Major plot spoilers! This fic heavily involves the end game twist.
Im not sure why the vaultie had been so eager to protect her ghoul. Thing was a pain in the ass. When he had finally wandered into the chamber in search of his master, he wasn't happy. All I had tried to do was inform him of what happened. The ghoul had seen it appropriate to growl and ignore me. He was more concerned with the barely breathing vault girl.
Poor thing passed in his arms. It didn't feel right, his hideously morphed self holding her so close. He just stared at her with his dead eyes. It disturbed me.
I had seen him before, always following her around like a lost dog. Although she had never seemed to mind his company, something had felt strange about their companionship. The Brotherhood doesn't take too well to ghouls, but for her we had made an exception.
Once he was done, he had looked to me. "You," He hissed, "you did this." His voice full of spite. I attempted to explain to him what had happened, but of course, to him I was still at fault. He didn't even have to say it; his eyes full of unbridled hate.
Once the ghoul…Charon, his name was Charon had finally calmed down I informed him that I was now in possession of his contract. The girl, before facing death had stressed that Charon's happiness and well-being was the most important thing to her. She gave me his contract and strict orders to take him to Megaton to be with some of their friends. If he wanted any different, he would tell them. Along with the orders was a note, addressed to the ghoul himself.
He didn't seem happy to be shoved off with me, not that I couldn't say the same. If it hadn't been the girls last wish, I would have left him there. It still puzzled me, why she had cared so much for him. In those last few moments she had cried and begged for me to take care of him once she was gone.
Why did he mean so much?
Charon made a request of his own, that we bring the vaultie's body back to Megaton to be buried. I, feeling obligated said yes. Our trip there was more awkward than unpleasant. I walked ahead while Charon stayed a few feet behind carrying the girls body covered by a sheet. I could feel him glaring at me the whole time. His hatred for me going so deep that I could feel it in my bones. I didn't attempt to look back. Mostly because I didn't want to see the girls body in his hands again, but I also didn't want his dead eyes looking into mine.
They all looked the same, creepy eyes, rotting skin. It had always freaked me out. How did it never bother the vault girl? She had been young and pretty, not to mention one hell of a shot. It would have been easy for her to surround herself with much more appealing company. Yet she wanted that thing by her side. Always.
Our arrival at Megaton couldn't have come sooner. I was tired and ready to be rid of Charon. When we entered the gates we were almost immediately surrounded by settlers. They crowded, but did their best to stay out of Charon's way. I could sense they were a bit fearful of him. A black man wearing a Cowboy hat emerged through the crowd and got closer. He tried to talk to Charon, ask him what was going on, but the ghoul just looked at him and kept walking.
He didn't stop until we reached the towns Saloon. I had never been to Megaton, but the girl had mentioned this is where Charon should be brought. Charon kicked open the door and viciously ordered all of the patrons to leave the bar immediately. I can't recall exactly what he said, something about ripping them limb from limb if they didn't vacate. His words, let alone his presence had sent them all flying. No one even asked about the dead girl in his arms.
In the end five bodies remained, four living, one dead. A ghoul, much smaller than Charon and much weaker looking, a slutty looking woman with short red hair, Charon, and myself. I could only assume they were the "friends" I was meant to bring him to. Charon just stood there for the longest time, I couldn't understand what he was waiting for. I attempted to explain our situation, "Im Sentinel Sarah Lyons, member of the Steel and Lyon's Pride command-"
The red-head cut me off, her eyes filling with tears. "...is that?" Her question was more directed towards Charon than me. Charon opened what was left of his mouth to speak but nothing came out. And then its as if the whole world falls apart.
The massive ghoul fell to his knees with the girl still in his arms. He doesn't cry, I can't imagine he ever could, but at that moment he looked so broken. Almost as if tears wouldn't be enough. The red-head ran over to him, her sobs only intensifying when she lifts the sheet off to reveal the vaultie's face. The smaller ghoul seems almost frozen at the bar counter. As if he can't wrap his head around whats going on. Soon tears streak down his ruined face as well.
Becoming extremely uncomfortable I step back to a corner of the bar. I had never been faced with such a situation. Three people, two of them ghouls all huddled around a dead girls body. Death is not taken lightly in the Brotherhood. I have lost comrades I have cared deeply for, but it is simply a part of life. You live, you die, you move on. In the Wasteland, you have to.
Here there is something different.
The red-head finally gets to her feet, running now to the smaller ghoul to embrace him. She cries into his shirt collar as he holds her. Its only then that I notice Charon is shaking. He's just staring at the face of the vault girl, holding her body close and trembling. His face contorted into some awful pained expression. For such an intimidating creature he looks so weak.
Eventually the red-head and smaller ghoul compose themselves. The woman has a hard time, but she eventually convinces Charon to take the body back to the vault girl's home. She sends the smaller ghoul, which she refers to as "Gob" along to watch over him for a while. Charon gives me the worst look before he leaves. As if he wishes I would just drop dead already. Its only once they are gone we get the chance to speak.
The red-head runs a hand over her face and sighs, "Who did you say you were?" She asks. If she has any, her charm is lost on me. I force a smile and repeat my credentials. "I was asked by the girl to bring you her ghoul-Charon...Charon's contract. She said she had friends here who would care for him. If he asks for different, thats on you." I hold the contract out to her and she takes it without a thought. "Thank you so much. I don't know what would have happened if you didn't bring this to us. Its what Kate would have wanted." The woman sighs with relief. Kate, that was the vault kid's name. "Oh sorry, I'm Nova. Kate and I were really good friends." Nova shakes her head as if she can't think about that right now. "Anyways, thank you again. Who knows what kind of person would have gotten their hands on his contract."
I ask something I've been wondering, almost wishing, "Why couldn't he bring it himself?" Nova gives a sad smile, "He can't touch the thing. Well, Kate always made it seem like he could but it would hurt him badly." I shake my head, so thats why the girl had needed me. Of course I understood why she had failed to mention such a small detail, we were running on a time limit.
Nova thanks me again, giving me a meal and a drink for my troubles. We should have left it at that. I should have left immediately and started back towards The Citadel. But for some reason I asked if I could rent out one of the bar's hotel rooms. Everything about these past few days had been so weird, but something in me wanted to keep experiencing it. Plus, if Kate was to have a funeral I wanted to pay my respects.
So despite my better judgement, I stayed.
I hope you guys like this! Ive really wanted to do a story like this for a in my personal Charon/Vaultie canon (if thats what you call it) Kate would never really die! Ideally, Charon would go into the chamber for her like if you have the DLC. But I wanted to write a fic based on what would have happened if she did.
