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Spooks could already feel a headache brewing behind his temples. If not for the fact that Banner was already present on the couch beside him, the small white and black feline figured it would already be in full swing. Holding back a sigh, he tried to ignore the blonde bat-cat, who seemed just as content to do the same in return.

It wasn't that they particularly disliked each other, per se; more that it was awkward considering their past and present intimacy with Grimoire. Speaking of, where was she? The tuxedo cat had said she'd be back 'soon', and she knew how they felt about being alone together.

As if on cue, she gracefully strode into the room with a tray. Placing the polished silver platter down on the coffee table, it appeared that she'd made enough tea for everyone present. "Apologies for taking so long, but I figured it might be nice to have something to drink..." she explained with a contented sigh as she poured a glass for herself and sat down in her dark-purple easy chair.

Banner wasted no time in leaning forward to pour himself a glass, and then leaned back before taking a small sip. Finally, he spoke, "So, you found something I take it?"

Calm and casual - almost overly so. Spooks often wondered how he managed to keep such a cool demeanor all the time, but today he just wasn't in the mood. "It's upstairs..." he offered with a hint of frustration.

"Now, now, you two... Let's not start by calling him 'it'..." Grim chided, "...but to answer your question, yes. I happened upon him by chance while I was out this morning..."

"Alright, then. And where did you find him?" A simple question, and Banner's light-gray eyes held no indication of why he might have asked it. He seemed fully intent on his tea one moment, and then thoughtful of Grim's face the next.

She shrugged as she placed her teacup down on its saucer, "In an alley." Her casual tone was equally as laughable, but the quick movement of her teal-green hues as they briefly glanced at the tall half-breed beside him and then back at her tea spoke volumes.

"I see. And was he alone...?"

Spooks couldn't help but wonder if he was listening to a conversation in a different language, somehow. Clearly, Banner had picked up on something that he hadn't, and it rubbed him the wrong way.

Again, Grim sighed, but it was a much more frustrated sound this time, "No, he was not." Banner nodded in a knowing way, but said nothing, and the look she shot across the way conveyed that Grim was not pleased with whatever subtle jab he was making, but she continued on , "I don't know the specifics, and perhaps I'm better off not knowing them... What I do know is that he was being mistreated..."

That seemed to have dissuaded whatever the bat was on about. He took another sip of his tea, eyes closing as he did so, "Alright, then why am I here?"

Spooks couldn't contain himself anymore, "Look at her arm - it fucking _bit_her!" The bandages carefully wrapped around her right forearm weren't just for show, not today at least. "She wrestled the thing in here, and now she refuses to get rid of it!"

Everyone else in the room seemed to deflate a little, though neither of the taller felines looked his way. In fact, Grim simply studied her teacup as the two men stared at her.

"That's not why I'm here, is it?" There was something incredulous in the bat's voice this time, though he showed no concern for the bandages. Spooks realized it was likely that he'd already noticed them, and this had just confirmed any suspicions that Banner might have had, but still...

"No...it's not..." Grim said at last.

"Where is he?"

"In the bathroom, upstairs."

"Muzzled, I might add..." Spooks interjected curtly.

Finally, Banner raised an eyebrow, but Grim cut him off before he could say anything, "He _did_bite me, and I was worried about what might happen if he managed to get out of my grip." She placed her cup and saucer back down on the tray, "He's a bit...feral, and I'm not sure he understood that I was trying to help him, at first..."

"Are you alright...?"

Oh, now he was concerned?

Still, there was a subtle red hue to Grim's dark cheeks as she replied with a soft, "I'm fine."

Spooks broke the awkward silence that followed by adding his two cents to the mix, "I still don't understand why you didn't just let it go... You saved it, you should have just let it go afterwards..."

By this point, Grim had taken to smoothing the ends of her long, black tank top over her knees - something she did when she needed to fidget - but this seemed to bring her from whatever was bothering her. "Spooks-honey, I couldn't just leave him there... That would have been irresponsible of me on so many levels... He's young, his horns are broken, and he has no idea what tenderness or compassion are..."

"Horns?" Now Banner's tone matched his expression, "What did you find, Grim?"

For an uncomfortable amount of time, she was silent, simply staring at the ground, her black ears swiveled nearly flat against her golden-brown hair. Spooks wondered why she was so hesitant to respond. Really, this whole meeting was entirely superfluous.

"I think he's a half-demon..." she sounded calm, if not just a single note worried.

Banner nodded, "That would explain things..." He took another sip of his tea, as if she'd just told him the game was on. Finally, he echoed Spooks' sentiment, "You know you can't keep it, right...?" Silence. "Grim...?"

She simply closed her eyes.

It was Banner's turn to sigh. Placing his cup and saucer down in turn, he crossed one leg over the other and spread both winged arms out on the back of the couch, "Grim, it's dangerous. I'll give you that you're...very good at rehabilitating people with fucked up backgrounds...but you can't save them all, and with your magic lessened-"

"I'm well aware, thank you." Her eyes were open now, and they held ice. "I didn't ask you to come here because I needed someone to talk me out of this - much as you and Spooks would like to, I'm sure. I simply wanted you to watch my back while I worked." The look on Banner's face easily gave away that he didn't think she was right, but she cut him off before he could speak, "You should know by now that I can handle myself. You still remember the good old days, right...? I'm still quite good with my hands, I assure you..."

"Right. Never doubted that. But one of these days, you're going to realize that you can't make pets of us all, Grim..."

Spooks couldn't say why, but he felt offended. Of course, he agreed that Grim was in over her head here, and that he wanted this odd, violent intruder gone - if only for his own piece of mind, _and_his partner's safety - but he somehow felt included in that statement. Did Banner see him as Grim's pet? Moreover, was he implicating himself there, as well...? Just what had their relationship been?

Whatever the case, as Spooks looked back towards the tuxedo, he saw the beginnings of tears clinging to the corners of her eyes. Something about what the bat had said was significant to her, at least. She glared him down for a moment before heading towards the stairs. "I'm going to attempt to get him cleaned up... He pissed himself when I took down those thugs in the alley and then started toward him... He reeks..." And with that, she was gone.

Still sat on the couch, he and Banner both exhaled simultaneously. That had certainly gone well...

The blonde ran a hand through his somewhat long, choppy hair, smoothing it back before letting it fall back over his face. "Hey...about that last remark; I wasn't aiming that at you, by the by."

Had he read his mind? The thought lingered there for a moment before logging itself away for further speculation later. Either way, Spooks supposed it was good to know, and with a shrug, he finally leaned forward to pour himself a cup of tea. There was nothing to do now but wait.

***

Grim fumed as she climbed the stairs and started down the hallway towards the bathroom. How dare he bring up their past like that, and in front of Spooks, no less. He had no right to tell her how to live her life, not after he'd refused to be a part of it when she'd asked. That honor had long since passed. Long, prehensile tail flicking this way and that as she finally stood in front of her destination, she let go of a long breath allowing it to take with it the horrible memories Banner had flung at her downstairs. 'Screw you...' the last thought to cross her mind before reaching for the bathroom door's handle.

The sight that met her on the other side of the threshold immediately made her heart sink, though she tried to smile regardless. Various soap bottles, and bathing supplies littered the white and blue tiled floor.

Grim's eyes followed the mess until she found the exotic-looking feline. Still naked, save for the muzzle she'd been forced to put on him, he'd curled into the tightest ball he could manage, and was presently trying to force himself as far into the cabinet under the sink as possible in attempt to hide. A pitiful sight.

After making sure to close the door behind herself, Grim approached the cabinet and bent down, expecting the worst as she reached out a hand to open the only side that was still fully closed. "Hi there..." she cooed softly. Bright, wide-eyed, and fiery eyes glowed up at her through the darkness, and his chest rose and fell with rapid, terrified breaths.

"Easy now, sweetheart...I'm not here to hurt you..." Pushing her hand further in to the small cabinet, she attempted to give his head a gentle pet, but a black-clawed hand swiped at her before she could reach it. Her flesh stung and burned where she was sure those claws had made direct contact with her, but she ignored it. Slowly, she tried again, "It's alright... I'm going to get you all cleaned up, and you'll feel so much better..."

A low growl emanated from the cabinet now, and the fluffy, matted, tail that curled around its owner's lower body now flicked angrily this way and that, like a cobra preparing to strike. Grim hated growling. In fact, it was about the only thing she wouldn't tolerate, though she reminded herself of the circumstances. Truth be told, she wondered if he understood her at all. Perhaps she was going about this the wrong way.

Standing, Grim brushed herself off and then reached both hands out towards the cabinet. All at once, her right eye began to glow a familiar yellow, and her magic slowly enveloped the boy. Like this, she was able to pull him out of hiding - without breaking any pipes, fortunately. With a tilt of her head, the cabinet doors both closed, and she placed him on the floor at her feet. With her next blink, Grim's magic winked out and both eyes returned to their standard teal color. As she peered down at the boy, she realized this was the first time she'd been able to get a decent look at him, and as he cowered in place it seemed he wasn't all bite, after all.

He was decidedly larger than Spooks, if not nearly as tall as she was; no wonder she'd had so much trouble getting him inside. His fur was long, although considerably matted, but his black hair had been shaved, and rather unevenly at that. She was also decidedly sure that 'exotic' truly was the most appropriate way of describing him, as his fur was patterned like a golden tiger's - most unusual, but also breathtaking.

As she'd told the boys downstairs, the horns atop his head had been broken at their base, sadly leaving whatever their original shape had been to the imagination, but also at least halving their owner's magical abilities - whatever those were. Very likely fire if he truly was part demon, and those large, amber eyes of his only made her all the more sure of it. Speaking of his eyes, three dark lines scarred his left eyelid, where it looked as though someone had gotten him with their claws.

Worst by far was the damage that had been dealt to the organs between his legs. Though he was still trying to conceal himself as much as possible, Grim could still see a thick, golden ring that hung loosely through the tip of his extremely limp penis. Obviously, this fixture was not only too heavy, but had also been used inappropriately, as it had nearly torn completely through his foreskin by this point, as well.

Continuing down, his anus was puffy and swollen, and even still somewhat agape - not to mention just as filthy as the rest of him. Disgusting.

It made her furious. How had they managed to capture him...and how long ago...? More importantly, why hadn't she used a metal bat, instead of her fists? The poor thing...

Catching her reflection in his eyes, Grim realized that she looked just as upset as she felt and did her best to soften. There would certainly be a reckoning later, but for now... "It's alright... You're safe..." she explained gently, and this time her hand finally touched the short black hair between his ears.

He flinched, and Grim could feel her heart break further. She supposed that was only normal. He likely hadn't ever been touched by someone who didn't fully intend to use and abuse him. Even so, he soon seemed to realize she had no intention of hurting him, and a loud purr began to emanate from behind his muzzle. "Oh, now...there's a good boy ~" she returned, gently moving to rub one of his ears.

In response to the praise, large tears began to leak from his eyes, and after a minute or two, a soft sob squeaked out, as well. "Shhh..." Grim soothed, "It'll get better from here, Sweetheart..." After a while, his hands tentatively rose to take hers, those large eyes watching her - for what, she couldn't say - as she allowed him to position her fingers in front of his muzzle. Was he trying to lick her through the mesh? Cute as the gesture was, and for as much as she hoped it meant he would stop being aggressive towards her, Grim was still prepared for the worst.

When enough time had passed that it felt appropriate, the tuxedo pulled her hand away and stepped back, reaching for her apron, "Alright; now that we have a better understanding of one another, how about we go ahead and get you cleaned up? Then we can find you some clothes~" As she moved - however slight - he moved with her, apparently scared to get too far from her, but Grim made sure to stop to give him a pat every so often to remind him that she knew he was there.

After what seemed like a small eternity, she had the bath filled with pleasantly warm, clean-scented water and plenty of soapy bubbles. Ordinarily, Grim would have given him a good brushing first - especially considering how long his fur was - but with all the mats, it seemed unlikely that they'd come loose without causing him considerable discomfort. She'd probably have to cut them out and let his fur grow back natrually, but coming at him with scissors at this particular moment in time did not seem like the smartest thing to do. Eventually his coat would be beautiful, but she suspected - as with everything else about him - it would take time. For now her main priority was getting the dirt and smell off of him.

"Alright, now... Let's get you into the tub before the water gets cold...."

***

Spooks felt Grim use her magic, albeit briefly. For a second, he considered getting up to check on her, but seeing as there had been nothing else to indicate she was in trouble, he forced himself to remain seated on the couch. The small feline supposed it could be worse; he could be the object of Grim's current fussing.

It wasn't that he particularly minded being groomed - provided she didn't get carried away - but he was already so sickly that the extra babying - as he saw it - was often too grating. Granted, they'd managed to work out ways around that, but sometimes she got that wild hair... As the bat next to him sighed softly, Spooks couldn't help but wonder if Grim had always been that way.

Banner didn't seem like the type to be bossed around, but then, neither did Grim. Perhaps that was why they hadn't remained together? That seemed as likely as anything else he might come up with. What Banner said earlier rang through his head again; 'one of these days, you're going to realize that you can't make pets of us all, Grim...'

A pet...? What separated a lover from a pet? You _choose_them, bring them home, develop a bond with them, and then love and take care of them for the rest of their lives. In his mind, the only difference was the ability to say no and walk away. Maybe he really was just a pet to Grim... Then again, he doubted she would force him to stay if he truly meant to leave - not that he wanted to...or could, really.

For whatever reason this train of thought made him extremely uncomfortable, so he tried to shift his attention to something - anything - else. The sky was gray outside; it was already drizzling. Perhaps it would start to rain soon. He liked the rain, provided he didn't have to go out in it. It was soothing to listen to.

Although Spooks doubted that the original thought was gone for good, he found this new one to be much more calming. Or it would have been, if the silence upstairs had not been broken a few seconds later. Somehow a paradox, the scream was both ear-piercing and quiet; perhaps because he'd been expecting this, but simultaneously hoping it wouldn't happen.

Had it been one scream...or two?

Without pausing to look at one another, both men jumped into action, immediately rushing for the stairs. Being significantly taller, Banner reached the bottom of the stairs faster, but Spooks was not far behind, and the two scrambled up at what felt like lightning speed. "Grim?!" Beneath the panic, he found it odd that he couldn't sense her trying to use magic, but perhaps that was a good reason to be even more concerned.

Within seconds, they'd made it to the bathroom door, and Banner practically ripped it off its hinges throwing it open. However, the cat-bat made no further attempt to enter the room, his outstretched hand simply lowering at a slow pace to rest at his side limply. Peering around the other's tall figure, Spooks found himself blinking in confusion before deflating in a similar fashion.

On her knees beside the tub, face buried in her hands was Grim, a small, naked, and partially soaked kitten in her lap clinging to her apron for dear life. It sobbed loudly, depositing a surprising amount of dirt onto the clean white cloth as it shook its head.

Finally, Grim looked up, her face a fierce red as she wrapped an arm around the wailing child. Tears formed in the corners of her eyes and then fell as she shook. Banner shook his head slowly, while Spooks' mouth worked open and closed as he tried to pick a question to start with. Finally, Grim squealed with laughter, "I... He... So cute~"

Spooks rolled his eyes; that hadn't been a scream, it'd been a squee... Sighing, he realized he'd been holding onto his last breath for heaven only knew how long now. How irritating and uncalled for...

She seemed to sense the disturbance she'd caused, and after clearing her throat, attempted to place the half-demon back into the water.

"**MA!" it screeched, tail wrapping tightly around its lower body as it clawed at her arm. "Ma-hah-hah!" Clearly, it found the bath objectionable, but how was this the same full-sized creature she'd dragged into the house a few hours ago? She must have used magic on it; that must have been what he'd felt earlier.

Ignoring its protests for now, she continued lowering it into the water, holding it there by the scruff before starting to soap it up. "Oh, I know it...~" she cooed, "But you'll feel so much better...~" It simply wailed "ma" over and over again in response until at long last she rinsed it off and pulled it out of the tub, wrapping it in an over-sized towel. "Poor baby~ There now, all done ~"**

Out of the water, and back into Grim's lap, it clung to her just as before, tears still flowing. Spooks couldn't understand how a singular being could cry that much. Even at his most flustered Cartel didn't cry that much; granted, that was typically because he was too angry to be seriously upset, but still. All that aside, it was just a bath - and not the "worst" Grim could do, at that. "Pathetic..." he mumbled under his breath.

***

'How odd...' Grim thought as she carried the kitten towards her bedroom, 'Why on earth did he transform himself like this?' She'd done it to Spooks a time or two to make him easier to carry, and at least once to Cartel to make him more...manageable when Echo brought him in for care. The magic was as harmless as she was familiar with it, but why had he used it? Considering his background, she wondered if it might be best not to think too much about it, but it still nagged at her. Whatever the case, he was simply too cute for words. For emphasis, his tiny hands now gripped a couple of her fingers as he tried yet again to lick them through the muzzle - thank goodness his magic had resized it with him; though Grim had the odd feeling he wouldn't be trying to bite her any time soon, or at least she hoped not.

Carefully placing him down on the end of the bed, she gave his head a gentle pet before turning to sort through her dresser; she had some baby clothes stored away for times like this. At long last, she decided on a plain, light-blue onesie and a clean, white all-in-one - she was decidedly sure he wasn't housebroken and wasn't about to test the theory.

Before she'd had the chance to turn back around, however, Grim felt something tugging on her pants.

Peering down, she saw the small half-demon trying to climb her leg, sheer determination to reach her arms again plastered on his face. All at once, she thought her heart might explode. "My goodness, you certainly are a determined little fighter, aren't you~?" she purred, a hand reaching down to scoop him up. Even at this size, his purr nearly drowned hers out.

It wasn't long before she had him properly clothed, and had returned to the living room, downstairs. The disdainful look on the boys' faces told her exactly what they thought of the cute little bundle of fluff in her arms. "Now, now, you two; he's settled down."

"Good," Banner began, "Now we can decide what to do with it."

"Him," Grim objected, but Banner was having none of it.

"Whatever. You can't keep him, Grim. He looks cute now, but-"

"He needs a name. We can't just keep calling him by his gender..."

"Grim..." the blonde protested. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Banner look at Spooks for help, but her partner simply shrugged. He'd given up trying to argue, apparently.

The Tuxedo turned her attention to the the contented-looking creature in her arms, "Do you have a name?" she wondered. He tilted his head curiously, large, round eyes intent on her mouth as she spoke, but he said nothing. A bit cliché, perhaps, but she pointed to herself, "Grim", and then pointed to him.

He took her finger with a soft, "Ma!" and she chuckled softly before turning to the rest of the group, "I don't think he understands..."

"You don't say..."

Grim rolled her eyes at Banner's comment but ignored the implications; he could just get over himself. Sitting back down in her chair, she began to rock gently, peering down at the current source of contention. 'A good name...' This little guy had been through a lot, but with any luck, this would be the start of a new life for him. 'How does that old saying go...? "Your ninth life is always your realest"?' She smiled, "What about...Nine...?"

Banner rubbed his temples as he leaned forward, "Naming it means you're getting attached to it..."

"So I'm attached to it - him. Nine." The fact that she'd slipped just there made her upset. This little thing in her arms was just as sentient as everyone else in the room - more so in some regards she'd wager - even if he was potentially dangerous. She knew he had the possibility to be bad, and knowing where she'd found him, that possibility was likely even larger, but...he needed her... The same way Banner had needed her when she'd found him all those years ago. The same way Spooks needed her on a day to day basis. How could they not understand that?

"Where do you intend to let it stay, then?"

"I had intended to ask you to take him with you - heaven knows you have plenty of space where you are - but given the way you've treated Nine so far, I think I'll keep him here. We have a spare bedroom upstairs. I can seal it at night to make sure he stays inside. Even with my magic somewhat diminished, that will _not_be a problem..." Directing a glare his way, she silently dared him to contest her, but Banner simply shook his head in disapproval.

"Why?"

Grim imagined Spooks would have something to say eventually, but that had not quite been what she expected. "Why, what, Hun?"

"Why are you going to such great lengths for this creature that you found in an alley somewhere?" He paused there, but before she could get a word out, another thought seemed to hit him, "Don't just say it's because it was hurt, or it needed help... I want to know why you're so desperate to keep it..."

With a sigh, Grim looked down at the half-asleep bundle in her arms still holding tight to her fingers. Finally, a soft chuckle passed her lips, "You know... I could have asked myself the same question when I found or created both of you... At the very least, Banner understood what I was saying, but he was no less aggressive towards me than Nine was. And you..." she lifted her head to gaze across the room at

Spooks, "When you were not simply unconscious, you only _stared_at me for the first three days after your creation... I wasn't sure you were sentient at all." She paused, taking a deep breath and then let it go before continuing, "That did not stop me from caring about, and eventually loving you..." Grim was careful about not directing that last part solely at Spooks. "At the end of the day, I was in the right place at exactly the right time...and I don't believe in coincidences that large..."

Spooks seemed to consider this for a moment before finally shrugging, "Fine... It can stay...but the muzzle stays on until it learns to control itself and how to speak, and the instant it tries to attack one of us with magic, it's out of here..."

Grim nodded, "I think that's fair enough... Thank you, Spooks." The small feline simply grunted, shrugging once again. He clearly wasn't happy allowing Nine to stay, but he also seemed to understand how strongly she felt. She made a mental note to remember to somehow pay him back later. For now, all that was left was dealing with Banner, "Apologies for having disturbed you; I know how much you like your peace and quiet. Thank you for coming, nonetheless."

At long last, the bat-cat stood from his place on the couch, and approached her, "I'm telling you, this is a bad idea... Is there anything I can say that will convince you-"

Suddenly, Nine sprang to life, a hissing, spitting, clawing mess, his amber hues nearly on fire once more. He locked eyes with Banner but grew calm again once he stopped moving closer. Grim let go of a breathless laugh, "Pretty sure that was your answer, Ban. I think it's time you went home for the night."

Frustration spread across the blonde's features, but with a final shake of his head, he turned toward the door, "Right. Well, give me a call if you need me. Good luck, Grim..." And with that, he was gone.

***

The awkward hours that passed were agony for Spooks. It wasn't long before Grim got up to make dinner - the little demon holding onto her while she worked - and to make matters worse, she spoon-fed it, afterwards. Reminding himself that he'd agreed to this, it was a bitter pill to swallow, but he tried to force himself to believe that it wasn't any different than having a child... A dangerous, magic-wielding child...but...considering what their offspring might be...that might not be too far from the truth, anyway. Getting up from the dinner table, he sighed, "I'm done; I'll be in bed if you need me..."

The knowing look that Grim shot his way made him feel even more uncomfortable, but he ignored it, heading for the stairs. "Alright, Spooks-Honey. I won't be too long behind you. I think we're all pretty tired..."

Tired was putting it mildly. All the excitement had completely drained him of every drop of energy for the day. It was a miracle that he managed to make it up the stairs by himself, but he wasn't going to let their new houseguest see him at his worst...not tonight, at least...

It was merciful to finally flop face-first into the extreme softness of the dark gray, jersey knit comforter covering his mattress. Gripping the material with his black hands, he willed himself to crawl the rest of the way onto the bed but couldn't summon the energy required. Instead, he pulled the blanket onto the floor with him and wrapped it around himself. Without his permission, his eyes began to close, and suddenly, he was being lifted from the floor. "Mmmngh..."

"I'm sorry, Hun...I didn't mean to wake you, but I thought you might appreciate not having a sore back in the morning..."

"G-Grim...?" In his half-awake stupor, Spooks wasn't quite sure what was going on, though this had happened more than once in the past. He blinked as she laid him down on the bed, her black and white form eventually came into focus, if only just. "Where's...?"

"I put Nine to bed already. He's fast asleep in his own bed, and he's contained - I promise." On top of things, as always. She was already putting his all-in-one on - ss much as he hated to admit she was right to do so - tonight was one of those nights where he couldn't get up, even if he had wanted to. "There we go..." she stated softly after the last snap had been pushed into place.

"Thanks..." His words somehow devolved into loud yawn, an ear flicking as an odd result.

Leaning in, she pressed her lips to his cheek, giving him a firm lick before pulling back. Her comforting purr was a hypnotic sound, threatening to lull him back to sleep, but he resisted. "Grim...?" Spooks realized his voice was just barely above a whisper, but she must have heard him.

"Yes, Love?"

"Why are you with me...?" That wasn't what he'd wanted to say. Quickly, he shook his head and tried again, "It's none of my business...but...why did you leave Banner...?"

"I keep no secrets from you, Spooks...but his past _is_his business, and it's not my right to tell you about it, when he's worked so hard to bury it. Sufficed to say, we were both runaways... When I finally found this place, I thought we could start over...but when I offered him a new life with me...there was just one thing he couldn't accept..."

Eyes drooping, he tilted his head, trying to stay awake long enough to get his answer. Grim brought her hand up to gently press her fingers against the intricate collar around her neck. A status symbol, it marked her as an upstanding, adult citizen with class; it had been made for her, and there would never be another like it - as with all collars, even the one he wore. Come to think of it, he had never seen

Banner wear one. Whatever the case, Grim smiled, "That wasn't something he could do...not even for me...and..." a nervous laugh passed her lips, "I guess we're both better off that way," she finished.

There was a certain tone of finality to her words, like she really wanted him to understand that she'd meant them.

He did, and knowing her side of the story from there, after, he desperately hoped that he would never hurt her like that. "I...love you..." he managed to get out around a yawn.

Laying down in the bed beside him, she rolled over to turn the lights out before pulling the blankets up around them, "I love you, too...and that will never change, Spooks..."

The last thing he felt was her warmth snuggling into him. From there, pleasant dreams took him somewhere else to help him recharge for the following day, her words echoing around playfully in the background...

'I love you...'

'I love you, too...'

'...and that will never change...'

'That will never change, Spooks...'