"Piper is pregnant," said Nate. "But I don't..."

Nick held up his hand to silence him.

"Shaun is dead," said Nick. "They are desperate for a new 'father', Piper is carrying your child. The child of the back up."

"How do they know she is pregnant?" asked Nate. "I only found out yesterday."

"There must be a Synth somewhere in our settlement," replied Nick.

"I'm going to find them," said Nate standing up.

"You can't," said Nick. "If you could, you would have found them by now. Those new Synths are almost indistinguishable from humans. Furthermore, if you start going Covenant on your settlers me and you will fall out."

"We need to get to the Institute and save her," said Nate. "Before..."

"...They won't do anything to Piper just yet," said Nick. "They need her alive to give birth to her kid. After that then who knows..."

"I'm not waiting until she drops before going after her. We need to get in there now and save her."

"I'm glad to hear it," said Nick. "But you can't go there by yourself. One person can't penetrate the Institute, you'll need an army."

"I know where to get one," said Nate.