As they left Underworld she gave a quick glance at a confused Willow and smiled. What a strange ghoullete.

They headed right; towards the Lincoln memorial to assess the situation they were in and to take note of what they had on them. As she entered the building she was greeted with the friendly faces of The Temple of the Union she helped get there. Stealing a glance at her new bodyguard he was eyeing the now fixed statue of Abraham Lincoln.

"Were you alive when he was president?" She asked moving to stand next to him.

"How old do you think I am?" He scoffed loudly staring down at her.

"Well how was I suppose to know!" She said putting her hand on her hips and staring back it him.

He didn't say anything and the familiar awkwardness came back as the quiet crept over them.

"Charon." She said looking in his direction.

"Hmm?" He looked back at her.

"I should tell you why I wanted to hire you." Her eyes were unreadable. She didn't wait for him to speak when she continued.

"I'm pretty banged up still and my body isn't in as good a working condition as I would have hoped before I left underworld." She looked away. "I know it's selfish of me but If you weren't here with me now I wouldn't make it back to Megaton alive." She winced at the thought of being torn open by a mole rat she couldn't outrun. "Still. I am sorry for doing it." She was looking at her feet now.

He didn't like it either but she was probably better than anyone else that would have hired him.

"It's ok smooth-skin." Was all her said.

"Ugh, pleeaase don't call me that." She said over exasperated. She looked at him and smiled "My name is Mandy so please call me that."

He eyed her smile and shook his head. He grunted and walked away to the corner of the room, away from people, to look over what he had. His armor was old but it was in good condition as he rarely got in fights when he was slave for Ahzrukhal. His bag was old but capable for a few more years and didn't think anything of it when he opened it up. Inside were bullets, and lots of them. Mostly shot gun shells and a few other assortment that maybe he would use if things got tough. He moved to his holster that secured his shot gun to his back.

His trusty shot gun was his pride and joy. It was one of a kind and whenever he got the chance he would upgrade it to be faster and more powerful than any weapon in wastes excluding energy weapon of course. It was just like him though, beaten and rough and that's exactly how he liked it. He shoved it back into place hearing the familiar click and moved to his combat knife attached to his thigh. It was worth carrying as its sharp blade made it easy to cut off any meat on a mole rat or wild dog and it didn't weigh practically anything.

Putting it back he looked up to see the vaulty staring at him from across the room not listening to what Hannibal was talking to her about. She wasn't looking directly at him, more a certain part of him. He followed her eyes to see where she was looking but she quickly averted them when Hannibal patted her on the back as he walked away busying himself once more. He shrugged it off and closed his eyes leaning his head against the wall and slowly dozing off for a quick nap.

She was always told it was rude to stare. Ever sense she was a kid and would stare at her father while he typed away on his terminal. But she couldn't help but stare at Charon. Everything about him set her body aflame as she looked over his muscles and toned chest before dropping her gaze lower.

Her mind would wonder to where he touched her in the storage closet of The Ninth Circle. She had convinced herself the moment it ended that it was the jet she inhaled and swore to never touch the stuff again but she still could feel the tingle on her inner thighs as his rough hand moved achingly slow up towards her...

She slapped herself in the face willing the image out of her mind before huffing and taking a seat on a nearby bed, shifting her bag off her back and looking over what she still had left. It wasn't much and spending the four months she did in underworld dwindled everything she had except her caps. She had enough money to to do anything but she was never greedy about it.

She looked over to Charon to see his eyes closed and chest gently lifting up and then down. She figured it was about time to rest so they would have enough energy to make it somewhere to buy more supplies tomorrow. She grabbed her things and made her way over to the bodyguard keeping as quiet as possible. She set her bag down next to his and sat next to him, not too close and looked up at the night sky she could see through the holes in the ceiling. He eyelids became heavy as she listened to Charon's calm breaths. Before she knew it she was out.

His eyes opened slowly at the feeling of weight push him on his left side. He looked down to see his employer leaning against him, face mushed against his armor as she slept. It was awkward but nothing too unpleasant as he looked at her puffy cheeks against his rough should and arm pads. It didn't look comfortable and she probably just fell over and would wake up soon with a disgusted look on her face for touching him on accident.

He looked across the horizon as the sun began to poke through signalling the start of a new day. They really needed to get going but he felt guilty for wanting to wake her up but settling on coughing awkwardly to get her to stir. Success...sort of.

She did stir but she just moved closer to him wrapping her arms around his and inhaled his sent smiling as she did so. His body stiffened at the touch of her breast smashed against his arm. He felt the heat of her through his thick armor and although it wasn't much of a touch, it sent his mind reeling and his pants became tighter.

After a few minutes he took to calm down, or so he told himself that was the reason, he slowly began to lift his arm up and away from the sleeping girl. She whimpered in her sleep as the heat of him started to disappear.

Her eyes popped open, arms still around his as pink formed all around her face. She looked...cute, he thought. They stared at each other for a moment her heart was beating miles faster than before as she released his arms and stood up.

"We should go." She didn't even wait for him as she grabbed her bag and jogged down the steps of the memorial.

Sighing and grabbing his bag as well he went after her.

They hadn't talked the entire walk and he was slowly becoming agitated with the direction they were going. If they continued this way it would take them days to get to Megaton!

He cleared his throat feeling confidence well up inside. He didn't say anything just kept following behind her. He cleared his throat again when she didn't take notice the first time. This time however she stopped and turned around to look at him.

"Are you ok? Do you need some water or something?" She said walking over to him digging through her bag.

"No." Was all he said.

"Oh. Well, was there something else you needed?"

"Are we not going to Megaton?" He asked staring into her eyes trying to show no interest in them. They were beautiful.

"We are." She cocked an eyebrow at him. "Why do you ask?"

He didn't say anything as he just stared at her. It would be out of line to suggest another route, if his employer wanted to go a certain way he was to oblige.

"Hello?" She asked grabbing her hips again. "You going to talk to me?"

"It's..." He hesitated before looking away form her. "Not in my place to say."

She was beyond confused now. "Why not?"

"I listen to you, you don't listen to me" he said with a frown.

"Oh."

She didn't know what to say to that. She wasn't at all pleased with being his employer but she didn't want to treat him any different than a regular person.

"Charon." She wanted him to look at her.

His body tingled when his name escaped her lips. It was just his name god dammit! Reluctantly he turned to look at her.

"How do I talk to you? Like..get you to do something?" She said looking into his milky blue eyes.

"You just tell me to do it. Like a command."

"Well then I command you to talk freely with me." Her mouth was set into a hard line when she said that.

"That didn't sound right." She said looking down ashamed of what she said. I command you sounded so wrong on her tongue and she wanted to spit it out like a piece of bubblegum that lost its flavor.

"I'm sorry Charon, can you just talk to me freely please?" She looked back up at his face that was shocked which confused her.

Never had someone wanted him to talk freely. The mere thought never came to his mind but thinking of it now, thinking he could say anything he wanted felt...strange. He couldn't help but raise his eyebrows in a shocked matter especially after she hated telling him a command. This girl was having a weird effect on him and he didn't like it.

He shifted against her gaze but finally spoke. "If we continue this way it will take up days to get there. If we take the tunnels under D.C we could get there by night fall and still have time to gather supplies when we leave D.C."

She averted her eyes. "I've never gone through the tunnels. What if we get lost or get ambushed by raiders."

"Then I will protect you. It's part of my job. I know the tunnels like the back of my hands."

"Are you sure? I don't like the dark either, Charon."

"I'll be there with you. There is nothing to be scared about." He was comforting her which was strange , he eased the idea into her slowly. He watched as her eyes darted back and fourth, finding his and then leaving again. He felt almost..free? No that wasn't the right word it was more of a powerful feeling telling her his ideas and talking without the feeling of being beaten for it.

"OK.."She said slowly. "But if something happens don't freak out if i grab onto you." She turned her face with a blush forming on her cheeks. "It's the only thing that calms me down in those situations."

"If that is what you wish then I will not stop you." His mind went back to that morning when she clung onto him and thinking of that happening again in the confinements of the tunnels made him shudder.

"lead the way then." She said smiling as she looked back at him.

He felt his heart flutter staring at that smile but brushed it off and began walking with her mimicking his steps close behind him.

Getting through the first tunnel was as easy as Charon remembered and he grew more confident each step they took. A few raiders had placed a camp at the top of the stairs and he got the first look of how she fought.

She tried her best with the injuries she still had but he could tell she was good. He was a better shot than her but she made up for it in her quick feet and flexibility. If she was quick now he couldn't wait to see her when she wasn't hurt.

The raiders were down in minutes and they continued through the tunnels, the vaulty jumping at every sound and scooting uncomfortably close to Charon every time.

As she felt the sunlight on her face and the musky air she missed in her lungs she threw her arms up and stretched her back hearing a satisfying crack. Charon walked up behind her holding a bag.

"We found 67 caps and a few ammo rounds." He said handing her the bag.

She eyed it before grabbing his hand and pushing it back to him.

"You found it. It's yours." She smiled.

Was she giving him money? He'd never received money from any of his employers because they always bought him things or nothing. As he put it in his bag noting the extra weight the corners of his mouth twitched up.

The rest of the time in the tunnels were uneventful and they quickly found themselves on the river bank staring down into the water.

"We just have to cross this." He said stepping one foot in the mucky water.

She froze eyes widening slightly and began to shake.

'What?" It was barely even a squeak as it came out.

He turned to face her to see the blood gone from her face and she looked like she was going to pass out.

"What's wrong?" he asked.

"I..I don't know how to swim." She sucked in some air and held her breath as he walked back towards her.

"How do you not know how to swim?" He couldn't hide the frustration in his voice that riled her up as her frustration peeked as well.

"I was born in a vault. You don't see many fucking swimming pools around there." She glared at him and he glared back. "You didn't say anything about crossing a river."

"I figured it wasn't a big deal."

They weren't fighting he told himself. They were arguing over something so silly and he couldn't help but think she looked adorable as her cheeks puffed up and her eyebrows furrowed. He couldn't help the smile that appeared.

"Are you laughing at me?!" She was taken aback and getting furious.

Charon couldn't help but let the smile grow bigger at her reddening .

"What's so funny?!" She huffed.

"You just look adorab.." He stopped himself, smile fading and eyes shifted from hers to the ground.

She stood there dumbfounded at his words. He hadn't finished them but she knew what they meant. God how many times is she going to blush around him?

They stood there again pretty awkward and not knowing what to say. She decided to muster up some courage and walk over to him. She stood in front of him and grabbed his arms bending down to look at into his eyes. The touch bringing feelings from both of them up that they tried to hide.

"You're going to need to help me cross." She said slightly pushing into him to stand him up straight.

He didn't hesitate and picked her up bridal style like he'd done many times before. Somehow it felt different, the contact felt very intimate as he stared down at her rosy cheeks.

Looking forward once again he began to make his way into the river. Once she felt the cold on her bottom she grabbed onto his neck and whimpered into his neck. If his body could produce goosebumps he would have a million as she breathed heavily into his neck making him shudder.

When they were out of the water she made no move to let go of his neck even after he told her it was ok.

His body stiffened when he felt tiny kisses on his neck and under his ears.