AN/ Wow! I've been editing and revising This chapter for a while. It just never seemed finished! Every time I'd get a new favorite or review, I felt like I needed to get it done! Valentine's Day saw hubby listening to me read this and helping me revise while we were in the car. He such an awesome listener! :) I have the next chapter started and look forward to having that one up before too long!

Chapter6 You Can't Win For Losing

Charon was still pretty grumpy. After their bath, she tried to make it up to him. She heated up some apples on her Bunsen burner. She even fixed up his jacket with the armor, but he was still in a foul mood. She heaved a deep sigh. At least she knew why he was mad at her and acting like he had a hole in his britches! Boone would be moody for days only to find out that when she had offered him something to eat three days ago it had reminded him of Carla. Bless his heart. Charon, on the other hand, had a whole different problem that was easy to identify: if she died, where would Charon be? Up shit creak, probably. He'd have a hell of a time finding someone as nice as her. Well, as decent as her. Well...

Charon sat in a corner of the room they rented and cleaned his shotgun. He watched her fix apples for him, staring at the bandage on her forearm. He watched her fix up his new leather jacket, laying it on her wrapped knees. He figured she was trying to apologize, but everything she did just made him angrier. Why? He looked down at his hands. He wasn't gentle. She was. She had cleaned him, fed him, hell, she clothed him better than most employers. That didn't matter, right? He didn't care about her. Naw. He was just mad at himself, right?

He nodded his head. Yeah, how could he have been so stupid? What if she had died? She was the contract holder. That was it. It wasn't her fault, it was his. Of all of his employers, none of them had died because of one stupid mirelurk. Most of them didn't die while they owned his contract. He was damn good at what he did. Most of them died afterwards, normally at the request of his new owner. Just thinking about it usually made him feel good. Why didn't it now? It didn't matter. He just needed to think about how he was going to keep this one alive. He watched her sit on the bed to fiddle with her pip boy.

"You ready for bed, sugar?" Sophia asked as she started unbraiding her hair unaware of the tumultuous thoughts running through her companions head.

He felt something begin to replace his anger as he watched her long brown hair fan out in waves behind her. He wanted to run his fingers through her hair. He wanted to grab a chunk, pull her head back, and kiss her. It made him feel on edge. He reminded himself that he was just a ghoul. She was just another contract holder.

"I will stay here and watch over you. I do not require much sleep."

"Now come on! Everybody needs to hit the hay in this caravan." She slid under the thin cover and patted the side of the bed. "We're in a nice hotel and the bed's big enough for a small party so let's get some shut eye." She nodded, smiling at him as she patted the bed again.

He felt like a damn dog. But wasn't that what he was? At least this time his owner used treats and soft beds instead of kicks and starvation. He sighed as he stood up from the chair he was in and stretched his back. If his employer wanted him to sleep in a comfortable bed, who the hell was he to argue? He walked to the side of the bed she was currently laying on and, after resting his shotgun against the headboard, pushed her to the other side.

"Oof! Hey!" Sofia rolled over and he pushed her back.

"I will sleep on the side closest to the door," he huffed. Charon laid on top of the cover with his back against the headboard closing his eyes. When she didn't move to lay down, he cracked an eye. "Go to sleep."

"Well, at least now I know which side of the bed is mine, darling" Sofia drawled. As she turned over, she secretly smiled. Looks like he wasn't that mad at her after all.

The next day started off just fine, but as Sofia blew her bangs off her forehead and got up from behind the rusty hunk of junk Charon had shoved her behind to go off guns a blazing to fight a trio of bandits, pissed was an understatement. The first time they had run into trouble, in the form of super mutants, Charon had shoved her into a ditch. By the time she crawled out, Charon had taken care of the problem, but not before he got a nice concussion.

"What the fuck was that about? What if I had broken my neck? And look at your dumb ass getting hurt!"

"Just a graze from a sledge. I will be fine." When it didn't look like he was going to use a stimpak, Sofia grabbed one out of her bag.

"Hey, is that a bandit?" Sofia asked. When Charon turned to look, she jabbed the syringe into his shoulder none to gently. "Huh, guess not," Sofia shrugged. Charon grunted and glared at her.

Dropping off the package for Dr. Madison Li was a cinch. She had almost forgotten about the incident earlier in the day until they ran into a small pack of dogs. In one fluid motion Charon grabbed his shotgun from his back, Sofia like a sack of potatoes, threw her over his shoulder, and fired a few rounds at the dogs. Her duster flew up over her shoulders blocking her view. As she struggled to get it out of her face, Charon sat her back down on the ground having taken care of the dogs.

Before she could utter a single word, the damn bandits showed up. She had been so ticked off she hadn't even noticed them. Charon had shoved her behind the damn car in the middle of the street just as one of them started firing.

Sofia prided herself on being able to take care of herself. Sure, she wouldn't look a gift horse in the mouth if somebody wanted to help her, but she could kill her way through a deathclaw den if she was so inclined! She could handle a gun, an energy weapon, or as the White Glove Society found out, a damn fork to keep herself alive. Being pushed out of the way of danger made her feel like a fucking princess. And she was nobodies' damsel in distress.

For the third time that day, Charon had taken care of all threats and was searching the bodies for anything they could use. He felt like he had redeemed himself for his earlier lapse in judgement. Contract holder safe? Check! Kill all threats? Check! Loot bodies? In progress! I When he heard Sofia approach he looked up. She looked like fire and brimstone and he cocked his head confused.

"All threats have been..."

"What the fuck is wrong with you?! What do you think you're doing?" Sofia ranted at him.

"You are my contract holder. It is my duty to ensure you do not get killed."

"Well, I got news for you buddy, I don't need some.."

"You need protection."

"Protection?! Look, I didn't even need to keep you!"

"But you DID. And now, for good or ill, I serve you, even if you do not want me to."

"Woah, who the hell said anything about me not..." Sofia tried to interrupt.

"I can't have you getting hurt because I failed to perceive something as a threat."

The crunch of gravel had them both turning. Lyon's Pride was walking towards them. Sara stopped in front of the the courier eyeing her up. Her shoulders were tense, her jaw was clenched, and the ghoul looked angry.

She put her hand on her weapon and proceeded with caution. "Everything OK, courier?"

Sofia forced a smile and nodded. She wanted to continue the argument, but she knew if they did she was angry enough to let her own petty emotions get in the way of any sort of logic.

"We're simply wonderful. Just a little tiff over which way to go. How are you doing this fine day?"

Charon didn't understand her. As Sofia and the Brotherhood of Steel Leader discussed the nonexistent weather, she acted as if their argument was no big deal. Even lied to Lyons. Interesting.

"We're on our way back to the Citadel. Was hoping I'd meet you and be able to assist a bit. Always a few super mutants around to kill." Sarah grinned.

"Sounds great!" Sofia smiled, but not for the reasons Lyons Pride imagined. She remembered how this team worked and even Charon couldn't sideline her here!

"Yes. This will do nicely. Sofia, "Charon grabbed her upper arms and moved her back between two towering men, "you stay here while I guard the front. These two can guard your 9 and 3 and the guys back there will have your 6."

Sofia was furious! She couldn't believe him! The two men on either side of her put there hands up and backed away with sheepish looks on their faces.

"Don't look at me! I'm just doing my job."

Sophia glared at Charon. How dare he treat her as if she couldn't take care of herself! She watched him walk up front and glared holes into his broad shoulders. Closing her eyes she heaved a sigh as a conniving smile slowly formed on her lips.

"Well boys, looks like it's just us back here. Want to make a wager?"

The men looked at each other before looking down at the tiny courier and grinned.

"We're listening."