AN: Squee! Reviews are like the coffee to my creative muse and really make me want to write more! I've got a fairly developed outline for the next few chapters and depending on how much free time I have, I should be able to get the next chapter up before the end of this week! W00T!
Special thanks to my two reviewers, Killergal100 and JacksDirtySecret! You lovelies make me want to keep writing! So chocolate cookies all around!
Chapter 4 Big with Experience
Sophia was sweating in the long Ranger duster she had put on before they left. It fanned out behind her as she jogged toward the Citadel now that it was within sight.
"Oh, I swear this was two hoots and a holler away!" Charon looked at her out of the corner of his eye, easily keeping up with her at a fast walk. She used a lot of those funny sayings. She seemed irked by the amount of time it had taken to get to their first destination.
Sophia had thought it would only take about an hour and a half to get from Underworld to the Citadel; but two wrong turns, a raider camp, and a handful of super mutants flushed her hopes, and them, down the metro. There they had to deal with a dozen or so ferals, too. She was happy to finally see her destination, but more than a little ruffled by the hospitality.
"Keep that zombie on a tight leash."
"That's a big motherfucker."
"Bet it'd take a few slugs to put him down."
Sure, there were ghoulists out west. But she had been around enough to know ghouls were humans and deserved to be treated as such. Most of the people in and around New Vegas were tolerant if not friendly with the ghouls she knew. Hell, people paid good caps to hear Dean Domino sing!
She swore the next time she heard these Brotherhood asshats say one more thing about Charon, she was going to rip them a new one!
"Think his dick's fallen off?" A young Initiate was trying to show off to an older Paladin. The Paladin could see the shit storm the young man had talked himself into, and took a step back as Sophia turned with a thundercloud on her face and lightening in her brown eyes.
"His dick is bigger than yours will ever be! Though, I'm not sure you're done growing yet with how stupid you are, bless your heart. Listen, sugar. If I hear you say one thing about my dear friend, I'll blow your brains into next week if you've got any. Now," turning to the Paladin that had backed away, "if you could tell me where Sarah Lyons is, I'd be much obliged."
The Paladin laughed. "She'll be in A Ring. The door is over there to the right. Sorry about him. Damn Initiates..."
Sophia nodded her head and began heading to the door the Paladin indicated.
Charon stopped in front of the Initiate and stared him down. As he began to walk away, the Paladin cuffed the young man's head and started lecturing him.
"What you didn't notice, maggot, was the NCR issued ranger jacket she was wearing. Now, to walk into a Brotherhood of Steel base without blinking an eye, most would think she was either stupid or she had stolen it. The amount of luck it would take to find one her size means she probably earned it. If she did steal it, that just makes her one tough dame." Yeah, Charon thought, she was one tough dame. He had seen her take down super mutants, ferals, and raiders in the past three hours. She could hold her own easily without him.
The last thing he heard as he followed Sophia into the Citadel made him laugh.
"The weapon isn't the problem, Initiate. You just shoot like my goddamn grandmother. Actually, strike that, my Mrs. Gunny was a deadeye."
As the door shut behind him, Sophia turned and gave him a little smile.
"Did you just laugh?" She could still feel the rough laugh in areas that hadn't seen the light of day for a while. Where the hell did that feeling come from? Well, at least he has a sense of humor. Maybe there was hope for Mr. Stoic, yet!
Charon grunted and brushed past her to the door to A Ring, stopping to let her enter after his eyes swept the room. She entered and found a group of Brotherhood of Steel Knights and Paladins along with their commander. Charon stopped to lean against the door, clearly blocking the exit, while keeping an eye out for anyone that would try to sneak up on them. This place was not safe.
"How can I help you?" A blonde woman with crystal blue eyes and rings underneath that showed her fatigue asked.
"I'm looking for Sarah Lyons."
Standing up in her power armor, the woman before her looked intimidating on purpose. Sophia stood up straight and smiled.
"Good afternoon, I'm a courier from New Vegas. If your Sarah Lyons, a distant relative of yours, Veronica Santangelo, wrote you a letter from New Vegas." Sophia dug the letter out of her sack and handed it to her.
Sarah looked at the girl and her guard. She opened the letter and began to read it.
"It says here that you're her friend?" It was more of a question than a statement.
"Yeah, a pain in the butt at times, but one heck of a fighter with her power fist. Traveled a fair bit together on a few odd jobs. Had to tell her to back off sometimes or everything would have ended up dead!"
"I don't know too much about the politics out west, but last I heard NCR and Brotherhood of Steel weren't too friendly." Several of the Knights and Paladins had stood up and were eyeing her warily, but giving most of their attention to Charon. She had heard Charon stand up and turned to see him standing tall behind her with his arms crossed.
"Huh?" Sophia cocked her head, then looked down at her jacket. "Oh! This thing? I'm not really affiliated with them. I happened on it in my travels. Lucky it fit, you know sugar?" Sarah seemed reluctant to accept the answer but continued reading the letter anyway.
"So, she doesn't agree with the politics. That's why we moved out east when I was a kid."
"She could use a change of scenery. Maybe see that not all Brotherhood of Steel members are in it for themselves? She enjoys helping people. Plus, she could yao guai hunt with a stick!"
"Well, I'm about to head out on patrols. Will you be around tomorrow? I'd like to send a letter back, but I'd like to talk to my father first." Looking at the short courier, Sarah couldn't imagine how hard a trip like that would be. Made sense to have a big ghoul for protection. Probably kept most people from attacking just at the sight of him. The courier herself didn't look all that intimidating.
"Well, I have a few more stops today. How long will it take me to get to Rivet City?"
"At least two hours if you don't run in to any trouble, which you will. Lyon's Pride is heading to the Washington Monument. You can tag along. We can split up after we cross the bridge. That's about half way there at least."
"The monument? Is that where..." Sophia fiddled with her pipboy, "GNR is located?"
"No. But I'll be stopping by there later, why?"
"I have a letter updating GNR on news from the west. It's from Mr. New Vegas. He's our radio personality. Plus, I have some songs downloaded on my pipboy that the broadcaster can use."
"I'd love to hear new songs. Getting tired of Butcher Pete!" A broad shouldered, dark skinned man sneered.
"Sure, Kodiak. We all know it's your favorite," another man in full power armor laughed.
Surprisingly, they didn't see too much trouble on their way to the Washington Monument. Lyon's Pride was fast, efficient, and deadly. In a little under an hour they were half way to Rivet City and saying goodbye.
"Well, I'll leave you the update for GNR and be on my way. I'll try to stop by tomorrow before noon. I like to be up early if possible. Thanks again for all of your help." Sophia handed the letter to Sarah and made to leave.
"Just a question, courier?" Sarah asked. "How long does the trip from here to New Vegas take?"
"About 4 weeks if you don't run into too many deathclaws and yao guai! There's a train that cuts across most of Texas and a boat that takes you up some of the Mississippi. For the most part it depends on if there's a Caravan you can travel with on the way." Sarah nodded in understanding. Sophia smiled and waved goodbye as Lyon's Pride continued toward the monument.
"Well, they're not all bad people," Sophia thought out loud. "Few of them were goobers, but most of them were pretty nice."
As they neared the Jefferson Memorial, two Brotherhood of Steel Initiates were standing around looking bored. As they saw her and Charon walking past, they elbowed each other, laughing. They called out to her.
"Hey. You don't have to slum it with that fucker. I've got a real shotgun for you right here!" The Initiate grabbed the front plate of his armor between his legs.
The second Initiate started humping the air. "Yeah, mine's fully loaded baby. I'm not shooting blanks like that shuffler!"
Sophia hated men who were all hat and no brahmin, as her daddy used to call it. Boasting at people just walking by seemed to be a past time of all young men.
She tried to ignore it. She really tried to ignore it. Her eyes slid over to Charon and found him staring stoutly ahead. For some reason that pissed her off and made her more angry at the idiots.
"Sorry, I prefer men that can handle their weapons. Experience and size matter a lot to a lady! Go peddle your produce somewhere else!" She yelled over her shoulder as they continued walking.
She thought that would be the end of it, but one of the men decided to take a pot shot at the ground near Charon.
"Oooh! Charon, should we shoot back? Or leave it be?" She looked at him with her hand on her laser pistol.
"No, Sophia, that would be a waste of perfectly good ammunition!" Sophia threw back her head and cackled wickedly. She gave Charon a smirk and nodded.
The rest of the way was uneventful, which was probably a good thing. Charon's head swam with confusing thoughts. When was the last time someone stood up for him? How should he react to it? Should he say something? She seemed to be as quick with a comeback, as she was with a smile and a laugh. He was trying desperately not to get his hopes up.
As they finally neared Rivet City, Charon turned to his new employer, rubbing is head and what little hair he had left in a habit he had never been able to break. What the hell, this would be the perfect time to test the waters of their employee relationship.
Charon stopped walking and took in a deep breath and coughed. "So, I'm big and experienced, eh?" He felt slightly embarrassed for saying it. Luck seemed to be with them on the trip, so he thought he'd push to see how far it could get him.
Sophia blushed from the roots of her hair and Charon thought, if he could see, she'd be blushing down to her toes.
Sophia stopped at the bottom of the stairs to Rivet City and turned to face him. "Well, you ARE big. Besides, I've seen you use that shotgun. Makes a girl blush and imagine what else you can do with those hands." Sophia ducked her head and rushed up the stairs.
He was a ghoul. A fuckin' rotting shuffler. Women didn't flirt with him. Well, that wasn't quite true. He remembered how Tulip would come into the Ninth Circle and stare at him. A few times she talked to Azhrukal about his contract, but never had enough money to buy him. She would wave or say goodbye to him, but not much more. Did that count as flirting? Once a ghoul hooker came from The Pitts. She had struck a deal with Azhrukal for the week she was staying. Every damn ghoul in Underworld started scraping caps together to fuck her. Several times she would sit in his corner and flirt with him. Tell him he looked so "big and strong" and "I bet you know how to please a woman". Azhrukal never let him "touch the merchandise" but it still boosted what little male pride he had left.
Now, here was a little slip of a woman flirting with him. A smoothskin! Charon shook his head and followed after her. He didn't think he really had a chance with her, but to think they might have a decent working relationship was more than he could ever hope for in an owner. But still, maybe her brand of crazy took longer to notice. He'd wait and see what luck had in store for him this time around.