The air around me was stale and smelled like rust. Rivet City had a weird funk to it. I don't think it's from the people. Just that it's a gross old boat that never really opens its doors.

Charon was sitting next to me. He was pretending to sleep.

"You're not fooling anyone, you know?"

"It is my duty to protect you mistress. I am not ordered to sleep." He realized he had called me "mistress" and looked apologetic.

"I order you to care about your well-being."

"As you wish, Eleanor."

"That starts with sleeping and eating. Are you hungry?"

He looked at the wall. He was acting like a child that didn't want to admit he did something wrong but also didn't want to lie to his mom.

"Charon, are you hungry?" I repeated.

"...Very."

"That's all you had to say." I stood up to leave the room. Charon yelped and covered his eyes.

"What?"

"You aren't dressed at all. Not even a little."

"I'm used to sleeping naked and drunk so get used to it." I started to pull on my shorts and tank top.

"Why? That's very dangerous."

"There's usually a different guy in my bed every night so I think I'm safe enough." I looked at the floor as the words came out. He looked at me with pity.

"I don't need your sympathy, Charon. I do it to myself. I don't want to talk about it anymore."

"As you wish."

"What do you want for dinner?"

"Something cheap."

"Alright." I grabbed my bag of caps and opened the stall door. Charon followed behind me.

"You don't have to follow me everywhere."

"It's in my contract."

"Fine."

I walked to the counter where Vera's robot stood behind.

"Hello,customer. May I get you anything to eat?"

"Noodles for me." I leaned over to whisper so Charon couldn't hear his order.

I finished the order and sauntered over to the bench with a table.

"Charon, you can sit if you want." I saw no reason why I could sit and he couldn't.

He sat down awkwardly in the small chair. It screeched in protest of his weight.

"So, tell me about yourself. I want to know."

"I have told you everything my contract requires me to say."

"I'll tell you one thing about me in exchange for one thing about you."

"I'm fine. I don't need to know about you and you don't want to know about me."

"Ah. Tough guy act. 'Your daddy's worst nightmare' thing. I see what's going on."

"There is nothing 'going on'. I am not required to inform you of my past.

"Fine, you're such a drama queen. The food's here at least." The robot placed my bowl of noodles and his plate of just about everything down on the table.

"What is this?"

"It's hopefully enough food for you."

"I said something cheap."

"And I said look out for your well-being. Are you complaining that you have too much food?"

"You are spending too much. Save your money from now on."

"I have plenty and what's mine is yours. I want you to know I spoil my girls."

"Funny." He picked up his iguana bits and started to tear off pieces of the meat.

"I'm a fucking comedian. Anyway, we'll be leaving soon. Doctor Li said she knows where my father is."

"I was unaware you were looking for your family."

"He's my only family I have left." I picked at my noodles.

"...What's it like?" Charon shifted uncomfortably.

"What's what like?"

"Family." He had stopped eating completely to just stare at his plate.

"I don't know what mothers are like. Mine died during birth. My dad and I were always really close. Not everyone has a good relationship with their parents. I just got lucky." I found myself thinking of Butch for the first time in weeks.

"What were some things you guys did?"

"He gave me a BB gun for my tenth birthday with parts he found around the vault. He somehow figured out a way to make a cake with no traditional ingredients. I think the thing I took advantage of the most," I paused to let a shaky breath, "was the fact that he was always there for me."

"You're from a vault?"

"Yeah."

'Why did you leave?"

"Dad left to fulfill an old dream and the vault security was trying to kill me. I had to leave behind my friends, my would-be-fiance, and my life. I was just sort of thrown out into the Wastes without food, water, caps, and no knowledge of the world whatsoever."

"Your father never taught you about the Capital?"

"He told me we were born in the fucking vault like everyone else and the whole vault knew but me. Always knew Butch didn't like Dad for reasons besides him spawning me."

"Who's Butch, if you don't mind me asking?"

"Well, if I told you about him, I'd have to tell you everything after that."

"You don't have to then."

"I need to. I want to feel like shit. Butch was my boyfriend for years before I left the vault. Now that I'm out, I have been fucking every guy I can to forget about my situation. I get piss drunk and I even woke up once with money on the side table. I fuck a new guy every night pretty much to forget Butch. I drink to forget what they're doing to me. And every once in a while when I really feel like shit, I shoot up to forget what I'm doing to myself." I pushed the noodles over to rest my head on the table.

"I'm sorry to hear about your experience out here." He seemed sincere enough.

"I just need another drink. Hey, robot!"

The robot sputtered over to the table. "Yes, ma'am?"

"I need a bottle of whiskey."

"Right away." The robot hovered to the counter talking shit about me the whole way.

He came back with a bottle and I pulled the caps out. I popped the top off and chugged a fourth of the bottle. I slammed it on the table.

"I think I'm just gonna get you your own room. I'm feeling really shitty and I need to do something about it."

"You don't need to do this." Charon's brow was etched in concern.

"Oh, but I do. I want it."

I stood up unsteadily. I stumbled to the counter to pay for Charon's room and walked sloppily out of the room still chugging the bottle.

"It is very unwise to go alone."

"Whatever happens, happens for a reason." I dropped the empty bottle in the can by the stairwell.

"Why are you doing this? And don't tell me because you want it. No one wants what you're doing to yourself."

"I'm doing it because I deserve it." I tripped down the stairs but he caught me by the arm.

"You don't deserve it."

"Leave me alone. Just let me be." My words were slurred all to hell. I shook his arm off me and grabbed onto the hand rail for dear life. I continued down the stairs to the Muddy Rudder.

"It's my duty to ensure you are safe."

I opened the metal door and stumbled to the bar stool closest to the door.

Harkness was sitting next to me and eying Charon from his seat.

"Hello there, I seem to be having some trouble. I think I need a big, strong security guard to help me to my room." I was rubbing Harkness's arm as he gave me an odd look.

"Is he with you?" Harkness asked with curiosity.

"Charon? Yeah, but he should really be getting home." I turned to glare at him.

"Is he bothering you?" Harkness asked as if it was commanded.

"Yes, but he just needs to leave me alone and go home."

"Fine. I'll fucking go but I was just doing what I felt I needed to." Charon turned and stomped out of the bar.

"I'm not an idiot, Eleanor. I know what your intentions are."

"I just thought you were like a wall. You didn't seem to be catching a hint."

"I never said that. I was just seeing how far you'd go."

"So you just aren't interested? I can leave you alone if that's what you want." I retracted my arm in case he wanted me to leave.

"I never said I wasn't interested. It's just that you hit on me when you're drunk and it would be wrong to take advantage of you."

"Trust me, I would do it if I was sober. I just get shy. I really want this." I got closer and turned my body to him.

"Are you sure?" He seemed conflicted.

"Very sure." I stood up and he stayed sitting for a few seconds and got up eventually.

"Alright."

I grabbed his hand and led him back up to the room. I pushed the door open and was relieved to find Charon wasn't in here.

Harkness still seemed unsure as he pulled me to him. I pulled his head down to meet my lips. His hands were squeezing me to him. It was almost painful. He was surprisingly strong. That only turned me on more.

I fell back onto the bed and he crawled on top of me. His lips were pressed to my throat, chest, everywhere. I pulled my shirt over my head and he followed my actions. His hand slipped under my bra and his other hand held him above me. I unhooked my bra and his hand trailed up to my jaw. He wasn't bad at all. Soon, we were both naked.

He lifted my hips up and slid in to me with a moan. I dug my nails into his back as he rammed into me at different angles trying to find the right one. After several thrusts, I was gasping from the right spot. He was pushing in faster and harder. I drug my nails down his skin and he was panting into my shoulder.

He sat up and turned me over. He better not be doing what I think he was doing. He pulled me up on my hands and knees and pushed back in. He was picking up the pace quickly. He was thrusting so hard that my face was coming within inches of hitting the wall. He grabbed a fistful of my hair and pulled my head back. His other hand was on my hip for leverage. I was gasping and I knew what was about to happen. He thrust in especially hard and I screamed as I felt intense pleasure flow through me. Each thrust was renewing the pleasure and he pushed into me a final time before pulling out quickly and finishing on my back. He collapsed onto the bed. I grabbed an old cloth and wiped off my back and rolled over to wrap myself around him.

I was about to fall asleep when I heard the door open and realized that I was alone in the bed. I sat up in the bed. I stared into the mirror on the wall. My eye liner was smudged and my hair was mussed up from being pulled.

I swung my legs off the bed and limped to the bathroom. I grabbed the edge of the toilet and violently expelled everything in my stomach. Among the contents were noodles and a lot of whiskey. I wiped my eyes but the tears were still coming. I crawled back to the bed with a tissue and cried myself back to sleep yet again this week.