Author's Note: Thanks to everyone that gave feedback on the believability of Kate's new feelings. : )

Rated M for gratuitous profanity, violence, and ghoul sex.

The Fallout universe rights are currently owned by Bethesda Studios. I do not own the rights to Fallout intellectual property and receive no money for this. It is merely a creative outlet, dream space, respite from the real world, and something to tide me over until Fallout 4 is released.

Chapter Twenty Six: A Valuable Lesson

Breakfast was a somber affair. Charon ate as Kate fiddled with her pip-boy. Halfway through, Kate giggled and looked up at Mister Buckingham.

"Hey, robot."

The robot turned to her. "Yes, madam?"

"Thanks for being a dick and ruining my birthday cake when I was ten. That was my last birthday party."

"Well, madam—I—I believe that Ms. Weatherly is calling me. I must see what assistance she requires."

The robot floated into Vera Weatherly's bedroom. It did not shut the door. It merely hid there until they left.

"What was that about?" Charon asked.

"In the vault, we had a Mr. Handy named Andy. Great name, I know. He thought that using his buzz saw attachment was the best choice for cutting cake. Everyone was pissed. I never told him how pissed off I was about that. At least I kept my sweet roll."

Charon raised a brow. "How long ago was that?"

"Little over nine years ago."

Charon went cold as he realized that he was basically ten times her age. "You're nineteen?"

"Is that a problem? How old did you think I was?"

"I don't know. Everyone looks young when you're as old as I am." The problem was the kind of thoughts he had been having about her.

"Most people think I'm older than I am. It's the eyes. Although, Carol seemed pleased that I don't look like I've quite given up all hope yet."

"Nor should you." But I should, he thought. She was going to see her father. Her father, who would probably be at least a fourth of a fifth of his age, which meant that he had entered into the dead bastard's service around when her grandfather was born.

"Charon? Hey, I'm the one that's going to see my dad, who abandoned me in the vault, so why do you look so nervous? Is it the ghoul thing? Don't worry about that. Dad's a scientist through and through, so I'm sure he'll be much more rational than most people." She stopped with a sigh. "No. That's obviously not it because you still look creeped out. Seriously, Charon. Tell me what's wrong."

"I thought you were older."

She stopped walking. "Why is that a problem all of a sudden?"

He scanned the halls, then whispered, "Because a man of my age should not be—complimenting someone as young as you."

She gave a throaty laugh and then that look returned to her eyes. "So you say. You know what the problem is with a man your age? You're right all the goddamned time. It's infuriating." She stood, threading her arms over her chest. "But you're actually wrong this time. It's true: I'm young in years, but I'm not in life experience. I'm old enough to kill. I think that makes me old enough to decide whom I enjoy receiving compliments from." Her devilish grin sparked electricity through his body. "If you're going to prove me wrong, now's the time."

Whether it was the shock of learning how young she was or the lust that clouded his mind, he failed to come up with any other logical argument. "I'm ten times older than you."

"And I'm excellent at math, so I already figured that one out. Next."

"And it hasn't occurred to you how grossly inappropriate it is for me to—" He couldn't say the words.

"Occurred to me? Sure, but I seem to have a thing for older guys. Although, I must say that you aren't built like any old guy that I've ever seen. Anyway, aren't I the one that's trying to convince you that I am not 'offended,' as you put it?"

"Because you don't know any better."

"And you don't know everything."

His feelings struck through the haze of desire like an ice pick. The needs of his body gave way to the ache of his heart. He wanted her in any way that she permitted. Hope should have warmed his heart, not frozen it. He had been pummeled, sliced, and shot uncountable times over the years. Why did this feel so much worse? He had never had anything before, and he was terrified to be offered his everything only to have her snatched back. The thought came with a new sensation: a lump in his throat. For just a moment, he wished that he held her contract so that he'd know without a doubt when she was being honest, and in that moment, he wished that he had been killed by the bombs for thinking something so vile. So heinous.

He wet his lips and closed his eyes. "Kate—what you're doing—" He met her eyes. His voice trembled as he spoke. "It's either very dangerous or very cruel."

She glanced around to make sure that they were still alone in the hallway. She slipped her hand into his and squeezed it. Her voice was low and earnest. "If what you say is true—that I'm everything that's missing from the wasteland—then you know that the last thing that I am is cruel." She gave his hand one more squeeze and let go.

Charon could feel his face glow. His breath came out in a choked burst. "You know I can only tell you the truth," he murmured.

"Then there you go. It's just dangerous. I suppose that I should give some serious consideration to changing my last name to Dashwood."

Charon chuckled. "I'm just learning all kinds of things about you today. Do you have a last name? I never thought to ask."

She rolled her eyes and looked at the ground. "It's dumb."

"What do you mean it's dumb? It's your name."

"My last name is Hope."

It took a few seconds for his laughs to escape. "Seriously?"

"Seriously. See? I told you it was dumb."

Charon shook his head. "No. It's not dumb. It suits you. Ghoul companion or not, you better not change it to Dashwood."

She flushed. "Yeah, well, it was hell growing up."

"People are cruel."

"Good thing I'm not people then. I believe that you just reiterated my last point."

"What? That you're dangerous? I knew that when I saw you." His smoldering gaze robbed her of her breath.

The door to the clinic opened behind them. They jumped back a few steps from one another, failing to look casual. The man didn't even notice them as he walked into the room across from the clinic.

Charon let out a long breath. "I guess we should go to the lab, huh?"

"Yeah. I guess so."

He squeezed her shoulder. "You'll be great. I'm right here with you."

Kate took a deep breath and nodded. She descended the few steps that separated her from the door to the lab. She closed her eyes and bit her lip as she pushed the door open. She had been afraid that the lab would be small. That she would open the door and be face to face with her dad. The lab stretched out below her. Habit took over, and she moved along the platform as silently as she had done for years in the vault. She crouched down behind some equipment.

A man and a woman were talking. She couldn't hear what they were saying, but she didn't like his tone. She had no idea if the woman was Doctor Li or not, but the sight of a belligerent old man in the face of a scientist set her vision crimson. When she saw his guard, her hand went for her gun. She swore when she realized that she had left it in the room. She could learn a damned thing or two from Charon.

"Hey!" she snarled. She jumped to her feet and pounded down the stairs.

Charon stayed on her heels. He felt the weight of his gun on his back, but he stilled his hand. He had never seen her so livid. When she told him that her father had abandoned her in the vault, she was far more upset than angry. He doubted that the man down there was her father, but he wasn't about to ruin this for her unless the situation dictated otherwise.

The man and the woman looked at her. The woman was all too glad for the distraction and slipped back to her studies. The man's eyes locked on Kate. He approached her with a devious smile. "Ah! You're not a little lab rat here, are you? You look a bit more weathered than that." He glanced at Charon. To Charon's regret, the man, who clearly wasn't her father, cringed in disgust, not fear. "And you. You look especially weathered."

Kate crossed her arms and stepped into the man's face. The man's guard shifted closer, but she ignored him. She left behind her fear of guards when she left the vault. "I'm sorry. Who the fuck are you, and why the fuck are you down here?"

The man harrumphed, straightening out his suit. "I've got more right to be down here than they do. I research serious matters, not fairy tales."

"Well what you're doing looks nothing like research, so I suggest you and your little meat shield get the fuck out before we get Harkness to throw you out."

"'Meat shield.' How cute and how wrong. I am here because I cannot do my research. You see, I've misplaced some very valuable property."

"Lucky for you. The market's open for a little bit longer. I'm not scientist, but if I had to guess, I'd bet that it's already got a price tag on it down there. Now, if you'll excuse me." She walked past the man, bumping against him hard with her shoulder.

"I'm not finished talking to you," the man said.

His hand shot out towards her shoulder. Before it landed, Charon pulled the man's wrist back, enjoying how the feeble wrist bones grated upon one another.

"No one touches my smoothskin," he growled, turning the wrist a bit more to get the satisfying yelp that he craved.

Kate turned at the noise. The guard took a step forward. The man pressed his lips together and put his free hand up shakily to hold the guard back.

"I believe that we have had a bit of a misunderstanding." The man's cheeks strained with the effort of maintaining a calm demeanor. "Why don't you call you monster off me, and we can talk like civilized adults?"

Kate harrumphed. "You'll have to forgive my companion. You see, he's rather protective of me, and he gets quite upset when people touch me without my permission." She enjoyed watching the man squirm for a few more seconds before she nodded to Charon to let him go.

The man pulled his wrist to his chest, babying it. "Animals," he spat. "I should sic Armitage on you right now." The guard assumed a fighting stance.

"I'd like nothing more," Charon growled.

"What in the fuck is going on out here?" a woman shouted, storming out from the back of the lab. "Don't you people realize that we have sensitive experiments running here that you barbarians might—" Her mouth dropped. She jogged up to Kate, hand clasped to her chest. "My god. You look just like him," she whispered, eyes full of awe.

"Ah! Doctor Li. I have been trying to meet with you all day, but your insolent little lab rats—"

Doctor Li spun towards the man. "Zimmer. No one cares about your fucking robot. If you don't get out of here now, you will have the entire security fleet called on you for destruction of lab property, harassment of my team, and harassment of these visitors here. Now get out."

Zimmer grunted. "Fine. We will leave for now. Perhaps you will be a bit more sensible when you don't have ruffians contaminating your lab," he said, staring down Kate. "If you don't control your animal next time, I will not hold Armitage back." He turned, tromping out of the lab with the guard in tow.