Part two
Hancock laid back in his bed staring at the ceiling, his skin prickling with tension. Layla laid out on his couch sleeping. Her breathing steadied throughout the night. He couldn't just sleep knowing she was knocking at deaths door. The bullet in her shoulder was removed, not without her losing more blood then Henry wanted. He still worked on her.
Hancock still couldn't get over the feeling she gave him, that bolt of electricity flowing through his body. The surge of something, and the brightness he saw within that cold empty…darkness. Shuddering he tried rolling over, his skin felt too hot even as the nights in the Commonwealth were cool. He tossed the blanket off him and sat up.
I need to check on her. He pulled his pants on leaving the petticoat off. The heat was just too much leaving a thin sheet of sweat on his rough skin. Still…
His muscles pulsated as he looked to the young woman laid out upon the couch. Her face turned a shade darker from being inside the sun burn had a chance to heal. Her skin splattered with blood, she had mud and lord knew what else in her hair. She was a mess, but beneath all that he saw a beautiful smooth skin.
Gage was staring at him warily as he laid on her legs. His ears were up as was his guard. Hancock waved to the dog who bluntly ignored him. Gage whimpered looking at Layla.
"She'll be alright boy." Hancock's gruff voice whispered.
I hope. Just gazing upon her he felt that burst of light from earlier. It was strange, he's been with many women. Ghouls and smooth skins. Ghouls he didn't mind being nude with. Smooth skins however were a different story. He also never felt such…strong feelings to one before. This girl was in deep trouble. He knew Pickmens blade when he saw it. He just didn't tell his body guard that. She would end up throwing the poor girl out into the streets to bleed to death without a second guess. He got why she was so protective over him, another reason why he wanted so bad to leave. Hancock sat down on the table and lowered his head. He was tired…so tired of everything. His shoulder's sagged and he sighed heavily.
Emotions weren't a thing he talked about often. Nor felt often. There were many things he questioned. His life, the immortality a ghoul could have or lack thereof. He ran his hands over his bald head, remembering the blonde hair he used to have.
Not many times does he regret turning into a ghoul, this was one of them. He once was a handsome young bachelor who enjoyed the high life and women. Now he was a questionably good mayor, with an obligation to his people.
Quite a 180 if you ask me. He looked at Layla, her head turned slightly, he got a better look at her face.
Her nose was small, her cheek bones sharp and high, her brows were black like her hair with a scar over the left one. The freckles that dusted her face was darker then before. He'd never been infatuated with a smooth skin before. He could see the strength within her and knew she was a fighter.
"Do you normally watch people when they sleep?" A croak came from her lips, he nearly jumped out of his skin as she spoke. Her aymythest eyes glimmered.
"I was just checking on you, would you like some water?" He reached out his fingers running over her face, her skin warm to the touch. Not like earlier when her skin was blazing. Layla was nodding he reached behind him cracking open a can of purified water.
Placing his hand underneath her head he lifted her up and allowed her to drink. Her eyes closed and moaned. He saw how cracked her lips are and he felt horrible.
"I just couldn't go to sleep knowing how close to dying you were." He pulled the can away and she gave him a sad smile.
"Thanks for that, one of the few people out in the Commonwealth who gives a shit." She laid her head back down on the couch, he casted a glance to her half open vault suit. He looked away from the plump white flesh. It wasn't fair to look upon her like that in the situation she was in.
"Never seen a vault dweller before huh?" She chuckled, she was tired he could tell by the tone of her voice. He shook his head slowly.
"Your sister Heather, what did she look like?" He leaned forward to hear her better. Layla's eyes sparked bright with life.
"She has red hair and blue eyes. She's nine. About four nine, hundred pounds max. I cut her hair short, so she wouldn't have been easy to grab. I was wrong." She closed her eyes against the swimming pain.
"She had on a vault suit like mine, less dirty. She looked just like me…she may have the body of a child, but my god she's brilliant." Layla closed her eyes. She never allowed herself to cry, not near anyone she didn't know.
Hancock was different she felt it deep within her gut. Her instincts were never wrong. He may have been a ghoul but something about him made her trust him.
When she opened her eyes he was there, thumbing away her tears. She gazed over him.
"You saw her didn't you…?" She whispered. Hancock nodded slowly.
"They were at the Third Rail, I knew something wasn't right, but I didn't have any proof. They haven't abused her they kept her fed. She wasn't starving she looked clean. Layla they were here a day before you arrived. Magnolia reported in to me." He kept his voice low, whispering to comfort her. Still her eyes blazed fire.
"I have to find them, I have too Hancock. That's my little sister. They stole her away from me!" He placed his hand gently on her chest to keep her from getting up.
"No Layla. If you leave now, you'll die." He couldn't let her do that. He wouldn't. The anger he felt billowing from her was no surprise. Still she began to calm down when she saw the reason.
"You're injured. The more you try to walk on that hip the more likely you'll die. Who would save Heather then?" He sat upright on the table, took the can of purified water and began to help her drink again.
He felt warm tears touch his palm.
She pulled her head away and he put it back down.
"Why do you care I'm a smooth skin, a vault dweller." She turned her head away from him, Hancock listened to the soft sobs.
I need her to trust me…He sat down next to the couch and sighed.
"Of the people, for the people." His motto left his lips and she looked at him, tears staining her face.
"What?" She whispered.
"Of the people, for the people. It's my motto. I'll help those who need help, and I'll hurt those who need hurting. It's just that simple and the Commonwealth gives me plenty of people to hurt." He looked at her.
"You need help, I'm willing to help in anyway." He touched her hand, a tingle running through his spine. He watched the same feeling shoot through her.
Chemistry that's what it's called. He lowered his head slightly.
"You should get some sleep John." Her voice still hoarse yet her lips weren't nearly as cracked.
"I'm fine. I went on a ten-day chem binge before. No sleep then." He was staring at the sleeping Gage.
"Is he yours?" He asked, Layla chuckled.
"Garvey gave him to me. Apparently, he was a stray they found. I took to Gage when I found him at a Red Rocket station. He took to me. He's a sweetheart. Protective but sweet." Her fingers ran over his head.
Hancock watched her pet him and wondered what it would feel like to have her touch him.
"Have anyone special in your life?" Layla asked.
"Gage and Heather are the only two in mine." She laid her hand on Gage's head and closed her eyes.
"No one." He replied.
That brought her head up to look at him.
"What about that Fahrenheit lady? Your guard?" Her tears forgotten for the moment Hancock looked at her and shrugged.
"Chems. Chems have been in my life for years." He replied. She shook her head.
"I saved her life. Mayor McDonough wanted to have her executed for being a Synth. I came in snuck her out a long with the ghouls he was kicking out. I didn't care if you were a synth, or a ghoul. No one deserves a wrongful death." He turned to look at Layla, she was laying there listening.
"He was going to destroy families, take the lives away from children. I couldn't allow that. I took them and brought them here, to Goodneighbor…who was being ran by a tyrant. I went on a chem binge found myself by John Hancock's clothes. You're going to think me crazy, or I hallucinated but I swear Layla they were speaking to me. I put them on…that night I got a band of people together, we took some chems and we butchered that mother fucker." He looked away from Layla, he didn't want to feel the judgement.
"I became John Hancock, the Mayor of Goodneighbor." He rubbed his face, his shoulders heavy from stress. Layla reached out touching his arm. Shuddering from her touch he looked up at her, her hands were rough and calloused. Still the touch either way felt good.
"You did the right thing. You liberated the people who were in hell." Layla grit her teeth as she tried to sit up. He was reaching out to her and she stopped him.
"I need to move before I get antsy." Once she sat up Gage hopped down to the floor, sniffed at Hancock and walked away.
"You took on the name Hancock?" She asked, he was nodding. Layla was already feeling better then the previous day, still sore as hell but better. Knowing her sister was just here made her feel a bit better. She wasn't far off from her and at least they're taking care of her.
"Why would they want your sister?" Hancock asked, Layla looked at him and only shook her head.
"I only started killing their leaders when they stole Heather from me. I don't know why…" She still had her hand on Hancock's arm. His muscles were strong, defined. When she looked at him she saw him as a man, not a ghoul. His muscles showed that. His heart showed that. He wanted to help find her sister. Layla felt her heart skip and her face flush. She never felt an attraction to anyone. She assumed she was just not interested in anyone. Still she couldn't help but look at him. The thought of finally finding someone to help her with her sister, made things seem a little less dark, and hope filled her.
"Are you sure you want to help me find Heather?" She asked. Hancock nodded.
"I need to get out for a while. Being mayor…is nice and all, but someone with that much power shouldn't get comfortable. It's not good." He relaxed when she touched him. His muscles unknotted and he was able to relax. Gage was steady staring at him.
I'm surprised to feel how much a touch could do. They sat in comfortable silence till she chuckled.
"What?" He looked at her.
"Thanks for taking me in John." The sound of his name on her lips made his insides melt. He just smirked.
"I couldn't let such a pretty thing die." His cheeks flushed, Layla's eyes roamed over him. He was without his petticoat, not that she blamed him. It was warm in his penthouse, warm enough for her to pull the blanket off of her and Gage.
Pulling her hand back she managed to move her one good leg off the couch.
"Come sit up here. That hardwood floor must be uncomfortable." Hancock got up and sat on the couch.
"You would be correct. This couch is much more comfortable." He gave her a smirk and she smiled.
"Why did you leave your vault?" He pulled her legs on top of his carefully not to cause more harm. Darkness crawled across her eyes her smile faded.
"Does it matter?" She scoffed.
"I told you my story." He replied, nodding.
"True that." She looked at him, the darkness flowed over into her face.
"In vault 114 they use us women as baby makers. Vaultech found a way for us women to have more twins, triplets. Things that could repopulate the world after the bombs. They put the newborns in this sludge that makes them age faster. Within the sludge are intelligence nanos. They learn everything in the span of six months. After six months they're pulled free and live as adults. Women are forced to repopulate. I managed to find my sister's capsule. Pulled her free. Taught her how to use a gun…" She looked at Hancock, he was listening.
"Apparently parents are chosen based on genetic codes. Who would survive the longest, the healthiest, and the most beautiful. All three were a must…" Sighing Layla shook her head.
"I pulled my sister early, she was mentally older then nine…but physically she was a child. The overseer wanted her himself. She had the rarest genetic code anyone had ever seen. Red hair, blue eyes. I'm the second rarest. Black hair lilac eyes. A genetic deformity. I should've been an albino." She moved slightly uncomfortable due to the bandage wrapped around her shoulder.
"He was going to rape her. I took my gun and I shot him in his head. We left. Five months into living in the Commonwealth she was stolen from me." His hand laid on her leg and she felt him squeeze. The power she felt from him drove her hormones insane. Not only was he power, the power within his body she felt. Her face flushed she looked away from him.
"I've killed hundreds of raiders, bandits alike to find her…I've been all the way from Sanctuary hills to the Salem Museum of Witchcraft. I've ran into nothing but raiders coming after me." Shaking her head the tears stung behind her eyes.
"They don't know what they're dealing with John. My sister can be manipulative and charismatic. She may not be strong, but she's deadly smart. Just like me. I know she can survive. But I took on that parent role and now…" Gritting her teeth back against the coming tears, a sob was stuck in her throat.
"She's a little girl! What would they want with her?!" The flood gates were open, she cried.
Hancock was there, gently picking her up he held her against his chest rocking her. The emotional turmoil, and the raging chemistry her brain became a muddled mess. She pressed her face against the crook of his neck. Her tears were warm against his skin, Hancock didn't understand why he held her, he felt like it was the right thing to do.
Running his hand through her hair, he listened as her sobs turned to gentle sniffling. Laying against him she was able to listen to his beating heart. He held her in such a way that nothing hurt.
Layla didn't want to admit it. She was scared, alone and wanted this. She's never been in the outside world. She managed to escape the vault and now she was on a manhunt to find Heather.
"It's alright, you're safe. No one will hurt you here Layla I promise. I will protect you." He whispered against her ear, the heat of his breath made goosebumps rise against her skin. He smelt of tobacco and soap.
With her eyes closed she buried her face against his neck and laid there. She's never been held or shown compassion. This was the first and she longed for more of it.
Hancock held her gently within his arms aware of the raging heat within his body and the shooting chemistry. The only thing he could think of doing was hold her. He couldn't dare to see the pain in her eyes any longer. He didn't want her to hurt. As he held her she cried. She became venerable and he felt how scared she truly was. Hancock there was so much more then desire, there was the want, need to protect her from the savages of the Commonwealth.
He wanted to protect her from the world. Bright light flooded through the broken windows, touching his face. That was when he opened his eyes realizing he'd fallen asleep with her in his arms. Hand placed against her hair, the silk strains tangled within his fingers. Looking at her he saw the dark circles underneath her eyes, puffed from crying. He felt horrible for her, and he knew what needed to be done.