A/N: You guys are being as spoiled as Stella is XD Again, I can't promise that updates will be quick again, but in the meantime, here's Ch. 3! Thanks to all who have reviewed/alerted/everything! It's very appreciated!


Grell shifted from side-to-side, brow scrunched in thought as he looked in the floor-length mirror. "Hmm, I don't know," he mumbled, turning to the cradle nearby. "What do you think? Too much? Not enough?"

Stella's eyes swept over the Reaper, pointing at him and babbling. Grell brought his hand to his neck and nodded.

"You know, I think you're right." He bolted across the room to his dresser and pulled out a jewelry box. Inside, amidst many shiny pieces was a simple red ribbon, a choker that Grell fastened around his neck. "Better?"

Stella giggled, clasping her hands together, and Grell beamed when he looked at the mirror again. The floor-length red dress encased his slender body like a glove. As he poofed the sleeves some, he smiled with satisfaction and tied his hair back to complete the look.

"Mmm, beautiful," he purred, and then returned to the cradle to sweep a happy Stella into his arms. "Right, darling? Isn't Mummy to die~ for?"

Stella laughed, clinging to him tightly. He cuddled her for a moment, stroking her dark hair and brought her to the mirror.

"Hmm, yes, two stunning ladies," he whispered, admiring the reflection. Looking a little closer, a pondering look crossed his features. "You know, Stella, you do look a lot like your Papa, except for your eyes." He kissed her cheek and sighed. "If only you could make him see that, sweetie. Mummy wants to keep you for as long as she can, and the more good things Papa notices, the better."

Stella cooed, gripping a loose strand of Grell's bright red hair and using it to pull herself against his face. With a smothered laugh, Grell kissed her forehead before drawing her back some.

"But we'll worry about that later, right?" he murmured. "For now, you and I are going to have the best day together. We'll get you some new clothes, things for your room; anything you wish is yours."

O0O0O

A trip to the Human world was a given, as no shop in his own world would have catered to children. For a good portion of the day, Grell had visited every shop in London that sold essentials for a baby before returning to the Realm. (Thank Death for materialization, the only way to travel!)

It was a good thing that Will was at the office, though. Grell was sure that the huge pile of purchases littered about the sitting room would've…irked him to say the least. Fortunately, most of it was a quick put-away effort; little things like clothes, bedding, and quite a number of toys, to name a few. The latter, as expected, was the inevitable result of 'whatever Stella sees, she gets.' Grell couldn't resist. Someone in the universe had seen fit to spoil him with this precious gift, and he fully intended to pass on the love.

Grell tilted his head, scrutinizing the newly formed mountain of stuffed toys and dolls in the corner, right down to the last hair. Only when he was satisfied did he nod and rest Stella against her new, soft collection. The vision was priceless, his sweet little cherub seated amongst a hill of toys.

"Ooh, this is too good of an opportunity to pass up!" He ran quickly to the door, turning back only once. "Wait right there, my sweetling! Mummy will be right back!"

Stella stared, puzzled by the red Reaper's sudden exit. But the long ear of a stuffed bunny caught her attention instead. Grabbing it, she pulled it closer, chewing away. Grell returned moments later, his camera at the ready…and nearly swooning from the sight. Without hesitation, he snapped a photograph, the very instant that Stella looked up at him, brown eyes wide and the bunny's ear in her mouth.

"Perfect~!" Grell cried, putting the camera aside and joining her. "That will be on my desk the minute it's developed and framed! Then I can see my precious whenever I'd like, yes I can!"

He tickled her gently, and was rewarded with a giggle, quite easily his new favorite sound. But when a small yawn escaped her, he couldn't help following suit.

"We can move everything else when Papa comes home," Grell noted, stretching. "I say we take a well-deserved nap. A lady needs her beauty sleep!"

He moved to pick her up, but she kept her grip on the bunny's ear and whined loudly. Grell smiled, picking up the bunny and placing it within her reach. She squealed in delight and held it as tightly as she could while Grell carried them both across the hall. Strategically moving a few pillows on his bed so that she wouldn't fall, he placed Stella down and curled up next to her. She in return clasped her bunny to one side, and then reached for the same strand of Grell's excessively long hair. At last content, Stella closed her eyes and slept soundly.

Grell sighed, grinning, and rested his head next to hers. "Sleep well, precious," he breathed, his eyes fluttering shut.

O0O0O

"Here you go, sir!" Ronald cried, releasing a huge stack of papers onto William's desk. The senior Reaper wouldn't have minded so much – in fact, he was surprised to see any willingly finished paperwork from Knox at all. But the pile was so heavy that the force of it hitting the desk sent sheets of William's own papers scattering.

Ronald winced guiltily at the glare he received. "Oops, sorry."

William sighed, collecting the papers one by one. "It's fine, Knox. If you truly used your mind to think, we would all be in grave danger."

"Heh, good one, boss," Ronald replied, moving in to help. Once all the pages were accounted for, he tried to make amends. "Hey, a few of us are going out for a round after work. Want to join us? It's Friday, you can rest easy!"

"That's very thoughtful of you, but—"

"He will do no such thing!" a shrill screech interrupted from the doorway.

William forced himself to take a breath, identifying the voice easily. "Grell Sutcliff, I do not need you answering…for…me…"

He trailed off as he and Ronald both stared wide-eyed at the sight. Grell, still in his dress, pushed a pram straight into the office with little Stella inside.

"We have a child now, Will," he pointed out matter-of-factly. "I won't have you out carousing with the boys every weekend!"

"First of all, it isn't your place to tell me what to do, especially considering that I never spend my free time in such a manner!" William countered. "Secondly…why are we even having this conversation! And what in the world possessed you to come to the office looking like…this?"

Grell released the pram only to hold up his skirt some, twirling for the complete effect. "What, you don't like it?" he asked with a pout.

William paused, debating a gentle way to address the ensemble. "We agreed that the office was strictly for work. Do as you please elsewhere, but here, we follow every code of conduct to the letter."

Grell smirked. "Hmm, I guess I'll remember that the next time you call me for…"

"Sutcliff!"

Ronald, who had moved to keep watch over Stella during the battle, picked her up gently. "Well, kid, these are your parents." He shook his head. "I'm really sorry."

William shot him another glare, which looked quite amusing when mixed with a blush. "You are treading on very thin ice, Knox," he warned. "I can easily arrange some overtime for you if need be."

"Right, shutting my trap now, sir," Ronald quickly replied with a salute.

"Now then, Grell Sutcliff," William began, ever formal while on duty and sitting as his desk again. "What are you doing here?"

Grell stared at him, as if it were obvious. "It's almost time for you to clock out," he said, sliding onto the desk. "I thought it would be a nice surprise if your lady love came to walk you home. Not to mention it gives Stella a chance to see Papa at work."

"She is a baby," William pointed out, dipping his pen in the inkwell. "It's not as if she knows where she is or what is going on." He continued writing. "Anyway, your effort was pointless as I will be here a while longer. These forms can not complete themselves."

Grell crossed his arms with a huff. "You can't be serious! It's Friday night with the weekend ahead! Surely you can leave a teensy bit of paperwork for Monday?"

"That is out of the question."

"How come?"

"Because unlike you, Sutcliff, I do not have time to waste."

"Hey!" Grell cried, thoroughly insulted. "You were the one who said I could have the day off!"

"Indeed, which is why I hope you made the most of it." William put the newest paper aside and started the next one. "I expect you back here on Monday morning."

Grell stuttered in protest. "B-But, Will, what about Stella? I can't just leave her at home!"

"That is your concern, not mine. You have the entire weekend to figure it out."

"Then…what about maternity leave?"

William briefly looked up from his work. "Tell me you aren't serious."

"I certainly am!" Grell stated firmly. "As of this moment, I'm taking a leave of absence in order to care for our baby!"

"Your baby," William corrected. "And such a leave is impossible. There isn't any protocol for maternity leave here. We have no reason to reproduce, hence it isn't necessary."

"Then make it necessary," Grell snarled.

"Uh, excuse me?" Ronald interrupted, raising his hand like a student.

"What?" both of his superiors snapped.

Ronald recoiled some before trying again. "Well, um…why not…bring her here?" Silence. "Really, we could all help out, right? In-between jobs, we can keep an eye on her, and I know a few ladies in General Affairs who help too. Chicks love little kids, you know."

William shook his head. "No, absolutely—"

"Yes!" Grell cut him off. "It's perfect! I can keep her close by, and know she's in good hands if I have to leave!" He leapt from the desk, racing to Ronald's side to plant a kiss on his cheek. "That is why Ronnie's my favorite! He's positively brilliant~!"

Ronald blushed a bit with a small grin. "Aw, it was nothin'."

"And just where in this so-called brilliant plan does any form of work take place?" William asked, stunned by the lack of intelligence surrounding him. "This is the Grim Reaper Dispatch Association, not a nursery! We have important business to take care of, none of which involves minding a child! The lot of you barely turn in your paperwork on time as it is, if you manage to turn it in at all!"

Grell frowned, but then smiled broadly as if William had agreed from the start. "Well, think of it this way: if we're at the office watching Stella, we have to be doing something else. True, now and then she'll demand attention, need to be fed or changed, et cetera, et cetera. But she is still a baby, and therefore will be asleep most of the time. What do we do then?" He threw his arms out in a 'ta-da!' pose. "Paperwork! See? It works out splendidly!"

William opened his mouth to instinctively fight back…but in his usual insane way, Grell did have a point. However, on that note, this was Grell Sutcliff and William's entire division they were talking about. The problematic group didn't need to look for trouble; trouble found them. Adding a child into the mix would be less than wise, not only giving them more of a shield to hide behind, but also for Stella's sake.

Still…the more William thought about it, the more he realized that this might work in his favor. Maybe – just maybe! – seeing how difficult juggling a baby and a Reaper's life could be, Grell would reconsider his stance on "motherhood." It wasn't a guarantee; nothing with Grell ever was. But William couldn't let the opportunity get away.

"I suppose…that is a reasonable request," William reluctantly agreed. A logical test or not, it never sat well with him when he surrendered to Grell's scheming so easily.

"Then it's settled!" Grell cried victoriously. "Starting Monday morning, Stella comes to the office with me!"

Aiming for a two-for-two, he attempted, "Now, it is Friday night, and we simply must have some family time this weekend before getting back to work! Come on, Will, please~?" He sauntered up to his lover and clung tightly to his arm. "I can see it now, a quaint, pretty little picture! The three of us gather around the fireplace. Stella will be nestled in my arms while you read aloud from…oh, one of our books, your choice!"

He paused for dramatic effect with a playful grin. "Then, as the clock tolls the late hour, I'll bring her upstairs and tuck her into bed. That way…you and I…we can spend the night—"

"Whoa, hold it, senpai!" Ronald cried with a look of horror, covering Stella's ears carefully. "Way too much information!" He shook his head hard. "Ugh, it's like thinking of your parents…gyah! Bloody hell, that's traumatic!"

"Knox, if you don't get back to work this instant, you won't have time for Friday night plans, I assure you," William warned, irritated.

Ronald nodded, putting Stella back in the pram. "I promise you, kid. Uncle Ron will get you a pair of baby-sized earmuffs. You'll sure need 'em."

"Out!"

"I'm going, I'm going!" Ronald conceded, raising his hands and heading straight for the door without another word.

As William moved to grab his things, Grell slipped his arms around him from behind. "Don't be so tough on him, Will; he's a sweet boy."

"Oh, indeed, the sweetest," William replied, dripping with sarcasm as he tucked some papers into his attaché. This didn't escape Grell's attention.

"What are you doing with those?"

"If you insist on my leaving now, then I am bringing these home to finish before Monday. They have to get done."

Grell frowned openly. "Fine, but can't you at least put it off until Sunday?"

"Fair enough," William agreed, gesturing him out of the office as he locked up for the night. He clocked out, and moved on ahead, opening the main door courteously for Grell.

"Oh, Will, such a gentleman," the red Reaper murmured with a grin. "It suits you, rare as it is."

William scowled at him indignantly. "I'm not a monster, Grell, and I certainly don't appreciate the implication of cruelty."

"I suggested no such thing!" Grell replied, his eyes wide and innocent as he pushed the pram down the road. Home wasn't too far from the office, and a walk was welcome.

"I'm merely hoping it lasts so that you'll readily agree to help with Stella's room. I still need some things brought upstairs before her bedtime."

William raised an eyebrow. "Such as?"

"Not much," Grell said with a shrug. "Just the bassinet, the dressers, a changing table, a rocking chair…"

William growled under his breath. "Honestly, you are not to do any shopping again without me. I told you this was temporary."

"Temporary or not, everything I bought was a necessity!" Grell argued.

"Oh I'm sure," William said, rolling his eyes. "Besides, why would you need my help? Not only could you have materialized it all up the stairs, but you are also quite strong. You swing that blasted chain-saw around on a daily basis as if it was a feather."

Grell pouted. "I just wanted to include you in the process. Is that so wrong?"

William closed his eyes tightly and sighed. "I'm never going to win with you, am I?"

The pout transformed into a grin. "I wouldn't say that. You were a very strong contender the other night. That was a 'win,' if I do say so myself."

"Oh for death's sake, Grell, not in public where everyone can hear!" William snapped, grateful that it was getting dark and no one was around to see him blushing.

Thankfully, they had made it up the walk and inside before the red-head could say anymore. William took in the ornate furniture pieces with a frown. They looked rather expensive, but there would be no arguing with Grell on that. Nothing was too much for darling Stella.

"These three shouldn't be too difficult," he said, indicating the bassinet, table and chair. "But the dresser will have to be materialized. It's far too awkward to get up the staircase, even with the both of us handling it."

Grell nodded. "Let me put Stella upstairs, and then I'll help."

He was true to his word, and moments later, they were heaving the bassinet up first. Only then did William get a good look at the other 'essential' purchases.

"Honestly, Grell, isn't this…a bit much, to put it lightly?"

As expected, Grell shook his head with a grin. "Not at all!" He giggled happily. "She already has a favorite toy, a little stuffed bunny! You must see her with it, so adorable!" He practically skipped to the closet, pulling out a little red dress, much like his own. "And I can't wait to try this on her! Maybe she could wear it Monday. Wouldn't that be the cutest thing? Red-and-Red, right alongside Mummy! What do you think?"

William stared for a moment before letting his mouth twitch. In truth, it was ridiculous and extravagant. But nonetheless, he had a soft spot for Grell's eager enthusiasm. It was one of the things that attracted him to the flamboyant Reaper in the first place. As irritating as Grell Sutcliff was, William could not deny feeling a twinge of joy at his lover's sheer passion for life and carefree nature. There was a time and place for it, a fact that Grell often ignored. But it was contagious, and in his own subtle way, William reveled in it when he could.

"I think…it will look lovely on her," he said quietly. As usual, when faced with a situation that threatened to show emotion, William was at a loss for words. It was a foreign concept to a Reaper, and from what little he remembered of his Human life, he always had difficulties with expressing himself. It wasn't easy to do, but he tried his hardest.

He cleared his throat, changing the subject. "But let's worry about that later. I do not want to spend the night working on this room."

Upon receiving Grell's agreement, they went about completing their task. Even with materialization, the dresser was troublesome. However, with a smidge of extra effort, they finished in no time. Grell, of course, had to be stubborn in placing things just right, but even that didn't take too long. The room wasn't that big to begin with, and though he second-guessed his choices, it soon became a pretty little nursery.

The only thing to interrupt the surreal calm that had fallen upon them was Stella's cries.

"Poor darling must be hungry," Grell cooed, picking her up from the cradle. Stella instinctually headed for the natural source of food, but Grell quickly steered her away. "Indeed, she is!"

William followed him downstairs to the kitchen, taking a seat at the table while Grell prepared a bottle. He didn't have time to relax though as the red Reaper turned a playful grin on him; the one that William's common response to was running, as fast as he could, in the opposite direction.

"What?"

"I think she wants Papa to feed her tonight."

William shook his head. "No."

"Oh, Will, really, it's not that hard!"

"I said no."

Grell frowned, and then shrugged. "Fine, I suppose if you can't do it…"

Oh, that did it. Like any man, William had a strong sense of pride, so strong that he would gladly challenge anything that threatened it. Grell knew this, and tended to use the knowledge to his advantage when possible. Likewise, a typical woman, William thought, defeated.

Gesturing him to the sitting room, William sat in his chair, holding out his arm in silent command. Grell didn't hesitate to obey, handing Stella over.

"There, that's it," he encouraged, helping his nervous lover get comfortable. "Support her head…yes like that! Very good, Will!"

William brightened at the praise. With a calming breath, he took the bottle and set about his task. Stella, much more accustomed to this method, squealed and hungrily began her meal.

Grell beamed. "She didn't accept it from me that easily the first time, you know," he said softly, purposely stroking William's ego a bit.

William didn't reply, but he didn't suppress a proud smile either. He would blame that on smug competitive nature, but Grell knew the truth. The cold, stoic William T. Spears was once again losing his heart in an inner battle. The first had been to Grell; this one…to a little girl. The moment was too wonderful not to document!

William didn't notice Grell leaving the room, but when he returned with that monstrosity of a camera, William had to object.

"Don't even think about it," he warned with his signature threatening scowl.

Grell simply stuck his tongue out childishly and waited for William to put the empty bottle aside when Stella had finished. Taking the baby only to relieve her, Grell argued, "I want a picture of her with her Papa. I took one for my desk; you need one for yours!"

"For the hundredth time, I am not her-!"

He didn't have time to finish as Grell returned the content child to him. William awkwardly settled her against his chest, where Stella snuggled and cooed happily.

"There, stay just like that!" Grell said, taking the photograph. William kept his stern expression, but Stella babbled with a smile. In a word: perfection.

"Now was that so bad?" Grell asked, putting the camera aside.

William chose not to answer; he started to regret letting his lover keep this child. Grell was getting far too attached, and much as he hated to admit it, William was too. He had to find Stella a home, fast, before letting her go would be too painful.

"So what book did you have in mind?" Grell asked, holding out his arms for the baby.

"What?" William asked, distracted from his thoughts.

Grell smiled. "I wasn't joking earlier. You read by the fire, me holding Stella…?"

"Oh, right." William returned her to him before putting a log in the fireplace and starting a small blaze. "Did you have anything in mind?"

Grell pursed his lips in thought, lightly tapping his chin. Purely dramatic, William knew, as the look often meant he had already made his choice.

"You should read that one," he said at last. "I know you kept the only copy, and I think she'd like a story that her Papa inspired."

"But wouldn't it…?"

"She's a baby, Will. The darker details will go right over her head."

No argument there, William thought, nodding. He went to a small desk in the corner, unlocking its main drawer. Inside was a stack of papers bound together with string. The whole mass was old and faded. Some of the ink-written words were smudged and running, but overall, it was still quite legible. To anyone else, it would seem a worthless pile of rubbish; to the Reaper, it was a self-proclaimed masterpiece, a treasure very dear to his heart.

Grell smiled, watching him handle it with such care, and he cuddled Stella close. She in turn followed William's every move with wide eyes as he sat in his chair again and began to read.

"'The Story of Will the Reaper,' by Thomas Wallis…"


More to come!