AN: Huzzah! Finally! This chapter kicked my butt for a long time. I was going to put some lemon in it, but I ended up waiting. I know...I'm a sucker for some good chemistry and tension. Plus, I don't think Sophia would jump into bed with someone so quickly.

Thanks for waiting and be being so patient! Reviews are always welcome. As always thanks to my hubby for giving me input! :)

Chapter 5 Lady Dumb Luck

Sophia pushed the button at the top of the tower. A man's voice rang out on the speaker.

"Welcome to Rivet City. Please wait while the bridge extends." Sophia shifted from one foot to the other as she waited for the bridge to swing in place.

"I don't like the look of this place." Charon mumbled next to her. As they crossed the bridge she patted his arm.

"Don't worry! It ain't all that bad. Word is it even has a hotel! No sleeping outside on the ground for this gal! It's already 5:00. After delivering the packages, getting dinner, and cleaning up, it'll be time to hit the hay!"

As they began to reach the end of the bridge, a rather handsome man stood on the other side with an assault rifle. Charon could tell right away that the man was wary of him. Didn't matter to Charon because he didn't like the look of him either. The guard was staring at him with his eyes squinted and his gun firmly pointed at him.

"Hold it right there. State your business in Rivet City." Sophia walked up to the man and gave him her best smile.

"I'm Sophia, a courier from New Vegas. I have a delivery for Dr. Madison Li and a man named Flak."

"New Vegas?" Her smile and clear purpose seemed to calm the man down, but he didn't put his weapon away. "Well, Dr. Li hasn't been around as much since Project Purity started running. You'd find her at the Jefferson Memorial. As for Flak, he'll be in the Rivet City marketplace. Keep your nose clean and stay out of trouble. Do you plan on staying the night once you've completed your business?"

"A bed would be mighty fine. I hear there's a place I could rent one." Sophia began mentally calculating the amount of caps she had. She should be pretty good since she got her savings back from the recently deceased Ahzrukal.

"That'd be Weatherly Hotel. Go on in and stay out of trouble on my boat." His last words seemed to be directed at Charon more than her. He stepped aside to let them pass.

Once on board, Sophia made her only available delivery, apparently schematics for Flak, and headed to get supper. It wasn't fancy, but it would do. The chef on board claimed to be a gourmand. She sold him a few more of the cinnamon sticks she had gotten from a vault on her travels. She bought some apples from the vendor there. Said he got them from the science lab on board.

"Let's get that room! I'm gonna make desert after we clean up!"

"Clean up?" Charon stared down at her.

"Oh, yes! I smell like the tail end of a molerat! Charon, do you have a change of clothes?" Sophia realized she hadn't thought to ask him about anything more than the obvious need of better armor. The bag he carried didn't look like it carried much.

"Only the shirt and socks you bought in Underworld."

"Wait, how long have you been in those britches?! Scratch that. I don't want to know. Good Lord! Your underpants have probably melted onto you!" Charon shrugged. He hadn't had anyone question his cleanliness in a long time. Hell, most of the residents in The Capital stank. It was just the way of the world.

Sophia marched them back to the marketplace and put on her best Southern charm for the man at some fancy attire stall. He was overpriced, snooty, and high falooting. Thankfully her time with Dean had helped her perfect just the right amount of groveling needed for the situation. She managed to get a few things for her companion and a new pair of panties for herself. She paid a bit more than she wanted, but felt it would be worth it in the end.

Charon watched her handle the tiny pair of panties and felt his pants tighten. He followed her to the hotel where she rented a room with one large bed and assessed every man that neared her as a threat. He was having urges and he didn't know if he liked them.

Once in their room, she took out a collapsible bucket, a sliver of soap, a small bottle, and some scraps of cloth.

"How cold is the Potomac?"

Charon blinked. "I am not certain. But I am certain that it would not be safe to wash in."

"Don't be a wet noodle! Well, you'll be a wet ghoul in a few minutes, but that's beside the point. It's September, so it shouldn't be too cold yet, right?" Sophia took off her long duster.

"It is not safe," Charon growled and shook his head.

"Well, I've got you to keep me safe! It's not like we're gonna go unarmed! Let me get these off and we can head out!" He turned around the moment he heard her begin to unzip her pants. His suddenly felt tighter.

Sophia was wearing a shirt and a pair of what looked like boy's boxer briefs. She picked up her bucket, and gave him a once over.

"You'll probably want to leave your jacket. You can hang your pants on a tree or something."

He felt his jaw tighten and the beginnings of a massive headache. She was really going to do this. She was going to take a dip in the river.

He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. When he opened them she still stood there with a smile on her face and her bucket in hand. She raised her eyebrows at him and he thrust his jacket off onto a chair. He didn't think it was in anyone's best interest for him to be naked, but since it looked like she was bathing in her clothes, he figured he could do the same.

Sophia practically skipped out of the room and down the corridor to the outside of Rivet City. The sun was setting and it would be dark soon, but for now there was still more than enough light to see.

Sophia walked down the stairs and headed to the right. There was a small wooded area by the river that looked promising. She turned to see Charon trudging behind her with an impassive scowl etched onto his face. How he could look both miserable and blank was a mystery to her, but he did. She got closer to the river and found a spot that looked more like gravel and debris than muck and mud.

"This'll do. Let's get cleaned up real quick before a lakelurk gets us!" Sophia chuckled thinking how easy it was to kill those things with her trusty laser pistol. She shrugged out of her shirt, gently set down Pew Pew, and took off her boots and hat. Her thin undershirt and bra were going to be wet for a bit, but she didn't feel THAT comfortable, yet. Setting them down, she emptied the bucket on the ground and got to work. Charon stood still for a moment. "Come on, big guy! Get out of those pants and shirt and get to washing." Charon did as he was told.

Now, in only boxers, he walked up to the waters edge and splashed a bit of water onto himself. There. Done.

Sophia walked in waist deep and started scrubbing. The water was cool, almost cold. She walked back to shore and started sudsing up. She turned to find Charon standing near the edge of the water about to put his clothes back on.

Sophia sighed. "You can't be serious! You need to do more than that!" She looked at the man hesitate then splash a bit more water on himself and realized that if she wanted it done right she'd have to do it herself!

"Charon, come here." As he walked to her she rubbed the piece of soap in her hands and set it in the bucket floating near by. She forgot how tall he was as he neared her. There was a lot of muscled chest before she got to his eyes. Sophia started gently soaping his chest and stomach up. She was careful of places where the skin looked like it might be peeling and focused on just lightly soaping the whole area. As she walked around him, she grabbed for her bucket and the soap. While her hands moved over his back, she realized she had quite the man with her now. Having those broad shoulders to watch while on this journey was going to be quite nice. Yes, some of his muscles were literally showing, but he hadn't tried to grab her ass or call her names. Plus, he was a better shot than Arcade.

The soapy bubbles were rust colored as she filled the bucket. She had Charon rinse himself off, then got to work on his arms. She could already tell that most of the smell was gone. When she got to under his arms he flinched.

Sophia stopped.

"Are you hurt? Is the skin sensitive here?" She ran her finger along his armpit. He jerked back.

Sophia withdrew her hands and stared at his back.

"I am fine. I can do the rest."

"No. I said I was going to help you." Sophia went to continue her soaping but Charon moved a little out of reach. "What is wrong with you? You act like..." Understanding had Sophia's eyes growing. If Charon had turned to look at her he would have seen a maniacal smile grace his employers face before she began tickling him.

"Hey! What the hell!" Charon tried to move out of the way, but the water was slowing him down. The little minx was fast and seemed at ease in the water. Feeling her small fingers brush against him wasn't just making him grunt from being ticklish. He hadn't been touched gently in a long time.

He knew there was one way to end this quickly, so he made a feign left, then turned and caught her by the waist. He lifted her away from him as she splashed and tried to continue her assault. Her arms were just too short.

"I will let you down, if you stop. I will not count this as violence, THIS time. But next time...Physical violence on your part invalidates our contract." He was completely deadpan, though out of breath, and Sophia couldn't tell if he was serious or not.

"I was just playing! Promise. I won't do it again," she pouted. His grip tightened just a moment around her waist as his eyes became transfixed on the contrast between her smooth skin and his damaged hands. Her thin undershirt had ridden up during their struggle. As he gently set her down his fingers pulled her shirt down as well. Sophia felt her heart racing as she looked into the water. What the hell had gotten into her? She was acting like some fool teenager at a sleepover. She looked up and hesitantly smiled at Charon. He lifted half of his mouth in a smirk.

She finished scrubbing herself up with what was left of the sliver of soap. Once it was gone she ducked her head underwater. Suddenly, Charon yanked her up and out of the river half carrying her to their stuff.

"I said I was sorry!" She wiped the water out of her eyes as the first mirelurk came into view swimming in from the river.

Charon grabbed his shotgun and started firing just as the beast made it to waist deep water. Sophia swung her hair out of her face and lunged for her laser pistol.

"A little help!" Charon shouted and continued firing.

She was shooting as fast as Pew Pew could at a second monster about 30 yards away and heading toward Charon. It seemed to shake itself and begin moving toward her.

Sophia fired over and over with little effect. It rushed her with its head down as she fell and scrambled to get out of the monster's way.

Charon looked over his shoulder as he downed the final mirelurk in front of him to see Sophia on the ground with one towering over her. Why the hell hadn't she killed the thing?

Sophia had little experience with mirelurks. Sure, she had seen a few of them, but she didn't realize her laser pistol would be so ineffective against them. She shot at the claw about to scrape her face off, but for all of the shots she fired, it seemed to be armored to the teeth...wherever the hell they were.

"Shoot it's fucking face! It's face!" Charon yelled at her. Sophia was close enough for the thing to make a grab for her leg. As it pulled her in closer, the monster tried to hit her face with its other claw, but she deflected it with her forearms.

"Where the fuck is it's face?!" Sophia screamed.

Sophia prayed the thing that looked like a vagina with teeth that was on the underside of its tough shell was actually it's face and pressed Pew Pew to it and fired.

Charon had just made it over to her as the thing slumped on top off her. "Jesus, Sophia! What the fuck took you so long?" She had been so capable this morning and afternoon that she seemed like she could handle herself. Yet here she was on the ground covered in mirelurk, scrapes, and bruises. If she hadn't finished it off, it would have started to snap her head off. His contract felt like it was gnawing on his brain and he felt tingling in his arms as the adrenaline started to fade away. He reached down and viciously yanked the thing off of her.

"I'm from New Vegas!" Sophia winced as she stood up. Her feet felt raw.

"What the hell does that have to do with anything?" Charon could feel his anger begin to rise up from his chest. If he wasn't shackled to his contract, he felt like he might try to throttle her.

"We don't have mirelurks out in New Vegas. We have lakelurks, but they're apparently not as hard to kill as these darlings. When that one ran at me I couldn't see a face to shoot at. Lakelurks have range, so my laser pistol does the job after four or five hits." Sophia shrugged. "Lesson learned. Hey, so, can we cook these?" Sophia began firing at the mirelurk's shell trying to find a vulnerable spot.

She was an idiot, Charon thought. A lucky, fucking idiot.