Chapter 7

"Charon," was on her lips when she opened her eyes. She woke up to Dogmeat bathing her cheek with slobber. It was morning. She remembered how the tall one came to be in her service. Like he said, it really was because of Dogmeat, the handsome dog warming her bed at the moment. She smiled at him and he yipped.

"Hey, buddy. I missed you," she kissed her furry friend. "Have you been a good dog?" He barked, recognising the word 'good' and 'dog' in the same sentence. She laughed.

"Been some time since you did that, Madam," Wadsworth quipped in his electronic cheerfulness. "I assure you. The mutt misses you too."

"I know, Wads." She smiled at her butler. "I missed you too. It feels like I died, went to heaven and God kicked me out." A mirthless laugh escaped her lips. "But I am glad to see you and Dogmeat."

"How long will you stay this time, Madam?"

"I don't know. Maybe until he starts eating properly," she replied indicating Dogmeat's lack of meat on his bones. "Where's Charon?" she asked. Strange warmth bubbled in her chest when she said his name. It unsettled her.

"Sir is sitting on the couch mending his boots. Should you require anything, Madam?"

"Not now," she answered absentmindedly, picturing a pouting ghoul poking at his spiked boots. Indeed, it was the sight that greeted her as she walked down the stairs, Dogmeat wobbling after her. Charon lifted her eyes to stare at her and she suddenly felt naked. So much so that she stopped in her tracks. Dogmeat bounded past her to jump on the couch where he proceeded to nap. After a long silence, the ghoul finally took his eyes off her to give the dog a scratch on his head. She turned, and disappeared into kitchen wondering what the hell was wrong with her and the sudden lack of breath. Mac and cheese, mac and cheese. Where the hell was it?

"It's in the locker," his raspy voice answered her. Great. She was muttering aloud. As she made her way to the locker, she was aware that he was staring at her again. Goosebumps crawled all over her skin as she contemplated why he was having this effect on her when she just knew him for a week. Well, since she woke up it had been a week. When she turned, he was facing his boots again, attempting to sew up some holes.

"I remember you," she told him. "Not everything. But I remember how I bought you and you shot Ahz." He grunted in response. "Your contract… was important to you. And now…" her voice trailed as she fingered her undershirt again, knowing that underneath that was the terms of Charon's contract. She understood now the weight it had on Charon and she wished… She wished she had more sense than to keep it with her when the slightest hint of unavoidable danger showed its head. She sighed. "I'm sorry. I don't know why I didn't give it to you before…whatever happened, happened."

"Boss, there is no need for your apology," he mumbled.

"Yes, there is. The contract was a huge part of you. I should have been more careful with it. I mean, I place it as close as possible to me so that it'd be safe. Instead, now it's on my skin and I cannot pass it on to someone else-"

"It was my fault," he interrupted. "You wanted me to keep the contract but I refused to take it." He turned away. "I disobeyed you, boss." She stood dumb at his confession. This would actually be a good time to ask him about what happened but the clench on her heart tightened. Her instincts knew how to protect her better than she knew. So she continued standing dumb, a box of mac and cheese in her grip.

"What was my first command to you?" she asked instead.

"To fuck you," he replied. "But I didn't obey that either."

"No." She protested, her cheeks colouring. "I had meant that as ...I didn't… I…nevermind."

"You wouldn't be the first employer to ask that of me," he replied easily. Somewhere in his reply was a hint of amusement from seeing her squirm in discomfort. Her cheeks felt warm.

"My first command to you was to call me 'Boss'," she said firmly, knowing that her cheeks were still red. "I didn't want you to call me that actually." She flopped down onto the couch beside the ghoul and her dog. "I wanted you to treat me like an equal but I understand you couldn't do that. I never saw you as an employee but more as an equal who knew everything I didn't about living out here. I wanted to learn from you, almost be like you; as strong, as brave and as patient. You're," she cleared her throat, the strange warmth bubbling under her skin again. "Invaluable in my life. And I thank you. I guess I just wanted to let you know that before it was too late," she finished lamely. Silence stretched.

"You told me that before you went to start the purifier," he said quietly. He lifted his eyes to hers.

"Will you tell me what happened?"

"If that is what you wish, then I will tell you." No. He didn't want to talk about it.