See, not dead. Just...well I guess spacey would be the right word. Excuse spelling mistakes, this time I was just lazy. Will be revised. Next chapter will be longer!

Note Hey guys, I'm looking to change the title of this story. Any suggestions? Or do you think I should?

Remember to review!

"This is beautiful," she whispered, fingers curling over the edge of the carwalk they were sitting on.

He smiled at her but she wasn't focused on him, and that was ok. He just wanted her to enjoy this little moment. He had been promising her for months that he would take her to see the stars and he had finally gone through with that promise. Of course, that meant going into the restricted zone last the bridge. They weren't old enough to be officially allowed to the old train yard. They would be in a heap of trouble when their parents found out they weren't in bed.

He reached out and placed a hand over one of hers. That finally caught her attention and she smiled that dazzling smile that had made him fall in love with his Marie.

And she leans forward at his own smile, pressing her lips against his. His skin erupts into goosebumps and he threads his fingers through hers. So tender...it's their first real kiss, those on-the-cheek smooches unaccounted for.

She feels alive, feels happy for the first time in a long time. He always makes her happy. He...she hoped he would always make her feel like this.

Somewhere down the road, he wouldn't be enough. But, in that moment, he was more than enough. Way more.

Her eyes snapped open, her chest arching as her fingers stretched over the hard floot beneath her fingers.

"Child," a rough voice growled as equally rough fingers gripped her elbow. "Quiet, you will wake the others."

She gaped for a minute while the ghoul helped her to her feet. As he set her on the edge of old couch, she tried to speak again but ended up just shaking while he rummaged in the fridge. She looked over towards where the light of the fridge bathed over a shelf of boxed food and luke warm Cola. A few glowing bottles of whiskey caught her eye but she just shook her head, rubbing her forehead.

The heels of her hands rubbed sleep out of her taught face and she leaned forward onto her knees, wrapping her arms around her thighs. Everything had been going moderately ok and then...what the hell was that dream about? Why dream about him? It made her stomach ache.

She jumped when the fridge door slammed shut and stared at Charon as he approached her. Leather armor...tight leather armor. She shook her head, smiling gently as he offered her the bottle while also grabbing his shotgun from where it was leaning against the loveseat in the corner.

She looked up at him and mouthed (the words didn't want to come out) a 'thank you'. Taking a gentle sip, she was slightly shocked to feel the couch to her right sink and looked over at Charon. He had his eyes closed and his shotgun in his lap. It was terrifyingly large, far larger than other shotguns she had seen in the Pitt and had...carvings in the wooden stock. She couldn't really make out the details of the pictures, but she could tell it took a steady hand to get those kinds of results.

"How bad was I," she muttered, lips still against the rim of her bottle of water.

He didn't answer her and that was good enough. How had she gotten in here though? As she sipped on the water (which tasted too rusty), she remembered a faint spat - mostly on her end - between Riley and herself and...stomping down here. Then everything was a blur. Marie groaned and hung her head, feeling ridiculously...stupid.

When she wakes up the next morning, Turnip is hesitantly surprised to hear laughter in her home. She rolls onto her right side and then sits up, rubbing a hand over her scalp...why was half of her...oh right. Nova had a pair of scissors and a razor last night.

"Ow," she mumbles, stumbling into her door.

Charons bed, situated against the opposite side of the room, was empty. It was never empty when she woke up. He was always watching her, keeping the room as secure as a virgins panties.

"Holy fuck real food," Turnip smiles in awe at the layout on her rickety coffee table.

It wasn't really a treasure trove, but it was more than what she and Charon usually scrounged up. The distinct scent of brahmin steak hung in the air and the bowls of Insta-Mash and Mac N Cheese were heavenly, even Charon was eating with a hint of a smile on his face. Riley was curled in a tattered peach love seat in the corner of the room. Marie and Charon shared the lime colored couch, a space open for Turnip beside Charon.

"Hi Turnip," Marie smiled. "Come eat!"

Turnip took a step closer to the couch, reaching for a plate and spoon, ready to dig in; her stomach was growling like a yao guai. "Where did you..."

"Marie is an excellent cook when she wants to be," Riley muttered, oddly pointy teeth tearing through her meat.

Marie looked down, a light blush on her cheeks. "Charon helped me find a decent vendor in the middle of town. The Stahls didn't have Brahmin and he said Moira would probably try and test on me so..."

"Gob," Turnip nodded. "Well either way, this smells great."

"Tastes great," Riley set her plate in her lal.

After stuffing her face and getting her armor cleaned, Turnip was ready for business. She could see the tension around Riley and wanted nothing more than to get the stranger to speak befkre she popped from the anxiety.

So, Turnip sent Marie out with Charon for target practice and sat with Riley in the small alcove above her living room.

"Don't have all day," Turnip grunted, snuffing out her cigarette; it was her second since sitting down with Riley.

Rileys brow furrowed and then she sighed, rubbing her brow. "I...I need to leave Marie here."

"But..," Turnip raised an eyebrow.

"But...I fear she won't be safe."

Turnip stared at Riley for a long moment then sighed, leaning back in her chair. "Why?"

No sense in telling her that no one was safe in the Wasteland but something seemed to be on her mind and now Turnip was curious. Riley looked out the window (well, it wasn't so much a window as a hole Turnip had blasted with an old plasma rifle) and then back to Turnip.

"Last night...I hear people in power armor moving outside the walls."

Oh, definatly something interesting.

"Power armor," aTurnip muttered.

Riley cocked her head to the right subtly. "So they weren't allies of yours..."

Turnip huffed and crossed her arms over her chest. "The only allies with power armor I had..." her eyes strayed to Rileys for a moment then she shook her head. "Look, Marie...I guess I can keep an eye on her for the time being."

"And the power armored strangers?"

"That might take a little more doing."

If things weren't so tense, Riley would have chuckled. "How about this...you and I go out there tonight, scout a position and set up a nest to see who comes through?"

Turnip thought on it for a minute. "It'll be hard to convince Charon to just let me go without him..."

"Ditto for Marie."

Turnip rubbed her chin. "Well...I guess there's always the contract..."

Riley looked up from under her brow, shoulders tense. "What contract?"