(? POV)

Charon watched as Dez danced around the fire with a few of the other men. He sat with his arms crossed, and eyes narrowed. He knew she shouldn't be doing this much movement, and he felt they should have stayed at Rivet City for one more night, but he didn't argue. Arguing with her was war, and he didn't want to deal with it.

Jeremy watched Dez, too. He smiled to himself, leaning over to his friend.

"She's the one, dude."

He whispered, trying not to interrupt the fun of everyone. It was a good disguise.

"Are you sure?"

"Yes. When she falls asleep, contact John. The rest will be taken care of."

"This was easier than shooting a Brahmin with a Reservists Rifle."

"Yes."

The men turned their attention back to Dezbe. She clapped her hands, moving her body in perfect rhythm to the guitar. Charon kept his eyes on her, everyone did it seemed. Every once in a while, she'd reach for a sip of her beer, and smile at him. It's so easy for her to pull the devil out of me. He was well aware of her actions last night. Well aware of how it made him feel and how he didn't want her to limber back to her bed. He had sat there, trying to fall back asleep.

The only reason he didn't mention it this morning was because he forced himself not to. He had to keep everything in check and in line. He was not to falter, he was trained not to fail. Some little girl was not going to make him disregard years and years of training.

"Charon…"

He heard her call. She was tipsy, he knew that. He looked up as she swayed over to him, taking his hands in hers. She pulled him up , and placed a bottle of beer between them. What is she doing now? He wondered, standing and staring at the beer.

"Drink with me?"

The fire flickered behind her. Her pink hair was everywhere, her shaved head was glistening with sweat. It was his job to protect her, keep her warm and safe, not be a drinking buddy.

"No."

"Please?"

He felt her voice seep through him. It dripped into his flesh and made him shudder. Dez lifted the beer up to his mouth and tilted gently. Charon opened, and drank down what she was giving him.

"See? It's not so bad. Come on, dance with me."

She took the bottle away from him. He had not taken a drink of beer in years, he didn't like to impair himself.

"No. I do not do foolish things."

"Charon…please?"

She tugged him closer to the fire, trying to bring him into the circle. He didn't want to join her, he didn't want to let his guard down. These people are not to be trusted. I cannot let her stay with them the night.

"I would prefer to speak with you, Dez."

Dez's body straightened out. Charon could see how the leather armor hugged all of her curves perfectly. How when she stood in front of the fire it made her look like the perfect silhouette.

"About what?"

Charon shook his head. He didn't have anything he wanted to talk to her about. He just didn't want to dance. When he didn't respond, Dez walked back over and stood close to him. She lifted the bottle back to hip lips, and eyes closed he drank the rest of it. When it was gone, he opened his eyes. Dez tossed the bottle off in the sand, laughing that maniacal laugh she had. I do not like this situation. It will not lead anywhere good. Charon couldn't be placed in these events. He was not trained on how to handle women, he was trained to kill. Dez wrapped her arms around his waist, walking backwards.

"Please Charon…come have fun."

The way she formed her words told him she was drunk, and that if she kept talking like that he'd lose it. He took a firm grip on her arms and took them off of his waist.

"No, Dez."

"I really want you to, though."

"Yes, I understand that, but I do not want to."

"Alright, alright. You win."

She left him, and went back to dance with the other men. Charon took a seat next to Jeremy, his eyes focused on Dez.

"Nice little piece, eh?"

Charon leaned away as Jeremy whispered in his ear. He did not like close contact with people, unless it was Dez it seemed.

"I do not understand."

Charon said to him, not looking, just staring at Dez. Her body swayed and she laughed and smiled like she was having the time of her life.

"She's pretty good lookin'. I mean, for out here anyways. You and her…ya know…like that?"

"Speak to Dez."

Charon moved his seat. He got up and stood a few extra feet away from the fire. He did not want any part of this primitive ritual. He is trained to kill, not to 'relax'.

Dezbe noticed Charon had left. She only noticed when the fire began to die down and everyone went to sleep. She was able to se him a few feet away, scanning the desert. Happily drunk, she walked over to him, ignoring how much her arm was throbbing.

"Charon?"

She said, and he turned to her. He hadn't expected any company. He was not keeping track of time. Looking back, he saw the fire had been put out. Dez walked over to him, putting her arms around his waist.

"Yes, Dez?"

He spoke, but didn't look at her. He tried not to feel her arms tightly around him. It was too much.

"Will you come and lie down? We need a good sleep for tomorrow."

"What is tomorrow?"

"When we go back and have adventures. You know? Me and you wandering and shooting. I need me a good shot. It's been too long."

"Yes."

He pulled from her grip and walked back. She hadn't followed him at first. Dez had stayed back, wondering why he was acting so strange. Charon laid down in the sand, away from everyone else. He heard Dez's footsteps as she came closer, and laid down next to him. She had never done this before, and he blamed the booze, trying to erase their shared kiss.

"Charon?"

"Hm?"

"Where's Pluto?"

He looked at her, and saw she was laying on her back, eyes to the sky. Charon looked up at the sky with her, and shook his head. He felt the sand against his coarse skin, it wasn't comfortable.

"It is too far from here to see."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes."

"Charon…the guardian of Pluto. No, that's not what it is."

She yawned, and Charon looked at her, curious.

"What is it then?"

He was using all of his willpower to hold back from turning the events of last night into something more. I am a mercenary. Not a fucking toy.

"It's…more than that. A lot more. But I guess if Charon is a moon, it's always overshadowed by Pluto, so it can't see it serves more of a purpose than it does. That's okay though. I've heard sometimes planets get knocked out of balance. One day Charon will."

Charon winced at Dez's analogy. She was right, maybe one day Pluto's moon would be knocked off balance, but whatever this had to do with them stumped them. Dez shifted, the sand crawling into the crooks of Charon's back. She was moving him, moving him with her. She fit herself right against his side, burping. He could smell the beer on her breath, and crinkled his would-be nose.

"Pluto is no longer a planet, Dez."

"Why not?"

"Because it is too small. They decided this before your time, and before mine."

He felt awkward about how she was practically laying on him, his good reason told him to move, but he didn't. Some small part of him wanted the comfort and security that came with laying near Dez. In his entire life, Charon had never been close to anyone. He'd never carried someone to safety like he had Dez, or felt the emotions being with her allowed him to feel. He'd never felt he had any purpose behind his contract. Now, he did. Her laying next to him, the feel of her touch against him solidified all the fears that he kept locked inside himself. As much as he didn't want them, they were there.

"You sure know a lot Charon. Did they teach you that where you were…ya know?"

"Yes. We were educated to the best of their abilities on any and all subjects."

"What else do you know?"

"Many things."

He felt his arm creep up behind her neck. She lifted her head, and he rested his hand on her shoulder. Dez rested her head in the crook of his underarm, yawning loudly.

"What about that Greek thing you mentioned? How do you know about that? All the stuff in the vault was destroyed, so that class was pretty useless. It's so old, ya know."

"Charon was a Greek deity. He was the ferryman to Hades, god of the Underworld."

"What did he look like?"

"Sometimes he was depicted as a human, sometimes as a skeleton. Sometimes…"

"As both?"

Charon looked at the top of her head.

"Yes, Dez. Sometimes as both."

"What does 'Charon' mean? I mean, some named have meanings, right? So what's 'Charon'?"

"In the Greek mythology, poets used the name to refer to feverish, fierce, or blue-green color, or as an euphemism for death."

"So it means blue-green death?"

"Sort of, yes."

"My name has no meaning. My father never told me why he named me 'Dezbe'. Maybe it's because he thought I was stupid. I mean, 'Dezbe' is pretty stupid sounding."

"It is unique."

"Yeah, like everyone else."

He smiled because she couldn't see it. He smiled because she was quick-witted, and smart. Because she was able to take his entire thought process and world and make it one big giant mess, just like her room back in Megaton.

"You tired, Charon?"

"Yes."

"Do you mind us sleeping this close?"

"Do you?"

"Nope."

She yawned again, slowly closing her eyes. Charon closed his, too. He tried once more, to take a look and see if he could find Pluto. He saw all the other constellations in the sky, but not that one. Dez moved slightly, nudging him with her knee. He ignored it, basking in the warmth he felt growing inside him.

"Can you promise me something, Charon?"

"What?"

"Don't…don't die before me, okay?"

"Is that an order?"

"Yes."

Charon felt his entire body stiffen.

"Then I will obey."

What kind of promise is that? The kind Dez makes people make, that's the kind. I would do anything for you, Dezbe. Ordered or not. But how could you allow yourself to get so close to me? So close to this so-called 'monster'. Anyone can get attached to you, you have that kind of personality. But I am not human anymore. I am no better than that shit-bag Gob sometimes. Yet here you are, laying next to me like I am your equal. I do not understand your intentions, but I can admit that I will not fight them. I promised I would not leave, or die, and I will not. I just hope you know what you're getting yourself into. I hope these events do not hurt you in the end, and that you find your own purpose here. You're going to be whatever you want to be. Slaver or savior, you can live however you want. I will not judge, simply follow, and hope you always take such joy with having me around as you do now.