Chapter 2: Hidden Regrets

"Talen, your reports are late," William adjusted his glasses and glanced up at Talen.

"Oh cut me a break," Talen crossed her arms and glared, "You had me running all over the countryside for nearly half a week to bring that one in. I needed some rest."

William sighed, "I thought I raised you better than that."

Talen had an at-times grudging respect for William. After all he was her legal guardian until she graduated from the academy. He had raised her to be the being she was today. Growing up under his care hadn't been easy. There was a lot of pressure to excel at everything so she could be that elite agent the higher-ups wanted.

Taking a deep breath to remain calm, Talen spoke with an even voice, "You should know I do things on my own terms. If you're the one who raised me, then you should know that there is nothing to worry about. I always turn in my assignments."

"You still aren't going to get special treatment for that. Those reports should have been completed right after you returned from your mission."

Talen rolled her eyes. Like a shinigami she had the two-toned iris, only instead of shades of green the inner iris was a deep wine red while the outer was a pale rose. She tuned out William's lecture on proper paperwork procedures, it's not like he has many difficult cases. It was her job to take care of the high-risk cases. Her job was to essentially make the work lives of others easier. A good night's sleep didn't seem that out of line.

"I've heard it all before, sorry for for taking a breather," she snapped.

"You know something," William sighed in exasperation, "You're acting just like your mother."

"Could you please not bring that up? If you're not lecturing me, you're comparing me to somebody I've never even met!"

Talen knew her mother was infamous throughout the Division. Even before the charges of fornication with a demon. Her mother was none other than Grell Sutcliff. How someone biologically male could carry a child was still a mystery, but he did. He disappeared shortly after Talen's birth and has been missing ever since. Talen knew William was still hung up on him, and she faced constant comparisons. That was when he wasn't reminding her that he is the reason she was even alive.

The tension grew thick in the office as Talen and William glared at each other. Talen did her best to keep her anger under control.

Talen spoke first, "I'm tired of the comparisons. All I did was take a short break before filing reports. Remember, I have the more difficult task here. I don't see how this makes me like someone who apparently hated paperwork. Somebody whom I have never met, whom you treat as dead."

"He may very well be. His status has been unknown for the past century." William gave her an almost wistful look for half a second before reverting to his stern countenance.

Talen slammed her fist on the desk. "Now please, I'm asking you nicely, just drop the comparisons and the sob story. I've heard it far too often. You know something? Maybe you should stop pining for someone you very likely drove away! I mean I can't even stand you right now! And stop fussing over me, I'm an adult and I have always been dependable regardless of the assignment. I'm going home now before I get even angrier, don't bother getting a hold of me unless it's work related."

With that Talen turned on her heel and left the office. William got up and shut the door, and returned to his desk. He gazed out the window and attempted to get his bearings back after that altercation. Her comments stung deep. If only she knew how much she was like her mother at times, or how much she was right.

There was more than that, so many more things that reminded him of his missing colleague. Opening a drawer in his desk he took out an old photo album and flipped through it. It was slightly yellowed with age, but was well cared for over the past century. Gently he turned the pages and examined the pictures of a time long since passed.

Had he gone too far back then? What hurt the most was that it was his decisions that led to Grell's disappearance. Talen didn't know this when she flung her accusations at him. Now all that was left was the photo album, some possessions left behind, and Talen.

Looking over the photographs, he saw the similarities between the two. Appearance wise they both had the same strong but delicate build, their eyes were even the same shape. While Talen wasn't one to flirt, she apparently had a similar sexual appetite. They were also both prone to taking joy in bloodshed.

Both were temperamental as well, but it was manifested differently. At times they both were intimidating, sometimes outright frightening. Talen seemed to retain that as she reached adulthood, and showed no sign of being a traditional lady. Some of her colleagues who didn't fear her respected her, and she was known to be like one the guys in social situations. She could drink some of them under the table, at times she got in trouble for fighting. In this respect she was androgynous, just like her mother. No respectable woman would behave in such a manner.

With a solemn sigh he placed the album back in the drawer and continued his work.

Talen returned to the funeral parlor to find it crowded. Shit, she thought, I forgot there was a viewing today!

She was still feeling frustrated from earlier, all she wanted to do was drop off the paperwork and get on with her day. Not hear any lectures or anything that she now considered cliché from her guardian-turned-supervisor. She did her best to keep calm and entered the somewhat crowded building. Fortunately most of the visitors were in the viewing parlor with their deceased relative, her entrance went unnoticed by them.

"Rough day at the office Dearie?" a voice behind her asked.

Talen jumped, "Geez Undertaker, don't scare me like that. For your information yes, I did have a rough day."

"That fussbudget got on your case again?"

"Yes, and don't worry. We kept it civil," she smirked.

Undertaker could feel the tension radiating from her, "He brought up your mother again, hmmm?"

Talen looked down at the gray tiled floor, her voice subdued, "He did. I asked him to stop doing that. I kinda snapped at him today."

Undertaker placed a comforting hand on her shoulder, "I'm a bit busy right now as you see. My guest needs a spectacular sending off. We can talk about it later if you want."

"Maybe," she shrugged, "I think for now I'll engage in some retail therapy. Some fresh air might help me calm down."

"Okay then, I'll be around if you want to talk, or do anything else," he pulled her into a quick hug. "Whatever relieves your stress."

She returned the hug, enjoying the warm feeling of those arms around her. After a few seconds they broke the embrace and she went upstairs to change out of her uniform and into something more casual. Going out should help, even if she wound up not getting anything at least the activity would take her mind off things. Pulling on some tattered black jeans and a t-shirt she used her shapeshifting abilities to make her eyes a single shade of deep red and hide her fangs. A handy ability that shinigami used on occasion, and one she inherited. Now she passed off as human and was ready to go.

Aside from the morning's confrontation, the day was rather pleasant. It wasn't too warm out and the sun was shining. First she wandered over to a used book shop to see if there was anything that caught her attention. Reading never got old as there was always something interesting, and she had found some odd little gems in that store. It was a cozy old shop, with shelves stuffed full of so many different books. She could spend hours there just browsing.

Choosing a couple books that were in the short story section, she paid and went back out into the afternoon air. Now for some lunch, preferably with outdoor seating. Finding a cafe with some tables out front she placed an order for a sandwich and some iced coffee and waited while flipping through her recently purchased books.

After lunch Talen decided to continue her shopping, maybe find some new clothes. When she moved to her current domicile most of what she brought were clothes and books. In her afternoon wanderings she didn't notice the unassuming figure seated on a bench watching her casually. All she noticed, was that her senses picked up a nonhuman nearby, putting her on guard not seeing a dispatcher in her vicinity.

Golden eyes observed the tall woman wander about the shopping district. She had to be the one he was searching for. She just had to be. The way she moved like a predator as she wandered, movement developed from years of training and working. Her skin was pale, hair a dance between onyx and crimson. She had an elegance to her that reminded him of a certain demon.

He was very certain that this was her. Still, he couldn't be too sure. If he was wrong it would be a huge embarrassment on his part. The woman looked like she could kick some serious ass, which in a different situation he wouldn't have minded one bit. He would just keep an eye on this area and surrounding blocks from time to time, and figure out his next step.