On the rooftop of Homeplate, she could see everything. People were having a good time. Enjoying themselves for once. Katherine hadn't seen that in a long time. It reminded her of the Pre-War times. Back before everything went to shit. She smiled knowing that she had a hand in helping to from the CPG. The only step left was to have their first meeting at Santuary Hills. That would be were the CPG would make their first decisions on how to proceed with making the territories within its borders safe. Only issue was forcing the Brotherhood to recognize the borders. In the distance she heard gunfire and the sound of vertibrids flying overhead. No doubt a Brotherhood patrol or a trader in a pinch.

Katherine sat down on a lawn chair and sighed. She looked up at the moon. It was full that night. A shining beacon of light in the midst of the surrounding black darkness. She thought of Nate. Shaun. Katherine wondered if Shaun was even still alive. Kellogg's memories show that Shaun is at least ten years old. That's ten years of wasted time. Ten years she didn't get to spend with her child. She wondered how Nate would have reacted. How Nate would have adapted to the terrible world that replaced her home.

"It's quite a view." A voice said behind her. Katherine sat up immediately. She recognized the man. "X6-88. Just call me X6." He walked closer to her and placed a hand on her chair. "Don't worry. I'm not here to hurt you." Katherine stared forward. She searched the crowd for James hoping that he'd come looking for her. For whatever reason that was her first instinct. She searched each face, scrutinizing them in the distance. Hoping that she could catch a glimpse of him.

"What do you want?" Katherine asked. She hoped to stall and buy herself some time.

"Just to talk." X6 replied calmly. Almost robotically. He was still looking up into the sky, watching the full moon. He looked down at her. "Is that all right with you?" She didn't respond.

"I've come to make you an offer." X6 began. "The Institute has taken an interest in you." Interest? What's that mean? "You should feel proud. Few people of surface get such an honor."

"And why would I be proud to have been recognized by the Institute?"

"Well, as much as they like to believe it, the Institute does not kill people and replace them with synths very often." X6 claimed. "Only if necessary."

"And necessity makes it justifiable?"

"Perhaps." X6 responded. "Perhaps not. Morals and ethics are not important to me. I am a courser. My job is retrieve synths you see."

"And what does that have to do with me?"

"Nothing. But there is a war coming. The Institute is recalling all coursers and is hoping to protect their persons of interest."

"And why is that?"

"It is Father's wish."

"Who's Father?"

"He is the director of the Institute."

"That's not what I asked."

"But it is the answer you shall receive." Katherine paused and thought for a moment.

"What's your offer?"

"I will take you to the Institute and we will in turn release the girl."

"Which girl?"

"I believe her name is Marie."

"And Shaun?"

"Who?"

"My son."

"Hmm. I'm afraid that name is not known to me. You'll have to ask Father."

"What makes you so sure I'd accept?"

"Because if you don't, she will die. The Institute is done with her. They've conducted all the tests they could possible conduct. They have all the information they need from her. They only need you now."

"Why me?"

"Does it matter? It is Father's will."

"I need to think about this."

"Of course. Take your time. You'll have 24 hours. Then I will come find you." Then a blue flash. Katherine drew his .44 but he was gone. The door slammed open and James ran through it searching for something. He saw Katherine and lowered his guard.

"Sorry." He said before turning around to go back down the stairs.

"No wait. Don't go." Katherine asked. James stopped and faced her.

"I met someone from Institute just now." Katherine began. "He was the guy from Coastal Cottage."

"X6."

"Yeah."

"He made me offer."

"Me too."

"Really?! What did they say?"

"He gave me a holotape. Telling me that Marie was safe and that she'd stay that way as long as I joined the Institute." Katherine paused. That was completely different from what X6 had just told her. "What did he tell you?"

"They said that they would release her so long as I joined them and cooperated with them. I have 24 hours to think about my response."

"That's not a lot of time then." Katherine looked down at the Market where people were having fun. She began to despair. Asking herself: Why can't anything just go right? Why does everything have to end badly for her? James walked over. "It's quite a view."

"It is, isn't it?" Katherine responded instinctively. Despite having just been threatened, Katherine was calmed by James's presence. "What should I do?"

"I don't know." She looked up at him. He was still looking up at the moon. "I think whatever happens, it's your choice. It's your story after all."

"What do you mean?"

"X6 told me that he was here on a mission to observe you. I'd bet that he's still around. Watching your every move."

"Then that would mean…."

"Yup. You're the only one they care about. I doubt I'd be kept alive if I went alone."

"But what about Marie?"

"She has you."

"What?"

"They won't kill her because she's too valuable. It doesn't matter who they are or how advanced their tech is. She is a living cure to the wastelands mutations. A week is not nearly enough time test anything extensively. They're bluffing."

"And if they're not?"

"She has you. They won't do anything to her so long as she is a part of the equation on whether or not you will cooperate."

"And if I don't?" James looked at her and paused.

"I don't know."

"What are we going to do, James?"

"The better question is what are you going to do, Katherine." She looked back at him.

"All of this," he gestured to the market. "was you. You initiated it, you arranged it, hell you even got it to work. They've got a meeting set for two days from now and the delegates are already discussing what to do about the Minutemen. They're all inspired by you."

"They are? No."

"I am inspired by you. I traveled all this way to try to learn what unified groups of people into a nation like the Pre-War America. I was never able to figure it out. That's why I didn't succeed back home in the Capital. But you, you're the answer."

"We couldn't have done it without you thought, James. Give yourself some credit."

"No." he shook his head and stuffed his hands in his slacks. "We wouldn't have been able to do any of this without you." He looked back about the crowd and back at her.

"So whatever happens and whatever you decide. I'll back you up. I think you're better fit to lead everything than I am. I just know how to talk and a bit on how to fight."

"Even the Enclave James?"

"I'll be like Arcade. Advising, maybe a little leading, but you're doing most of the work."

"Why?"

"Cause like with anything, once I'm done here, I'll leave. After it's all over and there's nothing left of value here to me, I'll go. I don't know where, but I know I'll leave and I won't come back for a long time. That's why no one cares about the Lone Wanderer anymore. At least not in the Capital."

"That's not true, James."

"It's true to me. That's all that matters. So before we finish this, I just want you know that we'll finish this together. That sound alright to you?"