I yawned, feeling chillier than normal. Shaking my head, I didn't feel Charon's arm under it. Last night I became way too comfortable with him. He didn't seem to mind it much, though. In fact, he seemed kind of relieved. He relaxed for a minute, and told me a bit about his past. I liked that. I liked it a lot. I wanted to reach up and kiss him, and fulfill the thoughts and desires in my mind, but I held back. I still don't know what he feels. You're pushing it too far now. I ignored my own thoughts, and went to rub the sleep from my eyes.

I couldn't. Opening my eyes, my brain went crazy trying to figure out where my limbs were. The world was bright and white and fuzzy. My arms were behind me, I could wiggle my fingers. I felt searing pain shoot from my wound, and looked at it. Someone had taken my armor, and the bandages off of my chest. I sat in my underwear, against a cold wall. That was all there was in the room. A simple wall, and a bright white-blue light. I wanted to call out, but I didn't.

"Where am I?"

I whispered to no one. I looked around, but only saw a door at the far end. My feet were tied together at the ankles, and I wiggled my toes. I'm more confused than anything at this point. Who would want to take me and put me in a room? The Enclave? No, I have nothing they want. Then…oh shit. Talon. But how did they find us? Us…Charon. Where is Charon? I looked around again, maybe my eyes missed him. He was gone. So wasn't my stuff. I hadn't stopped back at home to put it in my locker. It was in my pack. Shit.

I felt my eyes widen and I began to freak out. I squirmed, ignoring the horrible pain from my bullet hole. Sure, it's healing fine, but a nasty bruise fastened itself over my shoulder and left breast. It hurt to move.

"Fuck!"

I screamed when I realized there was no way I was going to get my arms untied. I had gotten them in front of me, thanks to nimble rolling on the floor and grinding my teeth with the pain. I laid on the floor now, out of breath and sweating from all the contorting I had done.

"Least I can stand now."

I rolled onto my stomach and pushed myself up with my hands. I stood, shakily, but I was standing. I looked around again, trying to find something I could use as a weapon but there was nothing. Mechanical locks clicking made me jump, and I lost balance and fell back on my ass. The door opened and some guy wearing Metal Armor and a Talon metal helmet walked in. He didn't seem friendly.

"Ah, you've woken."

His voice was deep, stern, the kind that said 'you better not fuck with me'. But hey, I'm Dez, and this is a dire situation. Of course I'm going to fuck with you. You're fucked now, girl. You're going to need me for this. Yes, angry thoughts, I am going to need you. But I don't need to listen to anything you have to say outside of this. I am going to play this game, get my Charon back, and walk away while this place, wherever I am, burns to the fucking ground. Yes. Charon is mine.

"Gee, what gave you that notion? I could just be sleepwalking."

"Smart mouth. You, your name is Dezbe, correct?"

"Dez."

"Right. Well. It seems you've sent my men on a wild goose chase. You've destroyed my second in command and created quite the dent in my number of recruits."

"What's a goose?"

It's a perfectly legitimate question. I have no idea what the fuck a goose is. Is it food?

"You are going to cooperate, and everything will work out fine."

"No."

I brought my feet into me, staring at him like he was the devil himself.

"No? Well, you're feistier than I was told."

"Who are you?"

The man sighed, taking off his helmet. I saw a Chinese pistol at his waist, and a knife. The pistol might do some damage, but it's the knife I'm concerned with. I haven't seen good aim in combat with these fuckers, but with melee weapons…you can't really miss.

"You have no jurisdiction to ask me that, but I supposed you should know. I am Commander Jabsco, head of the Talon Company Mercenaries."

"Okay. Why the fuck am I here then, Jab?"

He flinched, and I kept my eyes narrowed. I am buying time as I work these pathetic strings keeping my hands together.

"We need information on the Brotherhood, we know you've had contact with them. We also needed your bodyguard you hired. He is vital to our survival."

"Charon…where is he?"

I made sure not to sound worried.

"He is safe. He is with me, I am his new employer, so I suggest you do exactly what I say."

With that he left the room. I heard the mechanic locks close as he shut the door. I sighed a breath of relief, and got to work on my feet. I was able to figure out the knot, and stretched my legs out.

"They are by far the dumbest bunch of fucks I've ever encountered."

I said to myself, brining my hands to my mouth. I fit the knot between my teeth and began working. I pulled, and eventually it got loose. It fell from my wrists, and I rubbed them tenderly. They were red and raw. My Pip-Boy beeped at me, telling me that I had been exposed to radiation. It was the beer from last night, no doubt. I stood up, and looked at the empty room around me. The walls were typical dirty steel, and the bright light made me dizzy. They had Charon. That was the only thing that struck fear in me, and I rubbed the scar on my neck.

The noise of the door beginning to open made me back myself up against the farthest wall. Jabsco came back in, followed by three other men and…and Charon.

"I see you've wasted no time in untying yourself."

"Nope."

"It does not make a difference anyways. Now, tell us what you know about the Brotherhood. Any information you have will be useful."

"Ask Charon. He was there with me."

"Ah…you are right, but you see, there's other things you know that he does not. About the Purifier inside the memorial. About your father."

"What does my dad have to do with this? He's dead, for the record."

"We're aware. We also know you grew up with him, working alongside him. You know things we can only dream of knowing. You compliance is greatly suggested."

"I'm not telling you shit."

Jabsco motioned his head, and one of the Talon men came over. He put away his gun and brought out a baton. He hit me in the side of my face, and I tasted blood instantly.

"You fuck!"

I screamed, holding my face.

"Who is head of the Brotherhood of Steel?"

"Eat shit!"

He hit me again in the back of the head. I found myself laughing manically.

"You pricks think that's going to work? You're insane!"

I stole a glance at Charon. He wasn't looking at me. He had no expression, no emotions.

"You will tell us what we need to know."

"Or else what? You'll beat me? Do it. I double dare you."

Jabsco smiled at me, a sick and twisted smile. He waved his hand and the Talon man with the baton fell back into rank, leaving me with blood coming from my lips.

"I know you. I know how you can endure pan and how your mind works."

I would ask how, but then my eyes fell on Charon. I balled my hands into fists, and held back the urge to hit him. He promised he'd never hurt me, that he'd keep me safe, but he only keeps promises if said contract is in hand.

"Take her down to solitary, Charon. Make sure she's in the cell, and she stays there. Do you understand me?"

"Yes, Master."

"And leave any weapons you have with me. We wouldn't want her getting a hold of them now would we?"

"If that is what you wish."

Charon took the shotgun from his back and placed it in Jabsco's hands. He gave him his combat knife, and walked over to me. I tried to press myself into the wall, like I could disappear into it, but it didn't work.

"Take her by the left arm, Charon."

Charon nodded, and wrapped his fingers around my left wrist, just under my Pip-Boy. He twisted my arm behind me and I screamed, feeling my wound stretch from the strain.

"You fuck! I hate you!"

I yelled at Charon, but he didn't move. He didn't even flinch. He pushed me out the door, and into a dark hallway. I tried to fight him, squirm and wiggle out, but all that did was cause me more pain. I felt his grip on my wrist tighten, and I flinched, hissing. We were alone in this dark hall, and he practically pushed me down a flight of stairs.

"Charon, stop it right now!"

No response. He just held firm and kept walking.

"Charon…you promised."

"I must obey my employer."

I sucked in a big breath of air. I had to play this the right way if I had any chance of saving my own ass, let alone Charon's.

"But you're hurting me. You promised you'd never hurt me."

"I am following orders."

"He didn't order you to hurt me."

I looked back at Charon, and something flashed in his eyes. He let my arm fall from behind my back, but kept his hand wrapped firmly around my wrist.

"You are right. He simply said to take you by your left arm."

I felt a trickle of blood from the hole in my shoulder, and I knew the stitches had torn a bit. It wasn't bleeding badly, probably just some bunched up blood stuck in there or something. But it was quite useful.

"You made me bleed…"
I pouted, and he looked at the blood on my shoulder. He pulled me, signifying to keep walking.

"You must come to solitary."

"You hurt me…you made me bleed…you're going to hurt me like before, too. You're going to give me scars…look at my thigh, remember that?"

Charon didn't look, but I saw his face change. I slid my hand up and into his, and I laced our fingers. I didn't stop walking, and followed him, but I had to make an impact. If I couldn't manipulate Charon, I would never get out. Trust me though, it hurt to hurt him, even emotionally.

"Charon, please don't walk so fast, my feet hurt."

True, they did. I am barefoot.

"I must take you to solitary."

"So you can hurt me. So you and those men can…can force me to tell you what you want you to know."

Charon moved so fast my brain didn't realize what he was doing until he had me pinned to the wall. I squirmed, scared of what he was going to do. He's not under my control anymore, he can kill me now. He brought his face close to mine, and I could feel his breath on my lips.

"I am not under your employment. I must do anything I am ordered to do, but I will not harm you again."

"I don't believe you."

"That is your choice."

"You're going to kill me when they tell you to. You are. You can't even ignore an order to take me somewhere. How can you ignore something like that?"

Charon didn't say anything, but he kept me pinned to the steel wall. I could feel his fingers moving and twitching against my bare skin.

"I must take you to solitary."

He released me from the wall, but slipped his hand back into mine. I was making an impact. If I wasn't, he wouldn't have held my hand. He walked silently beside me, and soon we came to a room. It was small, and had no windows. It was dark inside, the only opening a single door that I was standing in front of. Charon sighed.

"This is solitary."

I stood, staring at the small room. Charon placed his hand on the small of my back, trying to nudge me through the doorway.

"Wait. He told you to take me here. You did."

"We both know what he meant. I cannot disobey an order."

I had to gather all the confidence and strength within me for this. Wiping the blood from my mouth, I slid my hand from Charon's. He tried to push me gently again, but I turned around. Wrapping my arms around his neck, I stood on my tip toes.

"Please don't do this to me…please don't."

I cooed in his ear. My heart was racing from fear of being caught, and the intensity of this moment. Charon stumbled at my action, but caught himself.

"Just get inside."

His voice cracked, and I knew I was doing something, making something. I was creating something mean inside him, and I didn't want to stop. I shook as I turned my head to face his face. Closing my eyes, I pressed my lips against his. He didn't move at first, but just like in Rivet City, he did. Now we are both awake. Now he knows exactly what I'm doing. He isn't under my employment, so I know he wants this just as bad as I do. If he didn't, he would have pushed me off of him.

I felt his arms come up around my waist, and he lifted me in the air. He walked me into the room, still kissing me. My heart raced and danced in my chest as I tasted Charon. I had to stand on my tip-toes, sure, but damn it was worth it. If nothing came of this, if I died here in this fucking place with no one and nothing, I would be okay with that. Because I at least tried. I showed Charon for a second time how I felt. Whether or not he knew the reasoning behind it, or even believed it is his problem. I didn't feel like a failure anymore.

Charon pulled away from me, letting his hands fall from my waist.

"I must return."

"Stay, please."

I went to kiss him again, but he turned his head, and I ended up kissing his chin.

"My employer is waiting."

"You have to help me get out. Then I'll get your contract and we can run away. Help me, please Charon. They'll kill me."

He stepped out of me grip and backed away from me.

"I am a mercenary, Dez. I am trained to take orders and to kill. I have orders from my employer to take you here, and I have. I cannot fraternize, but…"

I looked at him, pleading silently.

"But you must understand."

My face dropped, and he slammed the door. I ran at it, pounding it with my puny fists.

"No! No! Charon you can't do this! Don't do this to me! Charon!"

I heard a loud crash from the other side, and then silence, nothing. I tried to open the door by light of my Pip-Boy, but they had taken my bobby pins. I couldn't pick the lock, and the door wouldn't open. I slumped against it, tears streaming down my face.

I sat in the dark, quietly, ignoring everything. Time has no real measurement when you have no sounds, no noise, no nothing. The only thing I had was my Pip-Boy light. I didn't get a radio signal, I didn't have anything stored inside my 'Notes' section to read over and soothe me. All I had was the darkness and my own body. I tried to imagine a piano, and I tried to play it, but all that came was me remembering the time I was sick, and Charon sitting with me.

It hurts, you know. To be betrayed by someone you come to love. But maybe it's a sign. Maybe I'm supposed to die here, alone. I'm not saying it's a good thing, but I'm saying maybe that's how my life is. Curling myself into a corner, I traced imaginary lines on the wall with my hands. Every breath I shared with Charon during that kiss made my insides shudder. When I pictured the moment from a bird's-eye-view, I smiled. He had feelings for me. He wouldn't have kissed me like that if he didn't. I knew somewhere deep down, if the order to kill me came, he would hesitate. He wouldn't. He hadn't killed me when Ahzrukhal did, and I knew he'd find that same courage when Jabsco did.