I am so so so sorry about the lateness of this update! This chapter is dedicated to anybody who has so patiently waited for the next chapter! So, here it is, chapter 4!
Did they have to be so bloody loud? What the hell was going on out there? I'm going to be hurting someone soon! These were the first thoughts I had when I was woken from my sleep at 6 am. Did they not realise that I only got back from Ireland just four hours ago? I growled and dragged myself out of bed, glaring at the door the whole time. When I eventually opened it, I immediately screamed and jumped back as uncle Thomas came flying towards me, and a headache burst in my head from the sudden noise.
"Dude! What the hell!?" I yelled.
All commotion stopped and three people along with Red all turned to look at me. I'm guessing the look on my face gave away how angry I was as two agents were very quick to vanish. Red seemed amused by my mood, and Thomas was still sitting on the floor next to my door. I frowned and crossed my arms before swaying slightly with fatigue and moving so that I ended up sleepily leaning against the wall behind me.
"So, what's up?" I asked, much calmer now all the noise had died down.
Red looked at me with his smirk still in place, and I felt my eye twitch in irritation. I loved the big ape like a brother, but at that moment I wanted nothing more than to wipe the smirk off his face.
"Well, Liz and I came back here to collect our things and to arrange care of my cats, when Manning here decided to try and stop us from leaving. We were in the process of saying no when you opened your door."
I shook my head, no longer annoyed, but still not in the best of moods.
"Did you have to come this way though? I was sleeping" I answered with a pout.
Red chuckled and ruffled my hair before giving me a hug to apologise. I hugged him back and smiled as we pulled away. I then turned to Uncle Thomas, who was standing up, and by the look on his face, I could tell that he was about to start yelling. I shot him a look that told him to be quiet, and for once, he actually kept his mouth shut, although I had a suspicion that he only did it because he wasn't in the mood to test my anger out.
"So what exactly was being said?"
"Well, apparently the BPRD think it's safer for us to stay here and stay in the team."
I could sort of see their point there. Red had shelter, free food and safety here that he wouldn't get in the outside world. I told him this and he gave me such a strong look of shock, I had to give him an apologetic smile.
"Look, I'm not saying that you have to stay as a part of the team. I'm just saying that you could stay here as civilians and live your lives, but knowing that you, Liz and the kids will always be safe. Plus, I'd miss you too much if you left, and the cats would all miss you too."
I could see the cogs whirring in his mind, and his face dropped in thought. Thomas was looking at me with a strange look and I almost scoffed. So, he didn't like that I managed to do what he couldn't? Tough luck I'm afraid. After a couple of minutes, Red's face lit up and he gave me a small smile before rushing off, calling out to Liz. I rolled my eyes playfully before heading back to my room, afraid that if I stayed standing for a moment longer, I was going to pass out. I made sure to give Thomas another glare before slamming the door and collapsing on my bed, falling into unconsciousness within mere seconds of my head hitting the pillow.
The next time I woke up, it was because I wanted to, not because some idiot had woken me. I sat up and when I lifted my arm up to rub the sleep out of my eyes, I noticed they felt very dead and heavy. Once my vision cleared, I looked at the clock on my nightstand and my jaw dropped when I saw the date and time. June 15th 11:18 am. Whoa, when I fell asleep after Thomas and Red's argument, it had only been 14th June and it was 06:30 am, which meant that I'd been asleep solidly for twenty nine hours! I climbed out of bed, my whole body feeling heavy with the amount of sleep I'd had, and I was quick to shower and dress before hurrying down to the cafeteria as my stomach came to life and told me I was extremely hungry. Arriving at the cafeteria, I noticed that only a couple of agents were around, so for once, I was able to sit and eat in peace and quiet.
As soon as I finished, I made my way over to the library. Abe was standing in front of the books, probably deciding which one to read next, but as he heard me come in, he turned to face me.
"Ah, you're finally awake."
I laughed slightly and rubbed the back of my neck.
"Heh, yeah. I can't believe I slept so long" I admitted.
Abe tilted his head to one side and looked at me.
"Well, none of us were in Ireland long enough to adjust to the time difference, and then coming back here too would have really interfered with your biological systems and that would have made your mind and body shut down so that you could recuperate."
I blinked for a few seconds, not quite sure exactly how to respond, so I just moved on to another topic.
"I'm surprised to see you here though, I thought you quit along with the others?"
"Ah, yeas. You see, I did resign, but Hellboy came in not long after 7 am yesterday morning to say that he and Liz had discussed it and have decided to stay here, but they would no longer be a part of the team. I for one am quite glad as I can stay here and continue to research, and Mr Krauss has also decided to stay so he can continue his research. And as you're wondering, yes I will be staying on the team, but I won't be going out in the field anymore."
I couldn't hold back the grin, nor could I hold back the happiness as I jumped forward and hugged him before running off in the direction of Red and Liz's room.
I knocked on the door, and the second Liz answered, I hugged her too. Liz hugged me back, and when I pulled away she gave me a knowing smile.
"So, I guess you found out we're staying, huh?"
"Uh-huh. Is Red around?"
Liz laughed softly and shook her head.
"He is, but he's still asleep. Along with the jet lag and the fighting, he's been through the most out of all of us."
I nodded, completely understanding.
"That's fine. Hey, d'you want to come with me to go and see Krauss? I want to say to him too that I'm glad he's staying. He may be slightly crazy and strange, even for us, but I've really grown a liking to him."
Liz nodded and before long, we were knocking on his lab door. He answered and let us in. I told him I was glad he was staying and the way his body moved told me he would have smiled if he still had a face. After that, he and Liz struck up a conversation about Liz's pregnancy and out of interest, I found myself walking around the extremely large laboratory, reading the notes on each thing he was working on. Fortunately, I had done a lot of science before and so I found the reports easy to read. As I was reading one of the folders, I suddenly noticed something out of the corner of my eye. I turned to look at it, and as I realised exactly what it was, the folder dropped onto the floor at my feet and I stumbled backwards in shock, bumping into one of the table and sending both myself and the contents crashing onto the floor as I let out a yell.
