A/N: This was originally a prompt for FalloutKinkMeme on Tumblr and I highly suggest it if you're suffering from writers block and need some motivation. The prompt goes as follows: FSS, being new to the Wasteland, doesn't know ghouls are sterile. Something happens and Hancock is left with the crushing realization that he can never be a father or make a baby with the woman he loves and has to explain it to her.
Also Alexia is my most used SS so I feel like he's cheating on her if I use anybody else. So for timeline sake this takes place about two months after the events of Drunk in Love and before Lunch Date.
The sounds of Alexia's vomiting could be heard throughout Sanctuary. Hancock held back her long hair as she spewed the remains of her breakfast next to the creek behind her home. For the past week she'd gone through the same phases every morning. She'd wake up, find something to eat and within fifteen minutes she was running out the back door, Hancock not too far behind her.
"It's okay, Love. I told you one day you'd be repulsed by this ugly mug." He rubbed her back softly as her retching came to a halt.
"It's not you, John. It's never you." She gave him a weak smile as she dipped her hands into the creek, eager to rinse her face. Hancock still had her hair in his grip keeping her locks from getting wet.
"Well, Doll, it's gotta be something. This has happened every day for almost a week. I think maybe we should make a trip to Goodneighbor and see Dr. Amari." He released her hair and it came tumbling down, framing her face. Alexia looked at her reflection in the creek. Her skin had lost most of its color, her normal olive complexion was paled significantly. She had bags under her eyes from the many nights she lay awake, unable to be lulled to sleep. Something she had found odd, she never had issues sleeping when Hancock was next to her. Insomnia was a rare case for her, especially to this extent. She's only ever been this sleep deprived twice; when she first rose out of Vault 111 and when she was pregnant with Shaun. Come to think of it, a lot of the symptoms she was facing now were common in her first stages of pregnancy. The nausea, the sleepless nights, even the anemic-like symptoms. Her face drained of color and her eye widened.
"Yea, how soon can be leave?" She used his shoulder for support and stood up, keeping his arm around her he lead her back to their home.
"Give me a few minutes to get you inside and load up our pack and we can head out this morning." She nodded softly even though inside she was panicking. She hadn't even found her son and she was already carrying another.
Hancock led her to the couch and settled her down, handing her a bottle of water and some Med-X. She eyed him suspiciously.
"Doll, you're weak. More than I know you're willing to admit and Goodneighbor isn't exactly an hour's walk away. I'm not asking you to take the whole thing or even half." He kneeled down in front of her. "Love, I know how you feel about chems and you know how I feel about you. I wouldn't ask this of you unless I thought it was necessary."
She nodded at him. These chems were originally made to help people, it's when they abused them to the point of self-harm that she developed and issue. She quickly went over the effects of Med-X during pregnancy. As a lawyer she had dealt with numerous custody cases where the mother became chem dependent while pregnant or breast feeding. Excessive amount of any drug damaged a fetus but chems like Med-X were commonly prescribed in small doses to mothers with difficult pregnancies. It was chems like Psyco and Buffout that had negative effects even with low usage.
"Are you sure, Love? I don't want you to feel forced into this. I just don't want you to get hurt. It's dangerous out there." She smiled softly at him and too off her jacket. She handed her out stretched arm and turned her head. She was a tough bitch in battle but when it came down to it she was terrified of needles. She chuckled to herself at the thought.
John took the Med-X and located her vain. "What's so funny?" He focused all his energy to make sure he gave her just the right amount.
"It's nothing really. Just the fact that I've got the guts to take on a deathclaw or seduce the Commonwealths most terrifying ghoul but god forbid I have to use a needle." She laughed to herself again as she felt the liquid enter her body. Even though the needle itself made her queasy she was starting to feel better.
"Well, I doubt I'm the most terrifying ghoul out there but thanks for the compliment." He smiled at her as he stood, placing the cap on the remaining Med-X. She returned his smile and leaned in for a kiss.
His lips never failed to intrigue her. They were rigid due to the ghoulification but never dry or chapped. He knew how to use them to his advantage. She smiled into his kiss as he pulled away.
"I'll be right back, Doll." She nodded and leaned her head against the back of the couch and listened to his footstep as he walked down the hall and stumbled around the room.
Hancock was a good man and she found herself falling harder and harder for him. He treated her better than Nate ever did. Nate was always very pro-patriarchy and it showed in his actions. He was rough and tough but he was also compassionate and wanted what was best for the people who deserved it. He held high morals that she appreciated. Maybe having a child with him wouldn't be as scary as it sounded. Hancock was always willing to take care of her but he was also more than aware that she could take care of herself. It's one of the things that he found so attractive about her. She smirked remembering the incident at the Shamrock Tap house not too far from Goodneighbor.
They had been told that there were some raiders troubling a local settlement. It was the first time they'd been back on the road since that night in the rad-storm. She had just tried out the neck-breaking technique that Hancock had taught her on the last raider. When she'd released the body it dropped to the floor and she turned to Hancock. Before she could ask how she'd done he had swept all the bottles off a table and was on top of her. It was easily one of her favorite memories. Passion like that was only something she'd read about in her novels. She was jolted out of her daydream daze by a pair of rough hands rubbing the sensitive area on her shoulders. She let out a soft moan.
"You ready, Love?" He asked, kissing the top of her head.
"Mhmm." She stood up slowly, painfully aware of how unsteady she was even with the Med-X to help. "Maybe we should get, piper to come with us. She was talking about heading back to Diamond City anyway." Hancock nodded at her suggestion and they walked out the door and into the streets of Sanctuary.
When they arrived at the Gates of Goodneighbor the dosage of Med-X she had taken the night before was wearing off and Hancock was had lifted her up bridal style. The Watch rushed to open the gates and make way for them. His steps were brisk as he made his way to the memory den. He ignored everything around him. Even when Fahrenheit attempted to stop and brief him. He'd even snapped at her that the girl in his arms was more important than supply chains. She looked offended but turned on heel and left for the Old State House saying that he knew where to find her.
Hancock busted thought the doors of the Memory Den and his strides became longer with more purpose as he rounded the corner to Dr. Amari setting her down on the cot closest to him. His voice was urgent as she started working.
"She hasn't been able to keep anything down but purified water. She hasn't slept more than a few hours a night in over a week, she weak all the time." He hovered over Alexia, her hand in his. "She's been like this since we got the gates."
She nooded and put a central line of Rad-Away along with an IV bag with what could only be assumes to be the same liquid as a Stimpak.
"Follow me. She needs to rest but she'll be just fine." He nodded, kissing her forehead and following Amari out the door to her office area. Amari sat down and looked directly at Hancock.
"You're sleeping with her." He nodded, astonished that she would know. It hasn't exactly been announced that there were together, but it wasn't exactly hidden either. "It wasn't a question Hancock. It was a statement. Does she take Rad-X before and Rad-Away after? Does she limit her intake of radiation but cooking her meals?"
Hancock put his head in his hands, he'd caused this. "She's pretty good about taking her Rad-Away pretty regularly, at least once a week. She cooks all her food before eating, drinks only purified water, occasionally we'll drink alcohol or a Nuka-Cola but it's not often." He paused thinking briefly, "When she thinks about it she takes Rad-X, but there's been more than a few times its been in the 'heat of the moment'." He used the finger quotations to enunciate his point.
"Well, Mayor Hancock. I can see you obviously care about this one and I could understand your lack of awareness about what unprotected sex with a ghoul can do to her. Since your interest," She made a face at the word, "don't frequently travel with you." He nodded understanding what she was getting at. He'd never stayed dedicated to one woman before. "While Rad-Away once a week worked good before the two of you started having intercourse it's not enough now. She needs to take it more regularly, her Pip-Boy should have a radiation meter. Make sure she checks it. If it's not 'in the heat of the moment' make sure she takes her Rad-X. Do you understand me, Mayor?"
Hancock nodded quickly still reeling with what he'd just been told.
"I don't think I need to stress anymore that radiation can kill her, it's very few cases where it's turn someone ghoul instead. The statistics, especially for vault dwellers, are not in her favor. If you care about her, you'll be careful."
Hancock looked at her. He'd always thought about the effects of radiation but it had become so second nature to him that he forgot that she could get sick from it, she was so good about taking care of herself. "Yea, Doc. You have my word. I'm not letting this one go."
She nodded in acknowledgement, "Good, don't. Once she wakes up I feel its best for you to explain to her about the radiation sickness. It'll sound more important coming from you. She'll listen better than if it were to come from me." Without a work Hancock placed a bag full of caps on her desk and quickly returned to Alexia's bedside.
She was awake when he returned to her. Her face had gotten its color back and she was sitting upright but she looked panicked. "Is everything okay?! Am I okay?!" Her sentences were rushed and she was reaching for Hancock. He held her in is embrace.
"Yea, Lex you're okay. Everything's gonna be okay." He was sad and upset with himself. He'd been careless and didn't stop to think about her health during their love-making.
Alexia had mistaken his sadness as something other than guilt and her jaw went slack. Her eyes filled with tears.
"Did I lose it? Was I pregnant? John, please." Alexia gripped him tighter but he pulled away slightly, looking into her eyes.
"What are you talking about, Doll? You can't get pregnant." He looked as genuinely confused as she did.
"Of course I can get pregnant, John. We've never used protection when we've…" She trailed off she hated saying the word and 'making love' was so cheesy it made her cringe.
Hancock bellowed with laughter. She didn't know whether to laugh with him or be offended.
"I'm a ghoul, Lex, or have you forgotten?" She just looked at him. "I'm sterile. I can't have children." With the reality out in the open both of their faces fell. To himself he mumbled, "Even though I think I'd like to."
"Part of me was hoping I was. That's why I thought I was so sick." She said gloomily and rested her head on his chest.
"No, Lex it was radiation sickness. Amari gave me a list of rules to tell you about us having sex." She nodded and tucked her head back to his chest listening to his heart beat. He thought for a moment before speaking.
"Honestly, Doll, I've spent all my life avoiding being a father. For the first time I'm starting to think that being the father to a kid that's ours wouldn't be all that bad." He could feel the silent tears seeping through his shirt, "Hey. Don't cry, love. Look on the bright side." Hancock lifted her chin and kissed her softly. "We've still got Shaun. I know I'm not his real dad but I'll be damned if I won't treat him life I am."
Alexia smiled softly and wrapped her arms tighter around him. "I need to hear that, John. I really did. I care about you and I just wish . . ." He stopped her.
"Maybe one day some scientist somewhere will figure out a way to fix my problem but right now," he paused leaning his forehead against hers, wiping her tears with this thumbs. "Right now we've got each other and now Shaun being missing is more personal." He felt her smile as she finished his sentence.
"Because now it's our son that's missing, not just mine." He smiled even wider, hearing her say it brought some warmth into him and he kissed her deeply.
"Yea, ours."