I wake up to us landing in the city. We must have been flying for a while. They said we're stopping here so the pilots can rest. We get out and I see a Brotherhood outpost has been set up next to Diamond City. A lot must have changed int he recent times.
We walk inside the gates and down the stairs. The brotherhood heads to the inn to set up room. I luckily bought a home here, hopefully they didn't reclaim it. At city center I see the back of a familiar red reporter coat sitting eating noodles. I walk closer so I'm within ear shot.
"Piper?" I say.
Okay, it's not all bad coming back here, I tell myself. She turns around, her face shows complete disbelief.
"Blue?" She asks.
"The one and only." I say with a smirk.
She slowly gets up and walks towards me. I open my arms to accept the hug I know she'll give me, when instead, she slaps me hard across the face.
"What the hell?!" She yells.
I hold my now stinging cheek, "me what the hell? What about you what the hell?" I say.
"Where have you been?" She asks.
"Nowhere in particular." I say.
"Ladies." A guard says as he walks up to us, "I'm gonna have to ask you to calm down and take this conversation elsewhere. You're disturbing everyone else's peace." He tells us.
I look around and see that everyone hasn't noticed us at all. In fact, they are talking louder than us.
"Yea, wouldn't want to disturb their peace all right." I say sarcastically.
Piper shakes her head, "come on smartass."
She drags me to home plate and shoves me inside.
"So," she says once we are alone, "explain yourself."
"I needed to get away." I told her.
"Oh get away huh?" She says.
"Yes, I couldn't stay here, not after everything that's happened. I couldn't bare it." I say.
"And you just thought you could leave all of us without a word. Blue, we thought you were dead. I mourned you for weeks!" She said outraged.
I nod my head and look to the ground, "I'm sorry." I say.
She walks away and holds the bridge of her nose a moment, "well at least you're alive." She says.
I nod.
"Well," she says, "why don't you take a load off? I'll fix you something to eat." She says.
I nod, "that would be great." I say.
I walk into the living room and see that things have changed dramatically since I was last here. Papers are scattered across the table, toys strewn all over the floor, and news articles stacked as tall as me.
I hear Piper enter the room.
"Here you go. It's just some salsbury steak, but I figured you'd eat anything right about now with the way you look." She says.
"Who lives here?" I ask ignoring her statement.
"Oh, well I didn't want your place to go to anyone else, so I started paying rent, but then me and Nat decided to move in if that's alright. It's just so cramped at the old place and Nat needed a real bed." She explains.
I nod my head, "no that's perfectly fine. I probably would have told you to do that anyways." I tell her.
She nods and we both sit at the table. We eat and talk for a while. She catches me up on how big the brotherhood grew in my time away. Their power in the commonwealth basically skyrocketed after I left. Finally, after spending the rest of the day with Piper, we decide to go to sleep.
The next morning I wake up to the sound of Piper on the printing press. She looks like she didn't get much sleep. I grab my things and walk over to her.
"Well, it's been good seeing you again but I think the brotherhood will start looking for me soon. I better head out." I tell her.
She looks at me and nods, "Well blue, where are ya headed?" She asks.
"The predwyn." I say.
She nods, "alright well don't be a stranger Blue. I can't mourn you again." She says seriously.
"I know." I say.
She comes over and hugs me and I leave home plate.
I find the convoy and walk up the stairs and out the gates with them. We load up in the Vertibird and head out towards the Predwyn.
--
"I'm surprised it's still here." I say after me and the Knight exit the virtibird.
"Yeah well, they still aren't done here." He says.
"Yea, I don't think they'll be finished here for a while." I say.
We reach the door that leads inside when we are met with lancer captain kells.
"Knight." He says but then is surprised when he looks at me.
"Rogers." He says with a dumbfounded look on his face.
"I'm sorry for my disappearance sir." I tell him.
"Apology accepted. I'm just glad to see you after so long." He says smiling.
"You too. So, I expect Maxson wants to see me." I say.
"Why yes, he would. As well as you knight." He says to us both.
"Yes sir." He says saluting him.
We follow Kells over to the bridge where Maxson is looking out over the commonwealth like always.
"Elder Maxson," Kells says, "we found the sentinel."
Maxson turns slowly and I can almost see a smile on his face.
"Rogers, you've returned." He says.
"Yes sir." I say preparing for an ass chewing.
"No need to be so formal rogers. I'm happy to see you alive." He says.
"So, I assume the Knight here has informed you of your promotion and the events that have followed?" Maxson asks.
"As much as he needed to." I answer.
"Good. And now that you're back, we have some pressing matters to discuss about the future of our chapter." He says.
"Sir if I may," The Knight says.
"Proceed."
"Sir, we've been on a very long trip and she just got back. I think she needs some time to clear her head before getting into that." He says.
Maxson is silent for a moment while thinking it over before nodding, "Very well. But I want to hear from you in no longer than two days. I'll hunt you down myself if I must." He says.
I nod, "yes sir."
"Good. Dismissed." He says saluting us.
We both salute back and begin to walk away.