Abe sat entranced, his eyes focused on the girl sitting in front of him. While they were waiting for Manning, Anya had phased back into her human form, and Abe stared as she stretched in her chair, her shirt lifting just enough to show a sliver of skin. The sound of heavy wooden doors opening distracted the Icthyo Sapien from his musings, and he looked up to see the balding man everyone around here knew as Manning.

"Well, well, well," he began with overly fake enthusiasm, "what do we have here? It seems that we have ourselves a Werewolf! Now, protocol dictates-"

"Demon," Anya interrupted quietly, "I'm a demon, not a werewolf." Manning's snort of disgust interrupted whatever she was about to say. "Demon, Werewolf, Vampire, Swamp Thing from the Black Lagoon…"

"Hey" Abe interrupted, waving a webbed hand, "Swamp Thing, right here, and we do have feelings." Anya snickered while Manning glared at them both. "As I was saying, protocol dictates that-" The rest of his speech was tuned out as Abe and Anya began to have a mind conversation.

A demon? If you don't mind me asking, what kind? Part dog, of course, but there's something else…

Very good. My father was a wolf demon, and my mother was a Kitsune. Kitsune are-

Fox spirits, I know. Forgive me, but don't Kitsune hate dogs?

Normally, but my mother helped my father out of a trap set by a hunter on a full moon, and my father repaid the favor my saving her from an arranged marriage by ruining the wedding. She was disowned by her family, and Father took her in. Of course, Mother was in her human form, and many thought that she was a servant girl. They fell in love, and I was born in secret. When my mother and I were discovered for what we were, we were banished from the village.

I see. Ah, now's the time to say, "Yes, I understand" Out loud please.

"Yes I understand"

"Good." Manning seemed pleased. "I thought you weren't listening." Anya gave a grateful glance. "So, I suppose your options are, A) Be killed or B) swear to never be the cause of another investigation."

"I was wondering," Abe began somewhat nervously, "If there could be a choice C. We could always use more help around here…"

Manning grunted. "I don't want to have to babysit another demon. Hellboy gives me enough heartburn as it is! Now what'll it be?"

Anya sighed. "I guess I don't have much of a choice, do I? I choose B. I give you my word as a Kitsune; I will not cause you to have an investigation again."

"Good. Now, Brian will show you the way out…" A young man stepped forward and gestured to a door. "And I hope to never see you again." Manning finished with a nasty smile. Anya looked back at Abe sadly. The last thing she saw before the door slammed behind her was Abe, hand raised and foot forward, as if to beg her to stay.

A/N: I am SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO sorry this took so long to get to you! A combination of writers block and bad luck with computers kept me from updating! Also, sorry it's so short! As usual, I don't own Abe or Hellboy, and if I owned Manning, I would throw him out a very high window!