\111/

Nick gave a partial laugh as they carried Kellogg out through the front of Fort Hagen,

"New sheriff in town, that's one I haven't heard of for a while. What brought that on?" Nick said, going over the dialogue between himself and Nate.

"The Commonwealth is going to remain lawless so long as there isn't anyone willing to enforce the laws in place. It needs a system of justice, Nick."

"Yes. I'm all for you so long as we keep putting the grind to the Institute. The Commonwealth is lawless enough as it is without the Institute mucking about."

"Good to have you on board."

"Say, why are you being so cagey about your past, Nate? I know it's a lot to digest, and you've been focused on other things, but why the runaround with Piper?"

"It's a long story, and I don't have all the answers. Mainly speculation and guesswork."

"Well, what's the first question that's been burning in your mind that you don't have the answer to? Maybe just by talking about it we can figure it out, or maybe some new perspective might shed some light on the situation." Nick offered.

Following the same path they took, they were passing Forest Grove Marsh, and crossing the bridge to the outer Fens.

"I already know the answer, Nick, I just haven't had the time to figure it out before now."

"Well, What is it?"

"A time line, Nick."

"A time line?"

"I'm actually surprised you didn't bring it up at your office."

"Okay, right. Of course, how could I have forgotten? So..when did this happen? When did Kellogg here shoot your wife and kidnap Shaun?"

"That's it, Nick. I don't know. But I can find out. I was going to take Piper and show her Vault 111. I've been putting it off, and I was going to take her after I finished talking with you in Fenway park. I didn't expect you to know who Kellogg was, or that he was living in the stadium. Everything took off in high gear after we got back to Diamond City. You knew exactly who he was, and where he lived, so we've been going hard ever since."

"What's in Vault 111 that can tell you what you need to know?"

"A computer log. Time and date stamps for when the Vault door opened and closed, times and dates for when the cryogenic pods were opened and closed."

"And that will give you a timeline?" Nick asked.

"Yes. Kellogg was reluctant to tell me if it's been ten hours since I got out, a few weeks, a decade, or an ungodly amount of time. Either way, I need to prepare myself for the eventuality that when I find Shaun, he might be older than me. I didn't check when I ran back for the cryolater, but once Kellogg's hung, and dead, I'll have all the time in the world." They got onto the main highway leading to Mass Pike Tunnel West, and got off the road leading to Fenway Park, now marked Diamond City leading towards uptown.

"That's a hard pill to swallow." Nick said.

"If you think that's crazy, how would you like to hear a message meant for you?"

"A message? What do you mean? What?" Nick asked, motioning to let Kellogg down.

"Listen to this." Nate said, tapping onto the files in his Pip-Boy, then going to recordings, down at the bottom of the alphabetical recordings was a file labeled 'We're done.'

Nate tapped the play button and Captain Widmark spoke to Detective Nick Valentine, two hundred and ten years in the past.

"Detective Valentine. Nick. Listen...I'm sorry."

"What the heck is this? Is that...?" Nick asked Nate.

"Keep listening."

"You've got every right to by angry, but you need to believe me when I tell you I had no idea. Operation Winter's End was my Baby. I believed in it, I still believe in it. They kept us all in the dark, me included. I got briefed this afternoon, and they laid it all out."

Nate fired another round from the cryolator at Kellogg, making sure the ice stayed thick around him.

"The whole thing. Winter's deal with the DA. His agreement to take down the other families. It was his idea to use the holotapes to set up the other families, along with them needing a legitimate op, a real task force, to make it look like Winter was the focus."

"Eddie Winter." Nick Valentine relented to Nate, it was filled with loathing.

"It was the plan all along, Nick. There's nothing we can do, Winter was a stoolie for the feds, he reported directly to the BADTFL. All on the books. For his cooperation, Winter was granted total immunity. It's over."

Nick scowled, the memory coming back in full force. "Effective immediately, Operations Winter's End is to cease all investigations and operations. The task force is hereby disbanded."

"Disbanded." Nick repeated, putting his metal hand to his forehead. Looking to South Boston, gazing out over the city towards the coast, he was struck silent.

"We played out part pal, not the part we thought, but hey, it happens. Now we're just another box in the file room." Captain Widmark's voice said. Nick was shaking his head.

"Shit happens!" Nick said loudly.

"Shit happens! That's what!" Nate said, agreeing with him.

"Nick, listen to me, Everything's that happened...Everything with Winter...Everything with Jenny... It's more than anything one man should have to handle. You need help."

Nick frowned. "I don't remember what happened to me or how I became a synth." Nick said.

Nate paused the tape. "It took me a while. but I know exactly where the Institute is located. You said in your office you were thrown out?"

"Yeah. I woke up in a dumpster and wandered the wasteland for weeks, thinking I was still human."

"Listen to the rest. This tape proves it. I know exactly where the Institute is located now." Nick's eyebrows rose, could Nate piece together where the Institute was?

Nate played the rest of the tape. "Boston PD has been working with the eggheads at C.I.T. Some new program they have to deal with trauma, scanning brainwaves or some such. You're going. That's an order."

Nick stared at Nate longingly, wanting to hear more, but they both pieced the rest of the story together.

"Cambridge." Nick said, putting a hand to the side of his face and touching his cheek.

Nick Valentine went to the Commonwealth Institute of Technology, two blocks away from Diamond City, directly across the Charles River. Nick swallowed, then sunk to his knees.

It was hard to do in power armor, restricting some of his movement. He ended up throwing a hand out for support. Laying on his right side, his hand left tensed and twitched. For a moment, Nick swore he could feel the touch of his own flesh between his metallic fingers.

"Damn, I've been out here for seventy years...trying to figure out what happened to me, and everyone was going off their rocker trying to find the Institute. Here you are, and you put everything into perspective in less than a week." Nick said.

Nate helped Nick back up to his feet.

"It's been a long time coming."

\111/

"Nat!" Piper yelled as she ran down the stairs to home plate. She was out of breath and sweating across her brow. "Nat!" She yelled again, alerting her sister.

"Get your shit packed! We're leaving in five for Goodneighbor! Bring the tape-recorder!"