So how was the first chapter? There might be some grammatical errors in this chapter and it's because I dun have a beta, so if anyone wants to beta-read for me, I would be very appreciative.

And now onto teh story…

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"Yeah, I know them," said Lylia. She turned the Nuka-Cola bottle in her hands and studied the label so she had something to look at other than Burke's face. "You sent them after me."

"I did not. I sent mercenaries after you that weren't Talon," answered Burke. "I was still too enchanted by you to have the heart to send them after you."

"Anyways, what do you want with the Talons?" she asked as she bit her lip.

"I need you to exterminate them," Burke said coolly. It could've been as though he were talking about the weather.

"What?" cried Ly. "You want me to do what?"

"Lylia, please don't make so much noise."

"It's not Lylia, it's Ly."

"Lylia isn't your name?"

"It is, but only my father called me Lylia," she said as she began to turn the bottle faster.

"Well then, Ly, I still need you to exterminate the Talon Company."

"Why?"

"I contracted with them to exterminate a group of Ghouls that had taken up residence where the gang of Roy Phillips had been. One-hundred caps per two Ghouls—"

"Two?" Ly interrupted. "Why not every one Ghoul?"

"My dear, Ghouls aren't full human. They are at least half of one, so it was reasonable," reasoned Burke. "May I please continue uninterrupted?"

Lylia sighed and nodded, irritated by his dismissive treatment of Ghouls.

"Needless to say, they failed. They demanded payment and I denied it to them. Now, they have a contract out for my head and they won't stop until they have my head. There have already been two waves of Talon mercenaries that have attacked Tenpenny Tower. The guards were able to fight them off, but I don't know how much longer they can keep them away."

"So basically, you're just trying to save your own skin," Lylia said with a hint of contempt. She had just remembered when she had burst into their home after killing many feral Ghouls and aiming her gun at Bessie Lynn, Roy's girlfriend.

"Not just mine, but the lives of all those living at Tenpenny Tower; just imagine being thanked by all of the residents again and again," said Burke with a hint of exasperation.

"And just how useful is the thanks of a Tenpenny resident?" Lylia shot back at him. "As far as they care, I'm a dirty, poorly-bred brat who is too stupid to know not to associate with Ghouls."

"Ly, how much would their thanks be worth if they paid you a hundred caps for each Talon you kill?"

"They still wouldn't be worth Brahmin shit. The caps would be coming from you, not them. Plus, I'm not greedy," she answered.

"I doubt that you are, but it does not change the fact that you would get more than at least a thousand caps in two weeks if you look hard enough."

"I can't be persuaded by caps," answered Ly shortly.

"Then let me persuade you with adventure," he said. Lylia shifted uncomfortably.

"You would be traveling the Wastes in search of Talon Mercenaries; fighting Deathclaws and Raiders and everything in between while hunting the mercs down. Just imagine it," he said.

"I am imagining it and I see danger and pain," said Ly. "And I don't want it."

Burke sighed and looked around at her house. Ly looked down at Dogmeat and sighed. She couldn't say she wasn't tempted by the offer, but she had so much to lose for just a thrill. She could lose the two most precious things to her; Hume and Dogmeat. Everything and everyone else was just second compared to them. Burke seemed to know what she was thinking and added, "You could take your animals with you. They could guard us."

Lylia's mind backtracked; us? "Why is it 'us'?"

"Because I'm coming with you to—shall we say—supervise your work," he said nonchalantly.

"Not me by myself? I can bring fingers back," Lylia suggested.

"Are you agreeing to work for me?" asked Burke with a smile.

"No! Just...suggesting," Ly answered quickly.

"Oh, but you are. You're starting to wonder how many caps you would get killing bad men and how much redemption you would get from each kill."

"Burke, I—your offer is very tempting, but I...I can't. I have too much to lose here," she replied as she ran a hand over her hair that was slicked back into a pony-tail that was never let down. Out of nervousness, Lylia began scratching at the skin underneath the cloth of her pants, just above the kneecap. 'Why is it always itching?' she thought to herself.

"Yes, but Ly, you'll be free," he said, emphasizing the word "free". Burke saw the look on Lylia's face and added, "To a degree, of course."

Lylia sighed and looked around as she picked at her skin even harder. Burke knew how to persuade people to do even the worst and she knew she was no exception. He had preyed upon the thing she had wanted most since she had settled down; adventure. Ly's life had gone from thrilling to sedentary in almost one day. She couldn't say she didn't miss the thrill of dodging a Yao Guai's paws and had admitted to herself a long time ago that she was an adrenaline junkie; she had even gone into a Deathclaw nest with Charon once to get her blood pumping. Now he was offering it to her for pay, which was almost too good to be true.

Finally, she looked at Burke, who was watching her with a hawk-like intensity. Lylia sighed and closed her eyes slowly.

"How much would I be getting?"

A wide smile spread across Burke's face as he answered, "A hundred caps a Talon merc."

Lylia scoffed. "I don't kill for one hundred. I'll do it for two."

"One twenty-five caps."

"One seventy-five caps."

"One fifty. And that's the highest I'll go," said Burke.

"Fine. I want a companion too," said Lylia.

"I am coming with you," Burke pointed out.

"Yeah, but I still want a companion. Just to be sure you don't…try anything."

"Why would I do anything to you my dear?"

"I'm not your dear," Lylia sneered.

"Then my dear, what are you?" he asked as his face twisted into the smirk she hated so much.

"I dunno. Just...not that," she said as she shifted.

"I make you nervous?"

"I'm not nervous, just…uneasy."

Burke laughed deep in his throat. "'Nervous' and 'uneasy' mean the same thing, Ly."

"You know what I mean," she said automatically.

"I make you wary because you don't know whether I'm going to shoot you or not," he said. "You have irrational fear."

"I do? You did threaten to shoot me if I told anyone about your plan for the bomb," reasoned Lylia.

"And I thought we were past that little spat."

Ly snorted. "What gave you that idea?"

"The little fact that you're talking to me is one," Burke pointed out.

"It doesn't mean I trust you."

"Fine. So are you agreeing to my offer?"

"I get three weeks before I go to Tenpenny Tower, I get a companion, and I get 150 a merc."

"Yes. That is a good deal."

"And I get a week's break after each month," she added. Burke paused and figured her new requirement into the contract. Finally, he nodded and looked at Lylia.

"Fine. We meet up at Tenpenny Tower in three weeks with your companion. We hunt Talon mercs for 150 caps a head and have a week's break after four weeks of working," Burke said as he outlined the contract.

"Yep, shake on it," said Ly.

"Excuse me?"

"Shake on it. That way I know we both agree on the terms."

"I doubt the simple gesture of a handshake is going to solidify our agreement," said Burke. He seemed appalled at the idea of touching Lylia.

"Just do it," she said exasperatedly.

Hesitantly, he took her hand and held it for a second. Lylia was surprised at the roughness of his hands and had always imagined them as soft. They shook briskly and disconnected almost immediately after.

"Well," Burke coughed as he stood up. "I shall see you in three weeks."

He walked over to the door and opened it just as Andy was about to walk in.

"Well, I think you two have a lot to talk about. I shall be seeing you."

With that, he was gone, leaving Andy and Lylia staring at each other.