There was nothing slight about his emotions towards the girl. The moment she stepped into that cess pool of a bar, he had his sights set. She looked innocent enough; naive, stupid. Burke had told Moriarty that he was looking for an "opportunist". Maybe this girl was just naive enough to disregard the lives she was taking. A grin spread across his face; he had found his pawn.

Yet when she opened her mouth, he was taken aback. Burke would dare to say that she was educated. Could it be that in fact he had stumbled upon a much more rare treasure? A civilized being in this society of barbarians? But all of his preconceptions were gone from his mind the moment she ran her hand over his inner thigh, and with half-hooded eyes, said, "I live here, lover. Surely, you wouldn't want to hurt me..." She kneeled down, her hand still wandering, dangerously invigorating Burke.

This feeling had never come over Burke, this almost flustered state that had him stumbling at every bat of her lashes. Oh, how the tables had turned; Burke was the pawn, and he couldn't love the feeling more. "I'll think of something," he spat out, clutching his chair as her hand inched unbearably slowly over the thin material of his suit. "You wait here, my dear," and he was off, practically jogging to Tenpenny Tower, his arousal evident.

Beloved,

I must beg your indulgence a little while longer. I am not yet able to send for you. Stay in Megaton. Once my business has concluded, I will send for you, and we will live happily as man and woman.

The memory of your beauty and sweet aroma lingers in my memory...

Have patience my love.

Soon. Soon we shall be together once again!

Your's very truly,

Burke

Burke might has well as been floating on a cloud through Tenpenny Tower. After he had explained to Allistair that the bomb had been disarmed and that Megaton must stand another day, he walked away to his suite with a grin plastered on his face. He was no spritely man - though he did well, he thought, for his age - but Burke found himself nearly breaking into a skip as he walked. And Allistair seemed to pick up on this.

"So this bomb? You say it's disarmed?"

"Yes, Mr. Tenpenny. I'm very sorry."

"... Interesting."

And after an appraising gaze from Allistair, Burke found himself being sent across the Wasteland for some meaningless job that could've been assigned to a true underling. Didn't Tenpenny realize the power Burke wielded? Surely; he was Allistair's "right-hand man", as the guards refered to him. But when Burke attempted to reason, Tenpenny simply said "I can't trust the matter to anyone else, Burke."

That was that.

Burke would have to wait to see his beloved again.