Charon awoke, rising from the couch as he stretched his aching limbs. Every vertebrae in his back seemed to pop audibly in protest. Although the piece of furniture was a bit too small to accommodate his tall stature, it was certainly preferable to sleeping on a pile of rocks out in the wastes. His employer was always looking out for his best interest, trying to make him feel comfortable and at home in her modest little Megaton house. He liked to think that he was returning the favor by providing backup against the Wasteland's many dangers. Lately, however, he felt as if he wasn't much help at all.

She's been through hell and back.

Over the course of the last several days, Evelyn had lost both her beloved father and the one place that she had truly called home. She hardly spoke, hardly ate, and hardly came out of her room. He worried for her health and also felt a sense of uselessness when he wasn't able to physically protect her from harm.

Guns and bullets were his forte. Comfort and consoling, however, were not his strong points. He secretly wished that the kid would pull herself out of her mourning, wake up one day and just get on with her life... but instead she seemed to be consumed by darkness and Charon was at a loss for how to help her. The Wasteland had a way of snowballing from disaster to disaster until there was nothing left of you to give, and it seemed to have finally caught up with Evelyn.

Sometimes karma can only do so much.

As her bodyguard, Charon felt that it was safe to at least check on her. She was most likely still sleeping. He crossed the hallway and peeked through the door to her bedroom which was slightly ajar, and was startled to see that she was no longer there.

Had she left without him? Now, that was unusual. The kid had a way of dragging him everywhere, even if it was just for a trip across the street to The Craterside Supply. Whether it was for companionship or security or both, he was not sure, but he did know that it was strange indeed for her to have left without notifying him first.

Charon briskly descended the stairs to see Wadsworth straightening up Evelyn's belongings. His feet had hardly touched the floor when the robot whirled around to face him with his usual pleasantries.

"Good morning, sir! May I offer you some breakfast or-"

Certainly not in the mood for Wadsworth's overly-cheery chatter, Charon cut him off.

"Have you seen Evelyn?"

"Why, no... I assumed that she was still sleeping."

Huh. So did I.

If she had left without being detected by Wadsworth, who seemed to sense the drop of a pin, then she obviously wasn't looking to be noticed.

"Are you going to go after her?"

Charon didn't bother answering Wadsworth as he opened the front door and stepped outside into the foggy morning air. Leaning over the flimsy railing, he gazed out over the town in hopes of catching a glimpse of Evelyn somewhere. His frown deepened when he didn't see her.

As Charon mulled in his conflicted thoughts, Lucas Simms walked by, one of the few people who didn't skitter away from him in the quiet little town.

"Mornin', Charon," the sheriff said, stopping beside him. "You looking for Evelyn?"

"Yes. Have you seen her?"

"Yeah," he nodded. "Saw her leave a couple of hours ago. Up with the sun... she looked like she was chasin' a ghost. I don't gather that she's the kinda gal who'd run off and do something stupid, so I wouldn't worry too much. But I think she could really use a friend right now."

Charon wasn't at all phased by the information, but thanked the sheriff regardless.

"Thank you."

Simms nodded, tipping his hat politely before walking off and continuing his morning survey of the town.

It took Charon only a moment to decide whether or not to seek his employer. He knew that the kid needed some time to herself, but the possibility that she could be in danger prickled at his senses and ultimately took over his better judgment. People often did irrational things when depressed and he'd seen more than a few Underworld residents resort to some terrible things when they were left to their own devices.

As Charon entered the house again to grab his shotgun, Dogmeat immediately perked up and scrambled towards him. He was making a beeline towards the door when the canine plopped near his feet, looking quite expectant as he panted and whined.

The ghoul cursed under his breath, reluctantly giving in.

"All right, come on," he grumbled.

With a seemingly happy bark, Dogmeat was at his heels, following him down the slope leading from Evelyn's abode and out into Megaton.

The trip to Vault 101 was not far. Charon knew precisely where it was located, as Evelyn had pointed it out a few times during their travels. Luckily the area surrounding Megaton was largely secure, one of the few areas in the Wastes not often plagued by the usual gangs of Raiders and hostile wildlife. The entire trip took only about 20 minutes, through the barren ghost town surrounding Megaton and up the narrow incline leading to the vault's entrance…

…and there she was, her petite form resting upon a pile of rocks in the canyon-like atmosphere of where the vault was carved into the roughened terrain. Her back was towards him, shoulders hunched and quivering slightly. Charon's frown returned.

She's crying.

He paused for a few seconds before walking into her line of sight, nodding his head in greeting.

"Hey, kid."

Evelyn looked startled as she wiped her eyes with the back of her hand and managed a meek smile amidst the tears that still stained her cheeks.

"Charon! I didn't expect to see you here."

"You can't really expect to run off and have me neglect to find you."

"Guess I should have known better, huh?"

"It's in the contract, after all."

Although he was merely stating the truth, Evelyn shook her head, her smile already fading.

"Yeah, I'm sorry if I scared you. I just needed some time to myself, I guess."

He sat on a rock beside her as she continued to stare numbly at the cavern before them: the entrance to Vault 101, where her treacherous journey had begun all those months ago. Several long moments of silence passed before the proverbial dam was broken.

"You know, when I left, I didn't expect things to happen this way," said Evelyn, her morose gaze fixed upon the sealed vault. "If I had known, I'm not sure if I would have ever left. Maybe I was better off just staying home and saving myself the heartache."

She occupied herself with scratching Dogmeat's ears, whose head was resting upon her lap. She looked like she was trying her damnedest not to start crying again.

"It's my fault he died, you know. If I hadn't escaped and tried to fix everything..."

"Kid, none of this is your fault."

"How is it not?" she cried, her voice breaking pitifully as fresh tears squeezed themselves from her green eyes. "I ran off to find him, when I could have just stayed in the vault and lived with it like he wanted. He would still be alive if it weren't for me. It seems like my leaving was the catalyst... for... for all of this..."

At a loss for words, Charon let her continue. Sometimes it was better to let these things out instead of holding them in.

"And you know what the worst part is? I never got to say how much I loved him or how much he meant to me. I never got to say goodbye...and now I can't even go home. I've been banished. They'll never take me back, Charon. Not after everything that's happened..."

Evelyn trailed off, her shoulders quivering before they turned into sobs. Charon's entire body stiffened. He had only seen the kid cry once before and she had locked herself up in her room. It was pitiful, seeing her delicate features contort with so much pain. She covered her face with her hands as if she was ashamed that she was crying in front of him.

"I don't think I can do this anymore, Charon." Her voice was muffled behind her palms, just barely audible. "I can't find the strength within me to even carry on. More than anything I just want to go home and forget that this ever happened... but I can't. I'm so damned tired. I just feel like sometimes I'm better off dead."

He hesitantly reached out a hand to touch her, but pulled back. The fact that Evelyn had even considered such a thing struck him with more force than he'd like to admit.

"You're all I have now, Charon. You and Dogmeat 'til the end."

Evelyn reached out and grasped his larger hand within hers, squeezing it a little while as her other palm rested upon Dogmeat's head. Her fingers were cold as death itself.

In that moment, Charon wanted to tell her that she was strong, so very strong... and that she had more gall than any of his previous employers, many of whom were decades older than her. He wanted to tell her that her sorrow would shape her into an even stronger person and that she'd mourn and move on with her life... and most of all, he wanted to tell her how she had touched so many lives in the Wasteland, including his own...

But instead he said: "If you need some time..."

He moved to stand, feeling very much like he was merely intruding, but Evelyn grasped his shirt sleeve.

"Wait!" Her voice echoed through the canyon like an ethereal lost soul.

Charon's gaze fell upon her wide, watery eyes. Her lips were trembling as she stared up him.

"Please. I don't want to be alone."

Charon hesitantly resumed his spot beside her, voicing the uselessness that he felt.

"Is there anything that I can do?"

"Just stay with me. Promise you'll stay with me..."

Evelyn began to cry again, and Charon awkwardly allowed his arms to wrap around her. She rested her head against him, weeping freely into his armored chest as the world burned around her.

"I miss him, Charon. I miss him so goddamned much."

As he held her, Charon suddenly remembered what she had looked like the first day she had walked into his life: fresh-faced and fiery, with an eagerness to take on whatever obstacles were thrown her way. She knew nothing of pain or suffering confined in Vault 101. He used to look at her like a kid, a child... but she was a child no longer. The Wasteland had finally taken away from her just as much as it had from him. Charon had the distinctive feeling that things wouldn't get any easier from here on out, but he swore to himself that he'd protect her from harm at all costs.

"It's okay, Evelyn," he said quietly. "I'll stay with you for as long as you require me."

I promise.