Chapter 21: Burke, My Darling
"Are you ready to go, Elle?" Charon asked as he pulled a bag of newly acquired inventory over his shoulder.
"Yeah." I hauled my bag out from under the table.
The trip to Megaton was about to start. I hadn't been home in weeks. God only knows what Gob has had to put up with.
And God only knows how he'll react when he hears of the news. And Dad.
My heart sank into my stomach at the thought of Dad finding out I'm pregnant. How would he react? Would he be angry? Upset? Happy? All of those emotions?
"Are you alright?" Charon had stopped in the doorway.
"I have no idea what my Dad will do when I tell him I'm having a baby. He tends to be really passive but I doubt this will be something he'll just say 'it's okay dear, let's have some jolly good tea.'" I mimicked his accent.
"I thought your accent was a little off for having come out of a vault. Was your dad British?"
"I guess. I don't know what that is."
He gestured me out of the room. "It was what people from Britain were called. Britain is in Europe, far far away. It used to pretty much rule the entire world at one point. That was hundreds of years before the war though."
I looked at him and nodded like I understood. "It sounds really interesting. I'll have to talk to Dad about it whenever I find him."
"You're full of shit." He chuckled. "You thought it was boring. You had that look you get when you're bored as hell."
"I really did think it was interesting. It's just early."
He laughed. "Full of shit," he whispered.
"Am not!"
"Are too." He held my hand as he steadied me down the stairs.
"Why are you making it such a big deal anyway?"
Ghouls were gawking. Charon glared at them and they kept their heads down. He held the doors open for me.
"Because it's funny when you get like this." He smiled smugly.
"Asshole." I scoffed.
"Mhmm." He stopped me before I ran into the desks with computers in the lobby.
"Thanks, asshole."
He held the doors open to the outside and the lights shined through. I covered my eyes from the blinding morning sun.
"You act like it's going to melt your skin off."
"Maybe it will." I stuck my tongue out.
"Sucks for you, then. You'll look like me."
Willow glared at him. "Asshole," she grumbled.
I poked him in the ribs. "See, she thinks so too."
"I get it. I am an asshole."
We walked past an angry Willow and stuck to the side of the metro railing. The steps were angled up and easy to trip over. Charon held my arm tightly.
"Why do you keep doing that?"
"Doing what?"
"Holding my arm?"
"I'm trying to make sure you don't fall down the stairs. Do you want a miscarriage that badly?" He looked at me angrily.
"Well, uh," I looked down as I took a few more steps, "not really. It would make my life easier. But I'm not going to do anything like that on purpose."
"You aren't helping your cause, you know that?"
"You're the one with the death grip on my arm." I took the last step and he let go.
"You really wanna be labeled a 'baby killer'?"
I coughed. "Sure. That's exactly what I want. Everything I ever dreamed of being. Eleanor, baby killed of the wastes. Just call 1-800-BABY for your free trial of kicks in the stomach. If you aren't one hundred percent satisfied, get your money and baby back guaranteed."
He rolled his eyes. "Can you at least try to take something seriously?"
"I am. That's how I cope. I need humor to be okay with something." I kicked a rock through the grates.
He opened the gate for me and we walked into the dank tunnels once again. Our footsteps matched up as we talked about things such as guns, raiders, and babies.
"I never had an employer that was with child. I am unsure of how to properly protect you and where the contract stands."
I picked up a recognizable tin can and tossed it down the tracks. "I don't know. I guess protect me how you would any knocked up chick. I would think the contract only ensures my safety, and not the kid."
"I had no intentions of never protecting the child. I will go to any means necessary to keep the two of you safe."
"So you're going to be its dad?" I asked with a grin. The thought wasn't unpleasant.
Charon stopped and I ran into his back. Without turning around, he muttered "You don't want me as the father."
"I wasn't joking. I think you'd be great. You're perfect daddy material. I really want this kid to have a good dad."
"Eleanor, it would be dangerous for you two."
"And you'd make it safe for us." I pushed past him, hiding my hurt.
"You know I can't be there every waking moment." He followed slowly.
I looked over my shoulder. "I'll drop it. How's that?"
His brow raised. "You actually want to drop something for once?"
"Yeah. I really want to get home soon. I need a drink."
"You are not drinking while you are with child." Charon growled, grabbing my arm. "Do you hear me?"
I tried to shake him off, failing miserably. I glared at him. "Yeah."
"Tell me you fucking understand."
"I. Fucking. Understand." I grabbed his wrist and threw him off my arm.
"You're going to need to know what the fuck you can and can't do, eat, and drink."
"Fine."
The lights blinded me once again as the exit to the metro came up. It was almost noon and we were barely coming up on half way to Megaton. Charon hadn't said a word to me. He opened the gate wordlessly.
"Thanks." I whispered.
He grunted in acknowledgment. We passed the bodies of the Talon mercs and remembered the slip of paper they were carrying. I hadn't looked at it yet. I pulled it out of my pocket and read over it.
"What is that?" Charon asked hoarsely.
"They had something on them. Never got to read it."
"What's it say?" He leaned over my shoulder.
After I was finished reading it, I crumpled it up and threw it on the ground.
"What did it say?"
"Asshole Burke sent them. Thinks we're dating or something. I fucking told him that we weren't going anywhere and that night was just fucking busi-" I trailed off as my situation dawned on me.
Before now, I had no idea who the father of this thing inside me was. Burke didn't fucking pull out.
"I can't believe him. This is -" I pulled my hair in frustration.
"What? What happened?" Charon held my wrists away from my head.
"Burke is the fucking father!" I kicked in his grasp. "He was the first guy I slept with out here and now I'm fucking paying for that."
"Calm down." Charon wrapped his arms around my shoulders.
Tears were streaming down my face. I was so angry. He ruined my whole life. "I can't believe this."
Charon smoothed my hair away from my face. "Please calm down, it's dangerous for the baby."
I reluctantly relaxed in his arms. I sniffled into his chest. "I only fucked him because he was going to blow up Megaton. If I didn't convince him not to blow it up, he'd have just gotten someone else with no conscience."
"It's okay. We're all here so you did good."
"But he didn't fucking pull out." I sobbed into his shirt.
"Maybe this was the universe telling you that you should have a child now. You may not be able to when you want."
"I guess."
"We need to hurry it up. We could make it to sun down if we hurry."
"Okay."
I pulled back from him at arms length. He looked at me with big blue eyes. In them, I could see a desirable future with him. And this child. Maybe it wasn't so bad after all. He leaned in and pressed his chapped lips to mine. He broke it off sooner than I wanted ad ruffled my hair.
"Let's go, Eleanor."
I sighed contently. "Okay."