A/N: I own nothing except the laptop I wrote this story on.

The first thing that Piper noticed was that there was a Vertibird coming towards the Castle. That was a little bit out of the norm, especially considering that it was coming from the Prydwen, and not from the Glowing Sea, which was where Blue was. But what made it absolutely out of the norm was that it wasn't the first Brotherhood contingent that had come to the Castle today.

That honor belonged to the group led by the rather jerk-faced man that was hassling poor Sheffield nearby the Castle crops.

"I'm telling you, mister Proctor sir, the Castle foodstock isn't really open for taking at the moment. I'd love to sell it to you, but right now it just isn't ready."

"How can it not be ready? When was the last time that the Castle was attacked? Should you people have plenty of time to grow food that is ready for packaging and transport by now?"

"Sir, with all due respect the Castle is responsible for the feeding of several settlements in addition to itself." Sheffield said, wiping his forehead with the back of his gloved hand. It was dirty, so he'd smeared some topsoil onto his forehead. "I can't just sign over the deal. You'd have to wait for the arrival of the General to do that."

"Isn't that your jurisdiction, farmer?" Proctor Teagan asked, folding his arms across his chest. Sheffield shrugged.

"Afraid I don't know what the word means, mister Proctor, but I'm telling you that without the General's approval, I can't just start shipping food out elsewhere. Even if the buyer is offering a high price. Which, by the way, you really aren't."

Piper watched Proctor Teagan visibly fume, and then storm off to another side of the Castle, no doubt to wait for Blue's return. She wasn't sure what he was so sure of; Blue had a soft spot for Sheffield ever since he'd given the homeless man a Nuka Cola and then a job at the Castle as the head of crop development. (Blue had told Sheffield that he was just the "main farmer," because there was no way that Sheffield would know what 'head of crop development' even meant) If Sheffield said no, then Blue was probably going to give him the benefit of the doubt. Sheffield wasn't the most learned man, but he wasn't stupid. And that was the sort of thing that Blue was always looking for when he put people in positions of power or influence. That, and whether or not they had a heart.

But then again, he'd appointed some rather unscrupulous people to watch the southern colonies, right around Quincy. And he'd been willing to let the Institute Remnant stand trial instead of just shooting them. And then he got away with lying to Elder Maxson about whether or not he knew that the Institute Remnant were running to the Castle to claim asylum. And then he'd claimed that Isabel Cruz was a victim of the Mechanist's insanity, which from a certain point of view was true. But not necessarily the right thing. Or was it?

Piper took it back. Probably the only thing for sure about Blue was that nothing was for sure.

…

"So you're sure?"

Mayor Pitt leaned over his desk, staring at the two men in front of him. They'd shooed out everyone other than the three of them. He looked over at Paladin Kodiak, and then at the freelancer MacCready.

"I'm positive." MacCready said. "I think that Shaun was picked up by Lucy Martel."

"…And who's Lucy Martel, again?" Mayor Pitt asked.

"Sentinel Martel is currently wanted for the murder of the former Elder of the Brotherhood of Steel, Sarah Lyons." Kodiak said.

Willie Pitt stared at him and raised an eyebrow.

"Well, now I feel so much better about the fact that he's not in the hands of Quincy's leader." Pitt said, rolling his eyes. He shook his head, and re-lit his cigar. "What do I need to know about this Lucy Martel individual?"

"That she killed an Elder of the Brotherhood." Kodiak said. At this, MacCready looked over at Kodiak and sneered.

"Okay, chief, why don't you stop trumpeting the party line and speak from the heart. It isn't like we're gonna send this back to Elder Maxson, is it?"

Kodiak looked over at him and leered.

"Watch your tone, MacCready. Sarah Lyons was more than just the Elder of the Brotherhood; she was my former commanding officer. There are few in the world that I hold in as high esteem as I did Sarah."

"And Lucy was one of them."

Kodiak went silent. MacCready nodded, and kept pushing.

"Yeah, I might have been just a kid but I remember. I remember when I got sent to Big Town a little bit earlier than normal, and thinking that I was gonna get chewed up like the rest of them. Except I get there and Big Town isn't such a hellhole because there was a Brotherhood attachment there. That was one of your first individual commands, you know. And who was the patron of that endeavor?"

"…Sentinel Martel funded the garrison at Big Town, yes." Kodiak admitted.

"Think about that, chief. Lucy paid out of her own pocket the money that was needed to keep us teens and kids protected from whatever the fuck the Capital Wasteland wanted to throw at us. It's because of her and because of your stubbornness that that place isn't just a ghost town but one of the thriving communities in the Capital. Now tell me…" He leaned in. "Are you positive that someone who was willing to do all of that was the same person who was willing to blow the head off of the Elder of the Brotherhood?"

Kodiak was silent for a moment.

"I…am not sure." Kodiak said. "It was always a surprise to me when I heard the news."

"Not to interrupt you two from walking down memory lane, but we need to focus on the here and now." Pitt said. "We need to start checking the southern settlements to make sure that Quincy hasn't started secretly absorbing all of them while we were dicking around doing whatever the hell we were doing up here. And that's the kind of thing that needs to be reported to the Castle, because as great as Diamond City security is…we need soldiers, not peacekeepers, and the Castle is the only place in the Commonwealth that makes them." He looked over at Kodiak. "What are your orders, precisely?"

"My orders were to deliver the Institute Remnant here to Diamond City in preparation for the trial." Kodiak said. "From there, I was to follow any orders that were given to me by the highest authority in Diamond City until I was recalled to the Prydwen by the Elder of the Brotherhood. As of yet, I have not received any such recall notices."

"So you're saying that I have you on retainer?" Willie Pitt asked.

"That is one way to describe it, but yes." Kodiak said.

"Good." Pitt said. The gears were already turning in his head. "I'm authorizing you to take a squad of soldiers and to do a brief recon towards the southern communities. Stop by Jamaica Plain and then radio in if you can. Don't enter the city if you think it's unsafe."

"And if Jamaica Plain is under the control of the Quincy boys?" Kodiak asked. Mayor Pitt sighed.

"Then high-tail it to the Castle and tell the General. And then we get ready for war. Taking Jamaica Plains would be a critical step-up in agressions; it basically blocks several trade routes to some of the southern communities."

"Understood." Kodiak said. He turned towards MacCready. "You should return to the Castle. From what I heard, if this Dr. Virgil is found, then he is to be taken to the Castle first. The General wants to make sure that he gets the best proper medical care after spending all of that time in the Glowing Sea."

At this, Mayor Pitt was somewhat miffed.

"Really?" He asked. "And what's wrong with the doctors that are here in Diamond City?"

"I don't have an issue with them myself." Kodiak said. "But apparently the doctors at the Castle are quite good. The best, perhaps."

"I'll attest to that." MacCready said. "Doc Fellows is a bit weird, but he's definitely the best I know. And Curie is a great nurse partner for him."

"Fine." Pitt said. "There's enough on my plate, I suppose. If the General wants the good doctor to be in the Castle, then let him be in the Castle. Just make sure that he gets here to Diamond City. The sooner we get this trial done, the better. I have a meeting with the prosecutor in a few minutes, anyway."

"Isn't that a bit unethical?" MacCready asked.

"Not at all." Mayor Pitt said. "She's operating as an arm of the state. I am the State."

"And you're barely old enough to drink." MacCready said. "Alright, well be sure to make my funeral nice and pretty. Because the boss is gonna skin me on your behalf for losing Shaun." He looked over at Kodiak, and then at the Mayor, and then walked out the door.

After Kodiak left to prepare his men for the mission, Mayor Willie Pitt was left alone in his office. He stood there at the desk, and stared at the battered old structure. This was one of the few times that he'd managed to keep it clean. He doubted he would get many opportunities in the future.

There was a buzzing noise.

"Mr. Mayor? The Vault 81 representative is here to see you now."

Mayor Pitt closed his eyes, and rubbed his forehead with a sigh. It was time to go back to work. He pressed the button on his intercom response.

"Send her in."

…

It was a rather bright and quiet morning. Shaun looked around, and if he listened hard he could hear some of the less-irradiated birds chirping in the distance. That usually meant that there wasn't anything particularly dangerous out. At least right now.

But then again, the fact that he was flanked by two very dangerous-looking people on his left and right.

"I must say, mornings like these are somewhat enjoyable." Fawkes said. He was carrying a very large hunting rifle, the kind that Shaun had seen brought into the Castle armory many times in the past. Apparently they were a popular weapon choice for independent raiders and other crazies. They were crude weapons, but they were very effective at what they were assigned to do. It made sense that Fawkes would be carrying one. Meanwhile, his minigun was strapped on his back.

"I know, right?" Shaun asked, a big smile on his face. "Dad's usually pretty busy, but sometimes if I get up early enough I can catch him on the battlements of the Castle." Shaun said. "He's usually up there reading."

"You've mentioned this…Castle several times, young Shaun." Fawkes said. "If you don't mind me asking, what is it like?"

"Oh, it's super cool." Shaun said. "It's like, this old fort from before all the bombs dropped, like back before the Wasteland was the Wasteland. It used to be the Minutemen stronghold for a while, but then the Minutemen fell apart…until my dad resurrected it and rebuilt the order."

"By himself?" Fawkes asked. "Your father did all of that?"

"Well, he can be modest and says that it was a team effort." Shaun said. "He said that Uncle Preston was responsible for telling him about the Minutemen and the things that they were all about. And then Miss Ronnie Shaw was the one that kept the sense of decorum for the Minutemen when it wasn't around anymore. And then it was Uncle Danse who helped him organize the ins and outs of things, managing the money and stuff like that. Putting together policy. It was a team effort, is what dad said…except that's all baloney, because my dad was the reason that all of those people got together and helped him rebuild the Minutemen. If it wasn't for him, all of those people wouldn't have gotten together."

"Sounds like a good man." Lucy said, though she was staring out ahead of them, as if scanning the horizon for any enemy, no matter how big or how small. Shaun smiled a wide grin.

"Oh, you guys would love him!" He said. "He's really smart and really nice. And he's got a great sense of humor. I think that's one of my favorite things about my dad: he is never afraid to laugh. And it makes me wanna laugh. And I think that he'd really like you."

"Aside from, you know, the fact that I'm wanted for murder." Lucy said.

"But you didn't do it!" Shaun said. "And the truth is gonna come out. I promise you that."

"Perhaps we should have had little Shaun with us on our journey over the years, friend." Fawkes said. "He's gotten you to say more in the past day or so than you have in the last few months." He was clearly enjoying the boy's company.

"Don't get used to it." Lucy said. But there was no denying the fact that she was starting to smile a little bit.

There was a snapping noise.

Immediately, Lucy dropped down to one knee, drawing her Desert Eagle. Fawkes protectively shielded Shaun behind him, and then raised his hunting rifle in the direction of the sound. They were silent for a moment, and then Fawkes spoke up.

"Come out now, friend! We know you're there."

"Easy, fellas, no need to get all upset." The voice was smooth as gravy. A man in a beige coat and blue jeans came out from some bushes. He was holding a laser musket. He stepped towards Lucy, who just clicked off the safety as a warning for him to stop. Fawkes spoke again.

"Who are you?" He asked.

"Never thought I'd see a mutie asking me questions." The man said. He smiled a wide grin that was perhaps too large for his face. "Don't believe we've met. But you're timing's impeccable. Preston Garvey, Commonwealth Minutemen. You might have heard we're making a comeback. The General sent me to collect donations from concerned citizens like yourself. Help us out, and you can count on the Minutemen to be there when you need us. Can I put you down for, say, 100 caps?"

There was a pause.

"You're not Preston Garvey!" Shaun said.

The man looked confused for a moment.

"What are you talking about, kid? Of course I'm Preston Garvey. Have been since my momma named me that, anyway."

"No, I mean you can't be Preston Garvey because I know Preston Garvey." Shaun said, an angry look on his face. "The Minutemen don't take bribes!."

"Listen, lady, can you tell your kid to stop being a little brat?" The man asked. "It's an important service that the Minutemen are providing, and a little donation goes a long way."

Shaun was steaming, and then suddenly he had a sly smile on his face.

"Hey, Preston, how's my mom doing? Dad's been worried sick about her."

"Your mom's doing fine, kid. Doing just fine." The man said. He turned to Lucy. "So…50 caps?"

"My dad is the General of the Minutemen. And my mom's dead, asshole." Shaun snarled.

The man's face fell.

"Oh shit." He whispered in fright. He was about to turn and run, but Lucy had closed the gap and now pressed her gun right against his temple. She held her pistol there for a moment, and then spoke.

"Shaun?" She asked.

"Yeah, Miss Lucy?"

"Language."

"…Sorry." Shaun muttered. Fawkes spoke up for the group.

"Young man, you are committing a cruel crime by fleecing the Commonwealth citizens of their money under the guise of extortion." Fawkes said. "That is a very grave situation you have put us in. Well, rather, for you."

Lucy then pistol-whipped the man across the cheek, and pointed her gun at the floored man on the ground. She had her finger on the trigger.

"Wait!"

She turned to see Shaun. He had a horrified look on her face.

"Jesus, are you going to kill that guy?"

Lucy just looked at the man, and then at Shaun. And then nodded.

"Why?"

"Because he is committing an evil act by fleecing people." Fawkes said. "And if he's started it now he isn't going to stop any time soon."

"But…why not just make him give us any money that he's taken, and then pay it back to the people he's fleeced?" Shaun asked. "Do we need to kill him?"

Lucy looked at the imposter, who shook his head frantically. He pulled a satchel out of his pocket, and then dropped it on the ground. Fawkes took the bag, and shook it to hear the rattling noise of caps. He sighed.

"This money will be better served elsewhere than in a charlatan's pockets." He said.

"So…I just want to say that I'm really sorry. It's just that life is tough in the Commonwealth and there aren't a lot of jobs and I was gonna pay it all back when I got some work and-"

Lucy turned towards the babbling man that was now on his feet.

"Get lost, dipshit."

She peppered the ground around his feet with bullets, forcing him to dance like an idiot to avoid getting shot. And then he raced off into the distance. They watched him run, and then Lucy looked back at Fawkes. And Shaun. And then the three of them started to laugh. Well, Fawkes and Shaun laughed. Lucy just cracked a barely-noticeable smile.

"How a man of that flimsy constitution has survived for so long in the Commonwealth is a mystery to me." Fawkes said. After snickering for a moment, they settled down and continued their trek towards the Castle.

…

He was tense. He always was whenever he knew that there was someone from the Brotherhood nearby. Danse hadn't expected Proctor Teagan to show up at the Castle, and he'd only just barely managed to shut himself up in the General's office to take care of clerical work. He knew that Teagan wasn't exactly a fan of the Commonwealth Accords. And while Danse was sure that Maxson wouldn't shoot him on sight if he discovered that Danse was still alive, Teagan just might.

He sighed, and scribbled some notes into his daily journal. Today it was a little bit tough for him to get his thoughts down on pen and paper, but he was able to. But only just barely.

"Oy, Fusspot."

Well, now he wasn't going to get anything done.

He looked up at Cait, who was leaning in the door.

"Is everything alright, Cait?" He asked.

"Yeah, I just wanted to check on you." Cait said. "It must be rough, havin' to hide in the dark whenever the Brotherhood shows up to the Castle." She said. She leaned against the doorway, and Danse beckoned her to step inside the office. She took a seat at the chair across the desk from him.

"It's not easy." Danse admitted. "But I have no interest in interacting with them anyway. I'm not sure that I've forgiven the Brotherhood for how they tossed me out like a leper."

"That was a load of shite, if you ask me." Cait said. "But in the end, I guess I'm kind of happy about it."

At this, Danse raised an eyebrow.

"In what regard?"

"Well…to be fair, when you were still in the Brotherhood you weren't really a fusspot." She began. "You were kind of an arse. You weren't nice to Hancock, or Valentine…or really anyone to be honest. It was kind of hard to be around you. In fact, I'm pretty sure that our friend was the only one that was able to stand you for extended periods of time."

"I'm glad to know that we've reached the stage of our friendship where we're just insulting each other on an open and blatant level." Danse deadpanned. Cait shook her head.

"I'm serious, Danse." She said. "Ever since you got kicked out of the Brotherhood, it seems like…well, it seems like you're happier. Or at least a little less of an arsehole and more of a fusspot."

Danse rolled his eyes.

"Good to know that I've upgraded from 'arsehole' to 'fusspot.' Truly I have made an amazing turnaround." Danse said. Cait chuckled.

"Do me a favor, Danse. Don't copy me accent. Ya sound like an idiot."

"I do not sound like an idiot. I never sound like an idiot." Danse protested.

"You're right." Cait said. "You sound like a know-it-all."

And that was when they heard the commotion coming outside.

…

Piper witnessed it all. It was getting later in the day, and the sun was beginning to descend in the sky, turning everything a shade of red and orange and even yellow. Earlier in the day, Proctor Teagan had tried and failed to get Sheffield to turn over some of the Castle crops. But now he was trying again. And he wasn't making any more headway. And that was when the sky started to roar.

First came the pair of Vertibirds from the southwest. Piper didn't have to be a genius that those were the ones that had gone off to the Glowing Sea. Her heart then leapt at the thought of seeing Blue again. She hoped that he was okay.

Wait, why exactly had her heart leapt again? It was just Blue. He always got out of these situations in one piece, anyway. Right?

The Vertibirds landed right outside of the Castle, and in a few minutes the people that had hopped off the Vertibird entered the Castle. They looked like hell. Some of the Brotherhood soldiers had their armor battered and even pieces torn off. Some of them were carrying buddies that could even walk. And Blue was out of his armor, with a man in a lab coat next to him. The man in the lab coat looked rather pale and gaunt.

"Doc Fellows!" Blue shouted. "Take care of these soldiers! Someone get Curie, Dr. Virgil needs to be treated for radiation poisoning!" He pointed to a few Minutemen, who all sprang into action to take care of things. He then turned towards Proctor Teagan.

"What are you doing here?" He asked.

"Trying to cut a deal with your farmer here." Teagan said. "We need food for the Brotherhood, and your farmer is being obsti-"

"Grow your own damned food. Or tell Maxson about it. I've got more important things to worry about." He said. He looked around. "Ronnie! Where's Colonel Shaw!"

Blue was clearly exhausted from whatever it was that they'd run into in the Glowing Sea. Piper cautiously made her way over to him, and cleared her throat. He was busy looking at a daily report of everything that he'd missed when he was gone.

"Everything okay, Blue?" Piper asked. Blue looked at her, and sighed.

"Ran into a Matriarch Deathclaw in the Glowing Sea." He said. "Killed it, but not without it nearly killing us. But we have Dr. Virgil here…only to find that he's suffering from serious radiation poisoning. So Curie needs to take care of him. And then we have to get him over to Diamond City. And then we have to deal with this Lucy Martel situation. And then comes the trial. And then comes the battle against Quincy." He sighed. "Jesus, Piper. I don't know how things could get any worse."

At that moment, there was a roaring of a vertibird. Everyone looked up to see that a Brotherhod vertibird – Elder Maxson's personal vertibird, in fact – was about to touch down in the middle of the Castle grounds. Everyone cleared out of the way, and as soon as the door opened Elder Maxson, Scribe Haylen, and then a clean-cut man that Piper only barely recognized as Paladin Brandis leapt out of the vertibird.

Blue, however, was not very pleased.

"What the hell is going on?" He asked.

"Nathanael, this is important." Elder Maxson said. Proctor Teagan turned towards the Elder.

"About time, sir. See, we're having a proble-"

"Proctor Teagan, be quiet." Elder Maxson's words cut through the air like a gunshot, and it was enough for everyone in the Castle to stop what they were doing and listen in. Even Danse, who was holed up in the office with Cait, leaned his head out the door to see what was going on.

"What's the issue?" Blue asked.

"Boss!"

Then they all saw MacCready rush up to the General.

"Oh, now what?" Blue asked. Piper couldn't blame him. It seemed like literally everything in the world was piling up in the Castle right now. So when MacCready started speaking, she wasn't really paying attention. But then she heard the ending bit.

"…And we can't find him, sir. We seriously can't find him, chief."

There was a pause. And then Blue cracked a smile. A somewhat off-kilter smile.

"I must have heard you wrong." Blue said. "Because it sounded like you said you lost my son, and that you can't find him."

There was a dead silence. Piper felt her stomach drop into her toes. Shaun was missing? What the hell was going on? Mac had to be joking. He simply had to be.

But then she saw the look on his face, and her chest started to heave. Her body had figured out what was going on, even if her mind hadn't yet put it all together.

"The Brotherhod escorted the Institute Remnant into Diamond City. At that moment, there was a suicidal charge by some Quincy boys into the Diamond City perimeter. Paladin Kodiak and the Brotherhood were able to beat back the attack but…but Shaun was gone. I think that he must have run away in fright because of all of the gunfire and explosions. And then I was contracted to find him and…I can't. He's gone, boss."

Instinctively, Piper grabbed Blue's hand and gave it a protective squeeze. She almost whished that she hadn't. Because she had somewhat expected him to go limp in shock. She certainly would have in his position. But as she held his hand, and he instinctively returned the gesture, she noticed that his hand wasn't limp.

It was like holding something made of iron.

And in the middle of everything that was going on around him, Nathanael Greene snapped.

…

"What the fuck do you mean my son is gone?" Nate shouted. He seemed to be have grown at least ten feet tall in his anger. Piper had never seen anything like it. She felt that if she let go of him, he was going to step forward and strangle the life out of MacCready. Even Strong, of all people, seemed to be shrinking away from the General of the Minutemen.

"I'm saying that we couldn't find him!" MacCready said. "And I looked everywhere, chief! I know that the Quincy boys don't have him, but we need to keep looking! And we have to find him fast: all this pussyfooting around cost us such precious time, and now the Quincy insurgency is looking to invade us, and not the other way around!"

"Nathanael, we have to talk. It's about her. It's important!" Elder Maxson said.

Nate stared at MacCready with a look of sheer disbelief on his face. And then he shook his head.

"I DON'T CARE." He snapped. "I don't give a shit about Quincy. I don't give a fuck about Lucy Martel. Shaun, my son…my child is gone! AGAIN! You don't understand, I can't lose him again! I can't!" He fell to his knees in hopeless despair, clenching Piper's hand so hard she thought he was going to break it. "God, you took my wife from me. You took my son from me. What do I have to do to get my son back?"

"You can say please."

Everyone whirled towards the voice. It was a woman's voice, somewhat soft, and yet there was no problem hearing it whatsoever. The first person to react was Nate.

"Shaun!"

He raced forward, and effortlessly lifted his son up into a bearhug, holding him so tight it was a wonder that he wasn't crushing the boy.

"Dad…you're crushing me." Shaun mumbled through his dad's shoulder.

Nate looked like he was about to cry. And then he smiled a little bit and let go a bit, setting Shaun down on the ground and getting down on one knee himself.

"Shaun…don't you ever scare me like that again." He said.

"I know Dad." Shaun said. "And I'm sorry. But I'm here now and I'm safe." He turned around and pointed behind him. "Lucy saved me!"

Then Nate blinked.

"…Lucy?"

He looked up, and met her in the eye.

She was tall. About his height, actually, though he had a few inches on her. She was dressed in leather and rags and an old duster that was falling apart. Her hair was long and dreaded and gnarled with years' worth of wasteland material sticking in it. She looked both feral and beautiful in a terrifying sort of way. Her face was expressionless. She blinked once. It seemed to snap him out of his reverie. Gently ushering Shaun behind him, Nate stood upright.

And the Sole Survivor looked upon the Lone Wanderer.

"Lucy Martel, I presume?" He asked, quietly.

She gave the faintest trace of a smile.

"Been a while since anyone called me that."

"MURDERER!"

Nate whirled around to see where the shout had come from. And time seemed to slow to a crawl.

There was Proctor Teagan, a look of both terror and hate on his face, pulling out a high-powered pistol. He pointed it in their direction. It was far too risky a shot; there were several people in the way between him and the woman he believed killed his Elder. And yet he was going to try to take the shot anyway. Off to the side, Elder Maxson reached for him with a panic-stricken look on his face. His words seemed to echo throughout the Commonwealth.

"Teagan, DON'T!"

BANG.