AN/ I'm sorry this is so short! I've been wrestling with my muse over all of my stories lately and I've been working on my art as well, leaving little to no time for this stuff D: This is a very short chapter, but it is very crucial so bear with me :) I appreciate you guys commenting, honestly I thought Ahz wasn't gonna get a second look, because it started out as just a haha fun to be the first story under his name, I had never expected anyone to actually read it (Or like it?) and that makes me happy! So, i'll be writing more on this very soon, just be patient!

Part VI

The days following were the roughest he'd had in awhile, his dreams either black and quiet or filled with the Old World and Lorelei's giddy sensual grin and giggles. Ahzrukhal rolled up his sleeves as he prepared the bar, cleaning up more than usual, leaving the counters as shiny and clean as they had ever been before. He looked for every menial task available, to get his mind off of the incessant thoughts that plagued him about that smoothskin. He was giving off a hot aura, most of the other ghouls steered clear.

A loud shriek made the Ghoul jump and nearly throw the glass he busied himself with cleaning. Charon eyed him in question, Ahzrukhal nodded at the door, allowing him to check out the noise and uproar. He looked back to the counter, his reflection shining back, making him realize why he didn't clean them very much to begin with. After quickly adjusting his appearance, he moved out of the 9th Circle, looking to the crowd of Ghouls near the statue. "What on earth is going on?" Ahzrukhal looked at his bodygaurd and he looked away. Something was not right. Without hesitation Ahzrukhal dashed down the stairs, pushing through the peeling ghouls to find the Doctor kneeling over...

"Lorelei." Ahzrukhal's throat tightened and his jaw dropped as he moved closer beside the Doc. "What happened!" He looked over her body, lacerations and cuts, bullet wounds and gashes. He let his gaze travel upwards, and there she sat. Her eyes bright and shiny, her lips in a devious smirk. "The Regulators don't play very nice anymore.." She let the doctor sew up her wounds on the spot, letting her lay there and breath. Ahzrukhal didn't care, he took a seat next to her and sat there silently, the other Ghouls making it a priority to look elsewhere. "Why are you playing death smoothskin?" He asked, his voice rasping it's usual way. He was noticably more relaxed, his breathing lighter and his muscles less tense. This damn woman had control over him, he hated it. But he couldn't stop it, didn't honestly want to. Any attention from this leech of a woman was welcome, good or bad for his health.

"Death, he's my best friend you know, he wouldn't betray me for the world." She smiled, her lips painted red. Blood or lipstick, Ahzrukhal wasn't honestly sure. "You had better hope so Lorelei." Ahzrukhal looked to the Doc, a bit of apprehension in his gaze, the Ghoul gripped what would have been the bridge of his nose. A habit he must have picked up before Ghoulification. "Why's that?" Lorelei sat up a little, the pain invisible in her face. "Alot of these have high risk at becoming infected, you will be getting plenty of bed rest. No questions asked." He warned looking to Ahzrukhal. "Could you help me carry her to the clinic?" Ahzrukhal would have snorted and turned him down, had it been any other smoothskin. Without an audible response he nodded and heaved Lorelei into his arms easily, without Doc. Barrows assistance. Ahzrukhal fought the thoughts that proceeded to leak into his head.

This was the feeling he had in all those dreams, that apparition of this girl. His PreWar dream girl, his Post-Apocolyptic Pin-Up, and full time tease. He almost smirked as he lay her down in the clinic. "I suggest you follow the Doc's orders Lorelei." The barkeep rasped as he pulled away, his tie caught in her grip. She looked over his smokey colored eyes, deep into the pools of a mucky blue sea. Ahzrukhal felt his temperature rise as he allowed her to pull him closer. Without warning, she kissed him on the lips. Had the barkeep any skin left it would have been wrought in a pure crimson. He felt the warmth and softness against his rough lips and wondered how she felt. How it must feel to kiss a man as ruined as he. His stomach flipped in pride as he realized. It was he Lorelei was kissing. Not Charon, never Charon.

She pulled away, never letting loose his tie. "So, open your eyes." She whispered, her tone as soft as a gentle tinkling bell. Without question, Ahzrukhal looked over the smoothskin, her red lips curled so perfectly. "Get back to work then." She released his tie and Ahzrukhal stood, a wily smirk across his lips. What had just happened? He walked out of the clinic, leaving the doors behind he adjusted his clothes, his body feeling fresh. Lorelei, she hadn't seemed that happy since the Christmas incident. Without much delay Ahzrukhal was found back at his daily duties, never being a shirker. The bar seemed much livlier now, and Ahzrukhal was simply glowing. The woman had done it again. He wondered briefly, as he mused all of his thoughts across the keyboard of his terminal. She brought him up so high, would she just let him fall again?