Chapter 36 Distress Call

We tied up loose ends and prepared to leave the next day. Danse and I escaped Piper who wanted an interview with us. I promised her I would come back some day and fulfill her wishes. She deserved that from me. Just not today.

Hangman's Alley was only an hour away normally for me. With this group it would take two. Danse was wearing his armor, of course, as wearing it only makes sense if you're taking it with you rather than lugging it around by hand.

We had been walking for about an hour when, I slowed my pace until I was next to Deacon and Curie.

"So, synthie-girl, how are you managing?" I asked hopefully, and casting a quick glance at Deacon, who nodded slightly.

"I am adjusting, Z, but eet ees overwhelming at times. When you were exchanging your vows with Monsieur Danse, my chest got so tight I had trouble breathing, then my stomach too was affected and then even more! Deacon said that was the feeling of being 'moved' or some such thing. It did feel like my insides were moving around! And then my eyes were overflowing with tears, and I couldn't stop eet."

"It's the body responding to something beautiful that makes one feel wonder or awe. Something bigger than we can truly comprehend. Something like love," I explained. "Strong emotions are felt throughout the body. Let me ask you something, Curie. When you were in battle two days ago, what were you feeling then?"

"I felt very strong and powerful, I felt … anger, umm, that ees not the right word, but eet was like that," she frowned, remembering.

"There will be more to come, Curie, but you are doing amazingly well, I think," I smiled at her and squeezed her hand.

"You see? Even zat makes my chest tighten!" Her beautiful brown eyes widened and she put a hand to her chest.

"I care about you, too, sweetie," I laughed.

"I weel get used to zees, yes? All these bodily feelings that go with emotions? I already am, really," she mused and took Deacon's hand, "Monsieur Dickens has been helping me so very much." She smiled up at him with such innocent sweetness, I almost blushed for Deacon.

Deacon didn't have eyes for me, though; he was smiling back at Curie warmly.

I left them still holding hands, and trotted up next to Shaun and Dogmeat.

"And how is the groom-to-be doing, Shaun?" I asked.

"He's happy," Shaun declared, sounding very sure. "I don't think he knows he's going to meet his girlfriend, though."

"Well, let's just hope they like each other when they meet," I said looking at Dogmeat. He did look very happy. A big doggie grin on his face, with his tongue lolling out. We walked together for a while.

He spoke of the new smithy and armory with longing. He wanted to learn smithing and how to be an armorer too. I shook my head, "You want to be everything! You might have to pick one thing over another, Shaun."

"Why?" he asked seriously.

"Well, maybe not," I corrected myself. Why would I impose limitations on him? He was bright enough where he probably could learn anything he wanted. "You're right," I said, "You can learn whatever you want to. Maybe you could apprentice under Lyle and then Carl and Lynda too. When you're older. I am not ready for us to be apart again for a long time."

"Okay, I guess," he said watching my face. "I wish there were holotapes or books that taught how to do smithing and stuff."

"There used to be lots," I said sadly, "They need to be re-written and re-published."

"Then I'll do that too," Shaun declared seriously.

"I believe you," I said smiling at him.

Then, Hangman's Alley was just ahead.

Before we could knock on the entrance to the small city settlement completely surrounded by fencing made out of everything and anything, the door burst open and Tammy Young ran to us, eyes wide.

"Vault 81 is radioing for help! They are under attack! Right now! They say there are soldiers in power armor!"

"Send your fighters out," I ordered, "I am giving you my son and a few others to look after. Use the ham radio to let the Brotherhood know now. They use 123.1 on the frequency band. Hurry! Then let everyone know that you can, tell whoever is close to converge on Vault 81 and be prepared to fight."

It was only 15 minutes to Vault 81 from here – if we ran we could get there sooner.

"Curie, Deacon, Annie, look after Shaun!" I called back and then started to run. Dogmeat started to come and I yelled, "Go back! You stay with Shaun, Dogmeat!" He whined but turned back to go to Shaun.

We ran. I had my pip boy to take the most direct route, so we were taking the most direct route.

After several minutes, Danse passed me and a moment later so did Dan and Luke. Cutting through the woods over the rougher terrain, we cut the journey time by half again. Ron and Haylen kept pace with me. I was huffing and slowed to pace myself. It wouldn't do to arrive out of breath. Haylen slowed to stay apace with me. To protect me, I assumed.

We heard the vertibirds and heard gunshots before we could see anything.

Oh, no, I thought, all those gentle people! With just a handful of security people they were no match for an armed force.

As I crested the hill, I saw Danse taking down one of The Black League's soldiers. Dan and Luke were taking shots at several others. I watched in horror as Miranda, Gwen, Katy, Neil and Bobby were herded aboard a black vertibird. Their hands were bound behind their backs. There was no way I could get to them and stop their capture.

I did the only thing I could do, and that was aim my plasma rifle and take down as many of the enemy as I could, one after another. Hangman Alley's fighting force came over the hill and joined us.

I could hear more of our people coming, too.

The vertibird with the Vault 81 victims lifted off, even as we took down their ground force. No one shot at the vertibird - no one wanted the innocents to get killed in crossfire or in a vertibird wreck.

A new sound came from the east. More vertibirds.

The BOS vertibirds zoomed in with breathtaking speed. I was fiercely glad to see them. They swooped gracefully and at high velocity to cut off the Black League 'birds. Those BOS pilots were amazing.

And then the Black League vertibirds just disappeared. Into thin air. I ducked behind a tree and searched the sky. I blinked and squinted. They were just gone.

The BOS vertibirds circled in wider and wider circles.

When the last Black League soldier fell, we approached the Vault entrance.

"It's me, Z!" I yelled out, not wanting their security guards to shoot me.

"Z!" It was Scott Edwards, one of the security force, "They took Gwen! And a bunch of others! Rachel and Erin and Austin…and more. We couldn't stop them." He looked horrified. Then he saw the bodies. The armored fallen of the Black League. "Thank you, thank your people for me. The damn bastards. Why? Why would they take our people?"

"I don't know, Scott. But they've taken others too. We're going to find them and we'll get them back somehow. I'll need a list of everyone they took."

"Okay, okay…" he said, sounded lost, "Please, all of you. Come in."

Dan, Ron, Luke and Haylen were searching the bodies of the fallen for any clues or signs of life. Danse and I went into the Vault.

Without their Overseer, Gwen, Scott Edwards as the only surviving guard, took the role of leader. There was no one left to do so.

He called all the dwellers to meet in outside the cafeteria for a head count.

They had taken younger, healthy adults as well as two children, Austin Engill and Erin Combes. Little Ashes was rubbing up again my ankles and I reached down absently and stroked her.

There wasn't much to the story. The soldiers had hacked the vault seal and opened the door. They already seemed to know their way around, and quickly gathered up the people they wanted. Austin's grandmother had gotten to the radio and called for help before they stopped her.

Again, the whole operation had taken mere minutes and seemed very organized and polished as if it had been practiced.

I was rubbing my temples, thinking. I didn't know anymore than I did before, except that they had some kind of amazing stealth tech that allowed them to disappear and be silent in vertibirds! And that they were perfectly willing to leave men behind to die.

Scott was doing a roll call with a list. When he was done, he handed it to me. Several names were circled.

"They took nine of us." He said, sounding beaten and tired. Two of his guards had perished trying to defend the vault. Their names were crossed off the list.

I noticed Danse standing abruptly and striding to the foot of the stairs. I looked up to see what on earth had him moving so quickly.

Arthur Maxson was coming down the stairs, in his own suit of power armor, without his helmet. Three knights were behind him.

The two faced each other without speaking for a few heartbeats. Then Arthur's eyes found mine and Danse might not have even been there.

Danse read the look in Arthur's eyes and his mouth curled down in anger. "Elder Maxson," he barked, "Were you able to follow them for any distance?"

Arthur grimaced and cast a disdainful glance towards Danse, "No. They went stealth." He was staring at me. I felt a blush creep up, hot and uncomfortable into my cheeks. I touched my ring like a touchstone, a charm against this man.

"Z," he said gruffly, "if I could have a word with you, please."

"We can speak freely here," I protested. Then I remembered. I had a hair sample to collect. Now was as good a time as any.

"I would prefer if we could speak in private," he spoke firmly.

"Alright," I said sighing. I nodded at Scott. I stood and as I passed Danse I squeezed his hand. He reached his arm around my waist and pulled me to him. He kissed me possessively. His breath was hot and his mouth soft, slightly salty from sweat, and my lips responded to him, before I pulled back. I understood his need to make his claim public.

Arthur might have had thunderheads over his head. He was scowling at Danse.

I stepped in front of Arthur. I cleared my throat. "Then come, I have a place we can speak privately."

I had been given temporary quarters in the Vault and had an open invitation to live there if I every chose to. He followed me up the stairs.

I took Arthur to this room and shut the door.

He exited his armor and rolled his shoulders, and tilted his neck back and forth to loosen it. Then he came and stood close to me. Very close.

"You were responsible for calling us to help, were you not?" he asked. I could see the anger behind the tightness in his mouth. He did not like what he had just seen.

"Yes, I was. If they hadn't had that stealth technology, you would've stopped them. Thank you for responding so very quickly," I said.

"Good, very good…" he said. Then he just looked at me. Then he looked me over even more carefully. My hand went automatically to my growing belly.

His eyes grew large, his eyebrows climbed and suddenly he grinned an ear to ear smile.

"You're pregnant," he breathed in wonder.

"Yes, Arthur, I am," I replied in a soft voice.

He grabbed me then and placed his own stamp of ownership on my mouth. And I let him, while I grabbed at his hair with both hands, and in the pretense of passion, I pulled several hairs out.

Then I pushed him away forcefully, "Enough, Elder," I snapped. "Behave yourself."

I closed my hands around my prizes. My child's guarantee of life.

"Z, I…" he started, then paused, his pupils were dilated with desire, his lips wet from our kiss.

"I kept to my bargain, and will continue to keep to it," I said firmly. "Now, what did you need to see me alone for?"

"I didn't need to. I just wanted to have you to myself." He started to reach for me, saw the look on my face, then pulled back, "I miss you, Z."

"You need to find someone else," I said, "I care for you Arthur, but I love Danse. We are married now."

His nostrils flared, and his nose wrinkled in disgust. "You know how obscene that sounds, don't you? Married to a synth? You are better than that, Z. I am the man you need. The man who loves you with more passion than a hundred men. And I am not giving up. I will win you in the end."

He turned, and climbed into his armor, then clunked out. I waited, breathless until I heard him and his Knights going up the stairs and out of the Vault.

I let my breath out all at once and sat in my chair, weak in the knees. I was going to drive the poor man crazy with mixed signals I gave him.

Then, very carefully, I found a small glass and carefully brushed the hairs I had pulled from his head into it. I carefully covered it with a small cloth and tied it over the top. Gingerly, I placed it in my side pack. There were several hairs, roots and all. Plenty for Curie, I was sure.