But He Stopped Pt 2

Please Let Me Get What I Want

Daisy raised a brow, her look holding as much scorn as KL-E-O's sarcastic comments had.

"So you're... stalking her?"

"No." I held my hands up, maybe protesting a touch too enthusiastically. "I'm just making sure that scene with Finn didn't rile her up too much."

Daisy snorted, "Yeah. Thanks for cleaning the mess up, Mr. Mayor."

I rubbed my face, "Dammit Daisy. I wasn't even thinking about that when everything happened and Fahrenheit rushed me off so quick-"

"Don't worry about it." She reached below her counter, pulling out a Nuka-Cola and popping the top, pocketing the cap. "KL-E-O had fun looting him for weapons and you hired a pretty good crew to keep the streets stain-free." She took a long gulp of her drink before setting it down delicately on the counter. "She bought some stimpaks, a few food items. She ran around looking at everything for a while. She seemed really excited and terrified to be here." Daisy's eyes held an accusation that I ignored. "She asked me for work."

I felt my body freeze up. "You didn't?"

The ghoul nodded slowly, "Uh-huh."

She took another long drink, watching me fume from the corner of her eye. Her mouth twitched up at the corner as she set her drink back down and leaned against the store front.

"So what is this, Hancock?" Her voice was as gravelly and roughed up as mine, but the teasing tone was still thick as shit. "You plan on rescuing her? Riding off into the sunset?"

"Oh for fucks-" I spun away from her on my heel, breathing deeply before turning back to face her. "Look, I have a couple jobs for her to do as well. Do you know where she is now?"

Daisy shrugged, "She listened to your speech and then made her way back out there. I figured she's already getting to work on the job I had for her."

"God they're just books, Daisy! Not worth someone's life-"

"You don't know what it used to be!" She yelled right back, jabbing a finger in my chest, "You don't know what that place was to me, what it meant, how my life used to be...," her temper immediately cooled as she pulled back. "That place was a jewel, priceless. It was so important to me and now... now it's a pile of rubble and destroyed things, but it's still where my life happened and I'll be damned if I just let it go to rot. I'm not a fighter, I'm not a warrior. I can't go shooting my way across the commonwealth like some people. But she can. She has, and I'd be damned surprised if this takes her longer than a day to do." She eyed me again, her emotions still high. "You know, Hancock, it's just a crush. An infatuation. Are you really that lonely?"

I growled at her, turning away as the sly smile split her face. The fuck does Daisy know anyway? Acting like she's so smart. Telling me. I turned around the corner and headed down to the Third Rail.

If Miss Seek-and-Destroy wanted jobs, I'd give her jobs. Make her stay, force her to get to know me some. Maybe... I sighed as I nodded at Ham. He straightened his back in response. Maybe what, you dumb fuck?

I sighed, descending the stair case. I had no answer.

~*~*~

It had been three months. Three long, stupid, arduous months. I checked and rechecked the gates, the town gossip, the bar. Nowhere.

It had been high time for me to move on, and yet... Yet I looked at the gates all the time hoping she'd be standing in them again. I had memorized every curve, divot, and line in her face. I'd only seen her that once and I was obsessed.