Welcome to chapter two, no major warning for this chapter it's going to be a fair bit of exposition and setting up for the whole 'Maintaining the Balance' bit. If you have any questions of course feel free to drop a comment or a private message. Hell, if you want my email you're free to ask for it. Anyway, on with the chapter.

Katherine stared at the unconscious man on her couch. She had taken in a total stranger and now she finds out that the man- Eric had killed so many people. Granted, they were low life criminals who made Detroit the human cesspool that it was. But the universe did not discriminate between in the quality of a person and the value of their life. He was supposed to only kill the people directly related to his and Shelly's murder. Top Dollar, Funboy, Skank, T Bird, and Tin-Tin. Everyone else was off limits and there were a lot of collateral. She sat massaging her temples, how could they balance those scales back out? How do you save that many lives?

She had her own balance to strike out, though it didn't seem fair. Her best friend got knocked up by a real piece of shit. Abusive, alcoholic, rapist, drug dealing scum. And he refused to let her get rid of 'his baby' and she couldn't afford an abortion. So, she came to Katherine, who made an herbal tea that would terminate the pregnancy. What Izzy didn't tell her was that she had gotten into her boyfriend's stash of prescription painkillers and they interacted poorly with the tea. She died in the hospital, convulsing and vomiting. That life was on her hands and because she used her 'gift' something was taken from her as well.

Eric woke and pushed himself into sitting and looked around in a state of confusion. "Where am I?"

Katherine's head snapped up. "You're awake? What do you remember?"

"I was in the graveyard… Shelly was there-"

"Sorry," she sighed and moved to sit beside him on the beat up floral print couch. "That was me. I found you injured."

He nodded slowly. "And you healed my wounds. But I don't understand, why am I still here? I was supposed to go back, I was supposed to be with her again."

Katherine bit her bottom lip. "About that. Your uh feathered friend brought you back for a purpose-"

"To avenge Shelly. And I did that."

"Yes, that's true. But in the process, you killed people who weren't yours to kill. Nature demands a balance. You must save as many lives as you took."

His brow furrowed. "Why are you helping me?"

She laughed, a dry laugh. "I'm a witch, it's kinda my job to help maintain the balance of nature and what not."

"That can't be the only reason."

Her blue eyes searched his face, taking in the traces of theater paint. "I did something that caused someone to die. And helping you will fix that. Or at least that's what your friend says," she gestured over her shoulder at the sleeping corvid.

His brown eyes bore into hers. "What did you do?"

She looked away her head between her hands. "I tried to help a friend out and she died because of me."

They stared at each other for a while, neither speaking neither knowing what to say. Finally, Katherine spoke up. "Are you hungry? Can I get you anything?"

Eric started laughing, and couldn't stop for a while. She stared at him and eventually started laughing herself. The pair laughed until tears rolled down their faces. What else could they do in this situation? He was a man resurrected for vengeance and she was a witch who got shanghaied into helping him. "No," he answered finally. "I'm fine. Thank you."

"Well," she chuckled. "The TV remote is on the little table with the lamp. We've got all the basics. If you need food or anything to drink let me know, you probably shouldn't get up too much. I'll change your bandages later, and the bathroom is down the hall on the left."

Eric pushed himself off the couch and shuffled to the bathroom. His reflection was terrifying. Makeup smeared down his face, wounds barely healed over, chest riddled with scars. He'd be scared too. Coming back from the dead was strange enough. Now there was a witch and the crow that brought him back could talk? And Shelly. He missed her so much. He swore he saw her in the graveyard, she looked like an angel all clothed in white. A hand went to his lips, he couldn't have made that kiss up. It felt like every other kiss they had ever shared. Her soft lips molded against his like they were made to be there. They were soulmates and now they were separated by stupid rules. Why didn't the crow tell him there were rules? He washed the remaining face paint off and did his best to wash up in the sink without aggravating the wound on his side. It had already started healing, he imagined it had something to do with the witch's- Katherine's- magic and the crow's.

Katherine looked at herself in the large mirror in her bedroom, her hand drifting to her abdomen. All she had wanted was a child of her own. But her magic took its toll and robbed her of her chance to have a baby. It wasn't fair. All she had done was try to help someone out of a dangerous situation. No one made Izzy take those pills, and no one made her get rid of her unborn child. But no, it was all her fault somehow and so the Gods had decided to take her ability to have children. Which also took away the man she thought loved her. Three years had passed since then and nothing. According to her OB all the equipment was working correctly. But there was nothing she could do until everything was fixed. There was a nagging voice in the back of her head that told her she should be honest with Eric about what exactly she was working toward.

Katherine moved into the kitchen and started making pasta. Most people like spaghetti, right? Eric slowly shuffled back into the room and stood in the kitchen watching her move. She was making the sauce by hand, adding in spices and some tomatoes that looked pre-prepared from a mason jar. "Do you cook often?"

Katherine jumped, startled. "Ah, sorry I didn't see you standing there. But yes, I cook a lot. I like to add a bit of magic when I cook, so it keeps my immune system boosted and wards off evil. I know it sounds hinky but it works."

Eric blinked at her for a moment. "Sorry this is all new to me. Is there anything I can do to help?"

The woman chuckled. "You can get the parmesan out of the fridge?"

"Does it attract money or something?"

Another laugh. "No, it just tastes good."