She'd been in the thing all fucking day. Charon stood, his stomach clenched with fright and nerves, sweating as he loyally and patiently waited by the hatchery door. He hadn't noticed anyone alive in this vault, his only company being the occasional passing robobrain. He was too anxious to eat or drink or move. He vaguely had the notion that Noel would be locked in that goddamn egg forever, and that he would die in this spot, right where he stood.
A deep frown was etched into his grim face as time passed painstakingly slow. He made a vow to himself that when and if Noel should ever be released from the damn thing, he would confess all the things he had been thinking and feeling and fucking desiring about her. With a disgruntled sigh he knew he could never do it. If Noel got out of there, well, he knew he would be weak and he'd never utter a peep about it.
All this time without her made him unbelievably uncomfortable. It was just him and his thoughts and he hated his thoughts. He wished he could find a bat or a pipe and break the goddamn glass of her little egg enclosure, pulling her small body through and cradling her in his arms. He wanted to kiss every inch of her and make her swear that she would never do anything so stupid again. He knew that he couldn't or he would have tried it already. The hatch was sealed shut and the window was too fucking small for her to fit through anyway.
He groaned loudly, hating himself for allowing her to enter the thing. Who knows what was going on there right now. He turned his head to look through the window, his arms folded. He narrowed his eyes as he saw her. She had been in that egg for hours now and hadn't moved or spoke or registered any emotion on her face – what little of it he could see with that goddamn thing in the way. Now she was thrashing her head around, her face contorted in pain, tears rolling down her glowing skin. The sight of it made Charon crazy. What the fuck was that thing doing to her?!
"Noel!!!" He screamed, banging on the hatch with his fists. "NOEL!!!" He looked briefly at the computer screen before deciding that there was nothing he could do with it, nothing that it could tell him that could be of any use.
"NOEL!!!" Somewhere in the background he could hear a robobrain trying to shush him. He ignored it, banging on the window of the hatch until his fists were sore. He clawed at the hatchery's latch, desperately trying to pry it open with his strong fingers. His teeth were clenched with the effort, saliva seeping from the corner of his mouth as he tried to lift the hatch open with all the strength he had.
Nothing. Absolutely nothing. It hadn't given a centimeter. Charon peeked through the window again. Noel had stopped shaking in her chair, but the tears still welled down her fragile face, dripping softly from her chin.
"Enough of this," Charon growled as he unholstered his shotgun from his back. He knew he wouldn't shoot it, for fear of damaging one of the many pipes or valves that ran the life support to Noel's enclosure, but he could use it as a battering ram. He spun the shotgun so that the rifle was pointed beyond his ear and began beating it, with all the force he could muster, against the side of the egg's enclosure. He repeated the action, over and over again, trying to crack the window or break the latch. His thick muscular arms flexed with each hit and eventually began trembling with the effort, but to no avail. There wasn't even a goddamn dent. Charon slumped down against the metal encasement. His body soaked in sweat, his throat dry, his muscles completely spent. He realized that his hands were covered in their own blood, blistering and bruised from his long repeated slams with his fist and shotgun.
He remained that way for hours, letting the blood flow, dripping on the cold metal floor, before eventually caking on his fingers. He sat with his legs crisscrossed, his head bowed down in defeat. She was hurting and he couldn't help her. She would be in there forever, gradually rotting into her chair like the rest of them. His stomach churned with the thought of his beautiful master slowly deteriorating before his helpless eyes.
Late into the evening he was still sitting, eyes closed, mind and body numb when he heard a small hiss come from above him. He stood up in a flash and watched, almost disbelievingly, as Noel's egg enclosure slowly swung open.
She emerged, rubbing her bleary eyes, her face blotched with red. She stood on the floor of the enclosure, her legs shaking.
"Noel?" Charon asked, his voice sounding small and frightened.
She was unsteady on her feet and continued rubbing her eyes as if adjusting to this new environment. "Charon?" she asked, sounding equally afraid.
His heart pounded in elation, his breathing heavy and hard in his own ears. "Yes, Noel. It is me." The words couldn't express the indescribable joy he felt at seeing her before him once more.
She was still crying as she spoke his name. "Charon?" she asked again, her voice cracking.
Charon reached up to her with his arms, the thick red flesh stretching as he pulled her down to him and away from the egg enclosure as quickly as he could. "I am right here," he soothed as he lowered her to the floor.
As soon as her small feet touched the floor he was on her, his arms wrapped tightly around her body, her face pressed up against his broad chest. The top of her head was right below his chin, and without thinking, Charon felt himself bend down to kiss it. She looked up at him with a start, her blue eyes watery, her arms curled to her chest and her body trembling slightly in his arms. Fully aware, yet out of control, Charon felt himself bend to kiss her again, resting his rough lips on her smooth silken forehead. He kept them pressed there for a long time, a small gasp escaping his lips, as he realized happily that she was back with him again. That goddamn thing hadn't killed her after all.
Noel's eyes were closed, her lips pressed together in a fine line as she allowed the ghoul to hold her. Her trembling had slowed to a stop in the seconds since their reunion. Finally Charon pulled his lips away, staring down at his master. Her eyes and face were a question and she looked back at him, searching. Suddenly Charon realized what he had done. He was frozen with her in his arms, knowing that he had done something wrong and waiting for her to come down on him for it. Wolfgang had warned her that her ghoul was "too protective" and now she had clear evidence that it was true. His mouth was open, soundless, as he struggled to say anything that might explain his actions.
Behind him he heard a noise that he immediately registered to be human – or at least, not a robobrain. He realized at once that his shotgun was on the ground, feet away from where he stood now. He growled at the disturbance, angry at himself for becoming separated from his weapon. He removed an arm from Noel's waist and slowly slid his fingers to the steel combat knife he kept at his belt, his eyes to the side searching for whatever was out there, when suddenly he felt Noel pull herself from what remained of his grasp.
"Darling," he heard a voice say in an accent. "I can't believe you're here."
"Dad!" Noel gasped, throwing herself into the arms of her father.
Charon watched surprised, as the father and daughter embraced. James was holding her tightly, stroking her ponytailed hair with a look of pure joy on his face. He kissed her head again and again, the same spot where Charon's dry lips had unthinkingly been only seconds earlier.
With a twinge of regret Charon looked away. He suddenly felt like an intruder in a very private moment. He moved slowly to pick up his shotgun and holstered it gently between his shoulder blades. His face was grim as he realized that he had damaged it in his failed rescue attempt. The butt of his shotgun would need to be replaced, though the rest of it looked fine. He tried not to think of it and kept his back to his master, not knowing what came next.
He could hear them talking behind him. Their voices were quick, excited, and anxious at the same time. He tried to tune out their conversation but he just couldn't. She was asking him about the vault, why he had left, and about her mother. James answered her every question patiently and delicately. His voice was smooth and soothing. Charon understood why Noel was so desperate to find him. He could feel the love between them and it made him feel as though he was even more of an outsider than he had thought. There was so much about the girl that he didn't know.
"Dad," Noel said gently, as she closed the space between she and Charon. "I want you to meet someone very special to me." Charon lowered his eyes uncomfortably.
"Charon, I'd like you to meet my father." Her voice was delicate as she spoke to him.
Charon turned around and with a small grunt straightened himself out, standing to his full height. He looked down at James, taking in his features that suddenly, he could see in Noel. They had the same eyes, the same bone structure. He realized that she looked a lot like her father.
James smiled politely, his eyes still warm with the enjoyment of having been reunited with his daughter. "It's a pleasure to meet you," he said, extending a hand.
Charon took it mechanically into his own, noting that the man's hand wasn't nearly as rough or calloused as the ghoul's. It seems James had an easier life than most. He grunted an acknowledgement and looked at Noel, wondering if she would release him from his contract now that James had been found.
But Noel ignored his look and began peppering her father with questions once more. Charon stood stoic, listening to their conversation, awaiting an order from his master. Just by listening, Charon could tell how deeply James loved his daughter. He wondered if Noel knew how lucky she was to have someone care for her like her father did. Cynically, he wondered if James knew the same.
"I need to get back to Rivet City, sweetheart," he heard James say to his daughter. "I've got to speak to Madison Li. I know that with Braun's information she'll jump back aboard Project Purity."
"Do you have to go now?" Noel pleaded, "Can't it wait?"
"No darling," James soothed. "I'm afraid it can't."
Noel sighed, looking up sadly at her father. She pushed a lock of strawberry blonde hair back behind her ears as she hugged him again.
James chuckled as he pulled her close. "It would be nice if you came with me. I'd love you to be there when we open the floodgates for the purifier."
"Dad," Noel grumbled, "you're incorrigible."
James laughed and released his daughter, his voice paternal and sincere. "I would love it if you could be there with me, but I understand if you have something else that you need to do. Just promise me that you'll meet me back at Rivet City."
Noel looked away from him, glancing at Charon sadly before returning to her father's warm face. "Don't be silly dad," she said gently. "Of course I'm going with you."
There it was. The words were daggers in Charon's heart. She was leaving him.
"That's fantastic, darling," said James. "Come on then. We need to leave right away." He kissed his daughter once more on the forehead before turning and heading back towards the vault entrance.
Charon was stood immobile. What would she do with him now?
Noel sighed before calling after her father. "Wait a minute dad. I'll be right there."
"Of course, hon," her father replied, his voice coming from down the hall. "I won't leave without you."
Noel looked at Charon and slowly shook her head. "Charon," she said, her voice on the edge of breaking. "Can you believe this? We actually found him."
Charon nodded slowly. He forced himself to speak. "I am happy for you," he said in a throaty voice, feeling completely lost already.
She reached into her pack, her fingers delicately pulling out a folded piece of paper. Her eyes were still puffy from the tears she had cried earlier. The aqua of her irises seemed to glow against her red rimmed eyes.
"I know," she said slowly, unfolding his contract, "that I said I'd release you from your contract when I found my dad. If he's made it all this way on his own, we can make it back to Rivet City together. I don't want to keep you captive any longer than I already have."
Charon nodded. Here it came. Freedom. He fucking hated the thought of it.
Noel sighed and bit her lip. She held the open paper out to Charon. "Here," she said with a forced smile. "It's all yours. You've definitely earned it."
He couldn't move. He just watched her, his eyes trying to memorize every minute detail about Noel in this one moment – her skin, her eyes, her hair – he felt like he would be seeing them all for the last time.
"Go on," she said quietly, slowly fanning the paper in front of him, "take it."
Charon frowned and his eyes narrowed at the paper. That goddamn contract. He'd never hated it more until now.
Noel raised an eyebrow, her face still looking sad. "Should I rip it up then?" she asked cautiously.
Charon shook his head quickly. "I do not know what would happen to me if you were to do that," he admitted quietly. He had never remembered not being under control of the contract before – for it to suddenly be destroyed… he didn't know what it would do to him.
She sighed, her eyes beginning to well with tears. "Please then Charon. You have to take it."
Charon grimaced, swallowing hard as he asked her. "Is that an order?"
To his surprise she shook her head sadly, her big blue eyes looking up at him as though she were being punished.
"No," she said slowly. "I'm not ordering you anymore."
Charon was silent. He reached out and slowly took his contract from Noel. He stared at it and then looked to his master. A lone tear fell from her face, her lips a thin line and her forehead wrinkled as she watched him. He smiled at her grimly, not knowing if what he was about to do would create for him a world of misery or bliss. With one deft motion his skilled red fingers, thick with dried blood, fluidly folded up the contract and placed it back into Noel's hand. Her expression was one of confusion as she eyed Charon with large eyes.
"What are you doing?" she asked astonished.
"Going through the wastelands by yourselves is an unnecessary risk. It may be dangerous for the two of you. Especially," he gave a small crooked smile, "if there are mines about."
Noel watched him, her mouth agape, oblivious to the fact that he, for once, was teasing her.
"What? Does that mean…" she sounded unsure as she watched the ghoul through skeptical eyes, "… that you're coming with us?"
Charon nodded, his eyes gleaming. "I will accompany you for as long as you wish for it to be so. You may have changed in your time away from the vault, but you are still in no condition to survive in the wastelands on your own. You are reckless and impulsive and are a danger to yourself and others."
Noel snorted, registering that he was poking fun of her now. "You're kidding me right?" she asked, testing the weight of his words.
The ghoul shook his head with a grim smile. "I do not joke about your limitations, of which there are many."
Noel's mouth was an 'O' of shock. Letting his words sink in she finally gave him a snarky smile. "Who are you?" she asked with narrowed eyes. "And what have you done with my Charon?"
Charon suppressed a smile. He looked down the corridor where James had been headed. "Your father appears to be in a hurry. I do not think that we should keep him waiting."
His master watched him, awestruck. She blinked quickly and shook her head before walking past Charon, giving him a quick jab to the ribs as she passed.
"Fine," she said jokingly, "but don't think that I'm gonna drop this so readily."
Charon grinned behind her. He watched her get a small lead on him before following, his smile widening as he watched her push the folded contract back into its spot in her pack. He couldn't believe his own daring. Could it be that she wanted to keep him? Or was she just entertaining his fancy? In any case, Charon didn't care. He was still with her and goddamn, it felt good.