I've started to write game reviews for (more info on my profile.) It's still a new website but if you could just check it out and maybe spread the word about it the rest of the staff and I would really appreciate it. I'll still love you if you don't, but I love the ones who at least go look at the site more ;)
Self-promotion aside, this was a random little idea that popped into my head. I wasn't sure if I should use Vizyn or another Lone Wanderer…but I figured she was a well-known figure with my writing and honestly, I can't see Charon with any of my other wanderers anymore.

Charon shook his head in disbelief, unable to comprehend the string of events that had so suddenly unfolded. He had learned over the years that things could go from calm to rough in the blink of an eye. In two, things could go from rough to catastrophic. But, for all his knowledge, in the expansive repertoire of "things gone wrong" he'd acquired over the years, he never would have imagined himself in this current situation.

Vizyn kneeled before him, hands bound behind her back with a leather belt. Her pistol rested in the dust several feet away and her face was stained with tears. A shotgun was aimed at her head.

His shotgun.

Charon moved to point the weapon away, but a masculine chuckle brought him to a halt. The ghoul glanced over his shoulder, a man dressed in a dapper pre-war suit held his contract up for inspection. Charon's blood turned to ice.

"Viv…"

"Don't speak," the man commanded. Charon snarled and opened his mouth, but no noise came out. He had no choice but to obey. The man paced behind him, reading the document over and murmuring to himself. Charon looked back down to his smoothskin, meeting her wide, sapphire stare.

Vizyn pulled her pink bottom lip between her teeth, trying to stop her sobs as her gaze pleaded with him silently. She glanced nervously from his gun to his new employer, her hands straining behind her back to be rid of her binds.

The man chuckled darkly, folding up Charon's contract and slipping it into his suit. "Kill her," he commanded.

Charon felt his hands begin to shake uncontrollably and Vizyn gasped, shooting her eyes up to meet his. Charon couldn't control his arms; they rose on their own accord and pressed the gun against Vizyn's forehead.

"I love you," she whimpered, eyes fluttering shut in resignation. "I forgive you, I love you."

Charon pulled the trigger.

Charon awoke with a start, startling the hound sleeping at the foot of the bed to attention. Dogmeat leapt to his feet and growled, surveying the bedroom for enemies before the hair bristling on his neck softened and he turned to his master with a confused cock of his head.

Vizyn groaned, rubbing her eye with her fist and pouting. "Wha's goin' on?" She slurred. Charon looked down at the smoothskin beside him, panic still running rampant in his chest.

"My contract…where is my contract?"

"Huh?" Vizyn arched an eyebrow at him and ran a hand through her tangled blonde locks. She yawned and hummed in contemplation, "It should be in the lockbox."

Charon bolted from the bed, pulling open the bottom drawer of the filing cabinet and jerking the lockbox out from its seclusion. He hastily unlocked it and ripped the lid open, sighing in relief when he saw the familiar yellowed document neatly folded at the bottom.

Dogmeat huffed and hopped onto the bed. Vizyn scratched his ears idly, watching Charon relock the box and tuck it away. He slipped back underneath the sheets and pulled Vizyn against his chest.

Vizyn frowned, feeling the rapid palpitations of her ghoul's heart against her cheek. She wrapped her arms around his middle and planted soft kisses along his mangled skin. "Are you alright, big guy?"

"Yeah," he answered into her hair, "Don't worry about it."

"Are you sure?"

Charon tilted her chin up and pressed a chaste kiss to her lips. "Positive. It's nothing. Let's just get back to sleep."

"If you say so," Vizyn yawned, snuggling into Charon's embrace.

Charon watched her sleep with a frown, trying to get the image of her horror-filled eyes out of his mind.

"I don't know, he's just been acting so weird lately," Vizyn sighed, taking a swig from her Nuka-cola bottle. Gob set his cleaning cloth aside and leaned over to pat the smoothskin's arm comfortingly.

"I'm sure he just has a lot on his mind," The ghoul assured her.

"How's his performance?" Nova piped up, stepping out from the backroom with her jacket tied around her waist. Vizyn gagged on her drink.

"Nova, come on," Gob admonished. Nova hopped over the bar to sit on the stool next to Vizyn and arched a delicate eyebrow.

"What? It's an honest question!" She wrapped an arm around Vizyn's shoulder, pulling her in close. "You see, baby, men feel inadequate when they can't get it up. They'll act anxious and paranoid because it gives them something to obsess over other than their junk. Take Gob for example, this one time—"

"Charon is fine in that department," Vizyn interrupted with a fierce blush, she noticed Gob give her a thankful look and smiled weakly. Nova huffed and blew a strand of ginger hair out of her eyes.

"Well, I don't know then."

Vizyn sighed and traced the rim of the cola bottle with her finger. "He's just more quiet than usual—kind of like how he was when we first met," she explained, "Then, at nighttime, he always finds his contract. He never touches it, but he stares at it for a really long time before he comes to bed."

Vizyn bit her lip and leaned into Nova's shoulder, "He's never even mentioned the contract for two years, not since I locked it away. For him to suddenly want it overnight…" She looked to her friends pleadingly. "You don't think he wants to leave me, do you? To take the contract and find someone else?"

Nova frowned and embraced the girl tightly.

"I'm sure that's not the case, Sugarbomb," she cooed, "Charon loves you."

"I'm with Nova, kid," Gob smiled slightly, taking the empty bottle from Vizyn's trembling hands. "You didn't see him when we thought you were, well, when you were gone. I've seen a lot of sorry customers, but never someone who looked as lost as he did."

Nova nodded once and pet the young girl's hair gently, "Just talk to him, honey. If you ask, I'm sure he'll tell you. Hell, he has to tell you."

"What if that's the problem?" Vizyn whispered. She covered her face with her hands and sniffled, "All this time, Charon's been thinking for himself. But isn't that only because I told him to do it? What if everything was all because of his contract? I mean, I kissed him first, I told him I loved him, what if he's just been going along with it because his stupid contract says he has to?"

"Two years is a long time to pretend, honey," Nova tried to console the girl who had begun to weep in her arms. She frowned up at Gob who looked just as helpless as she did.

"Exactly! So why not take the contract and go?"

"Hush now, baby. You know that's not true at all."

"But, it's the only thing I can think of," Vizyn protested, "Do you have a better idea?"

Gob shook his head with a stern frown and walked around the counter to kneel in front of the crying young woman.

"There's a problem with your theory, Vivi," He said, placing his rough hands over hers. "You never asked or told Charon to tell you he loved you, right?" Vizyn thought for a moment, then, shook her head in the negative. Gob grinned and squeezed her hands reassuringly, "Now look at how Charon treated Ahzrukhal, sure he never talked back but you could always see just how badly he wanted to kill the bastard. Knowing how he looks at you, do you really think he's acting?" Gob smirked, "That he has the patience for acting?"

Vizyn giggled slightly and shook her head. Nova smiled and stroked the ghoul's cheek.

"See? Gobbie knows what he's talking about," Nova kissed the top of Vizyn's head and gave her one final squeeze. "Now, go on. If he does it again, just ask him about it. I'm sure it's nothing."

Vizyn nodded once and stood, "Thanks…I'm sorry, I feel so stupid."

"Don't be sorry, kid," Gob ruffled her hair beneath her hat and smirked at her annoyed squeak, "Just make sure you get it all sorted out."

Vizyn nodded, fixed her cap and gave Gob a quick hug before darting outside the saloon. Gob and Nova watched her go with soft smiles before the ghoul turned and frowned at the ex-whore.

"'Take Gob for instance?'"

Nova grinned, "That's going to haunt you all day, isn't it?"