Sunlight from the windows pierced her eyelids and she squinted in the dim morning light. Sitting up slowly, she looked around puzzled. She was in Hancock's office, at some point in the night someone, more than likely Hancock himself, had taken off her reading glasses, moved her book to the coffee table and put a blanket over her. She smiled, rubbing her eyes. The man in question was strewn across the other couch lazily, hat askew, glasses in the hand that hung over the edge of the comfortable piece of furniture. Edi stretched, the bones in her spine popping loudly. She took a moment to admire the sleeping ghoul before moving to crouch next to him.

She put a hand gently on his shoulder, "Mayor Hancock?"

His eyes snapped open and before she could blink the gun that had been holstered at her side, was pointed dangerously at her temple, the barrel cold against her skin. She squeezed her eyes shut, she heard the click of the safety and the gun was replaced in her holster. Opening one eye, she saw him looking at her sheepishly.

"Sorry doll, old habits die hard."

She exhaled a shaky breath she didn't realise she was holding, "It's ok, if you'd have woken me up I probably would've knifed you in the guts."

Shock flitted across his features then he grinned wolfishly, "I knew I liked you for a reason." Edi blushed. "Want some coffee?" He continued.

"You have coffee?!"

"Yeah." He waggled his brows, "It's my second best kept secret." He got up from the couch, disappearing and reappearing with a coffee tin.

"What's your first?" She asked lighting them both a cigarette.

He took it from her, pointing to the abandoned glasses on the table, "Wouldn't do much for my bad ass image people knowin' I'm as blind as a bat when I gotta work with the books." He turned to pour the coffee into two chipped mugs. "That ain't my best best kept secret though."

She smirked, "Care to part with that knowledge bomb?"

He handed her the cup, as she took a sip he leaned in close to her ear. "I got a massive dick." She choked on the hot liquid. He slapped her back laughing, "Jesus toots, it was a joke, damn don't die on me." She gasped in much needed air.

Good Lord, my mind is going to have fun with that one later.

"Hilarious." She croaked.

He chuckled, taking a seat on the couch she'd vacated earlier. "Now, let's hear about this job. Start from the top and we'll see if we can work out a plan."

She sat next to him. Silent for a minute before giving him a sly sideways glance, she grinned timing it just right as he took a sip of his coffee. "I would think with your reputation, your dick wouldn't really be a secret now would it, big guy."

She bit her lip to keep from collapsing in a fit of giggles as he performed what had to be the most spectacular spit take she'd ever seen. Once he had recovered he turned to her, grinning, his black eyes filled with mirth. It took her breath away. They sat looking at each other for a minute, the atmosphere charged before she couldn't stand it anymore and looked away.

She coughed clearing her throat awkwardly, "So - uh - you're in then?"

He shrugged leaning back on the couch casually, "Eh. I'd like to know what it is before I go jumpin' in feet first."

"Right." She took another sip of the coffee. "Some big shots must've got wind that I was doin' some jobs, ya know for people 'round here because two days ago a man approached me offering 5000 caps for a recovery of some artifact. Now, I done that shit before back home with my best friend. Though that job isn't the best example of my ability to recover things successfully."

"I take it there's probably a long story behind that." He replied, sipping the coffee from the mug in his hands.

"Yeah, real long, I'll tell you that stunner another time. Anyway so he gave me the run down and it ain't gonna be easy. He's sent three different teams down there and only one person has ever come back. A ghoul and well - he was bat shit - raving bat shit by the time they got to him. Muttering about being safe in the light or some such creepy shit. The job was originally a three grand job, but they upped it 'cause of the risks."

Hancock looked at her incredulously, "And you just took it? Just like that?"

She gave him a look, "I ain't a moron, I said I'd see if I could get a partner and that I'd contact 'em when I'd found someone."

"Right. So do you have anything solid? Details?"

She nodded, "It's in a mine, fuckin' raiders have taken up residence, one you get past them, the guy reckoned the mine was filled with radiation, like fuck tons of it, so it's more than likely it will be completely infested with ferals. This job is going to take a lot of fire power, so I spoke to KLEO and she reckons she can lend some power amour in payment of a job I did a couple months back - mind you - she wants them back clean and repaired. That won't be an issue though, because I know how to fix them, and she's got an amour station in her shop."

"Alright. Sounds good so far. What are we after?"

"It's a ceremonial sword."

"A sword." Hancock scoffed, "They are paying 5000 caps for a sword?"

"Yeah." She leant sideways putting a boot on the coffee table. "This thing must be the shit." She tapped a cigarette out her pack, "Hopefully it ain't one of those end the fuckin' world artifacts like the last time." He stared at her. "I really gotta tell you that story sometime." She lit the smoke, breathing it out in a huff. "I gotta tell you though, there's a good chance we won't come back from this, whole teams have been sent and no dice." She looked at him as casually as possible, his eyes were shining with something like excitement, she grinned, "So Mr. Mayor, you in?"

"Impossible odds, a chance at lovely company, and a change of scenery from these four fucking walls?" He grinned at her, "Hell yeah I'm in."