I jolted awake mind reeling, I closed my eyes as my dream returned.

"Night! Don't call me Renne, I'm your mother!" cried the raven haired blue eyed women "Wait you know what, call me whatever you wish but please don't go!"

"Pfft! What have you ever done for me besides tell me how much you want me to be like Lein! It's always Lein's a better fighter, Lein has better morals, Lein this and that and you know what? I'm sick of it!"

"Night your my daughter, my little girl, I love you don't say that please." My mother said tears running down her face

"Get away from me! You only love my sister! That is the only thing we have in common, my sister." My voice was ice even though part of me screamed not to say this.

"Midnight, sister!" cried Lein looking at me in despair. My emerald eyes flashed and I scowled.

"I hate you Renne, you are no mother of mine! I wish you dead, nay, I wish you damned to oblivion to rot for all time!" I cried turning.

But before I could leave my mother said in a rushed tone "There will be a day when you regret that and know that I forgive you and I know that's not true, that one day you will wish it back. I love you and I am always proud to call you daughter, I wish you well and I belive you wish me well too. Remember that my dear."

I left the cottage and my despondent mother who only ever cared about my sister and the fact that I was a thief, such a disappointment, why had she just said that? I didn't look back not even when I heard my sister come after me several minutes latter; she too had her bags…

Why did I keep reliving that? It was horrible and I wished I could take every word back. My mother was dead now and I never said sorry, how had my mother been so smart like that? I sighed I needed to get back to the guild, they had been my life for the past year.

I could almost see the tension radiating from Mercer to Brynjolf whenever I entered the Cistern, wasn't looking forward to going back to that. Mercer didn't like the idea of the romance that had blossomed between Bryn and me, something about us being uncommitted to our work or something. I shrugged walking out of Whiterun to Snow; the stallion was standing proudly next to the black mare, Queen. I glared at the Khajiit that were staring at him, hungrily. I didn't want to know if the myths about Khajiit eating horses were true. Snow was my horse and you do not mess with my horse unless you want death.

A year ago I had entered the guild and learned of Mercer's dislike of strangers. "Find the cowl of the Gray Fox and you will be forgiven." He had growled from the shadows after I had revealed my little assurance when he said I was nothing more than a street wise child. Delvin had glared at him as if saying "Why are you doing this to her?" but I had obliged even though the trip had taken me all the way to the Imperial City.

Now Mercer could not openly hate me. He did it in subtle ways, sticking me with the most tedious and the hardest jobs. It didn't help that the world now saw me as The Gray Fox. There hadn't been one in almost 200 years. Not since the oblivion crisis anyway.

I was quickly making my way back to Riften but I felt tug in my stomach that made me pull Snow to a stop. I heard it, three hunting howls, wolves. I dismounted drawing my bow, a force building in my body. I saw the group chasing after a puppy. I lost it, Night the Gray Fox loved dogs, so did my sister Lein Dragonborn and queen of all things dealing with her glaring at people. I unleashed a small flee spell on them and scooped up the small bundle that was the puppy. I mounted Snow and nudged him into a full gallop hoping that the wolves didn't catch up. After an hour I saw Riften in the distance I slowed to a stop and tied Snow to a tree. I got down and rolled out my bed roll. I checked over the squirming pup and discovered 1 the puppy is a girl 2 she is completely black 3 she hated being checked over 4 she bites 5 she has a lot of energy and no fear. I thought for several minutes, mostly because the pup was playing with locks of my hair. Smiling I whispered " Your name shall be Courage." The black pup looked at me and I shivered at her intense amber eyes. Then it hit me, she was half wolf.

The small pack that had been chasing her had probably just been trying to scare her away so that she wasn't an issue when she was older. But there was not a shred of misbelieve that she was meant for the life of a dog. I grabbed an extra strap of leather and carved the word Courage into it. I made several holes it in. I'll buy a buckle in Riften I thought, or have one made. I sat down next to my small fire and watched amused as Courage tried to lick a flame. With a startled yelp she scurried behind me to glare at the fire.

"Leaping in head first just like you." Came the voice of a certain red headed Nord. Courage growled angrily at his playful tone and I patted her nose to quite her. "Hello Brynjolf, trying to scare me, and what are you doing out here?" I said standing I turned around to find myself chest to chest with the tall thief. He smiled and said "I wouldn't dream of scaring you! Unless you want me to." then he bent down and kissed me passionately.

The sun woke me up. For a moment I was startled, someone was breathing down my neck litterly. Then I smiled seeing the red headed Nord. For a moment I pounded wakening him up but then a mischievous plan snuck its way into my mind. A plan only a thief could think up. I got up and pulled my sleeping roll away from his, as well as the tent. I was careful not to laugh, there Bryn was on the side of the road naked with nothing but a blanket, his underwear and the charred remains of a fire.

I strapped a tether onto Courage placing her snuggle between me and the saddle horn and rode off into Riften. Before I had gone far I heard a shout and smiled. Bryn was awake. As soon as the thought crossed my mind I frowned. I always called Bryn Brynjolf except in my head. That seemed a little strange. I shrugged it off and laughed, some guard was probably having a heart attack. Bryn was going to kill me, oh well I was a bit bored.

Arriving at the stables I silently growled as I had to give 15 gold to stable my horse. But I could always steal it back with interest. Snow looked relived to be able to eat to his heart's content until I said "I need to put you on a diet." Then he looked at me like he understood and gave a loud whinny of disbelief. I chuckled patting his white hide and smiled, untethering Courage and leading the young dog away.

I gave the gate guard a glare, he tried to scam me once, a quick discussion having to do with daggers and that small hole in the back of your scull ended that. I walked into the city and went into the rat way to inform Mercer that his star thief had completed the job and that the thieves guild was once again up on its feet, curse or no curse.

Sapphire and Vex glared at me as always and I just smirked at them showing of my arrogant side. "I trust that you have completed the job? After all you're the best thief who ever lived." asked Vex her voice dripping of sarcasm. "Of course Miss Vexed- all - up. Did you think I couldn't, just like you couldn't get into that safe we found in that tree? Or you couldn't break into golden glow and there are plenty of things I've done that you couldn't." I said sweetly. My eyes narrowing and my nose wrinkled ever so slightly. "I would ask you to stop acting like children but that's what you are," said Mercer as he entered the ragged flagon "Now the thieves guild doesn't take children…" his voce held warning and I saw Vex dip her head in submission. But me possessing a stubbornness to rival a dragon just turned and walked into the cistern, seething.

I walked to the training room looking for a fight, "Are you ok Midnight?" asked Rune. And I turned and fired at him with a glare, I was not happy about being scolded. The training room quickly emptied and I grabbed my dagger and practiced, practiced, practiced. I didn't even notice when Bryn came back fuming at my forgotten joke.

"WHAT EX-" he stopped seeing me drenched in sweat with the decimated dummies. Maybe he was trying to figure out what they had done to offend me so.

"Midnight?" he murmured eyes oh so soft "Its late you should get some rest."

I closed to snarled at him and stomped out of the room Courage on my heels. I flopped down on my bed. I noticed everyone go to sleep but I laid quietly awake. I heard footsteps by the bed, there was no reason to go by my bed, there was just a dead end and no other beds. They stopped by my bed and all I could think of was that they were by the bed for me, there were several ways an assassin could have snuck in. I sprang up dagger ending up pointed against the invaders gut. I looked up to see a brown haired face and stern green eyes of a Nord. "Mercer." I said surprised and I lowered my dagger.

"How dare you pull a dagger on ME!" he snapped quietly and I flinched.

"Mercer…she is just protective." Said Vex surprising me, I mean the two of us had a love hate relationship. He glowed at me before saying "To be continued." I nodded sending him a glare and climbed back into bed. Why had he been by my bed? I sighed and drifted off to sleep.

I got up the next morning and walked into the hallway leading to the flagon. I turned something catching my eye when I collided with a wall. Except it wasn't a wall, it was Brynjolf. He smiled at me deviously and said "Looks like miss wolf woke up on the wrong side of the bed today."

"That was you yesterday." I said with a grin watching his face for a reaction.

He looked to see if anyone could hear us before saying "That was a mean trick you little…" he stuttered trying to think of something to call me.

"Thief, No not very creative, not at all. Troublemaker, Hmm to amateur for my skill set. Entrepreneur, possibly I'm always in the market for a good joke… "I suggested my eyes shining as I entered the flagon. Bad moods would have to wait, I had Bryn to annoy.

I watched as Bryn muttered good morning to our fellow thieves and they laughed in his face. It was only yesterday that he had walked into the flagon with nothing but a pinned up blanket covering his body. His very muscular and fit body might I add.

"Sooo how exactly did your clothes get stolen again?" asked Sapphire her voice pitched high and sweet.

"Oh no you don't! She's my newly acquired niece! No corrupting her!" said Delvin but he said the whole sentence through laughs and a wink at Brynjolf. Apparently his brother who lives in Raven Rock, Solstheim, Glover Mallory, had an affair with her mother. Now Delvin no longer, well tries not to make suggestions in ear shot of her in case his brother hears of it and gets mad at him. Apparently he loves his brother a great deal.

"It was stolen, that's all you need to know." spat Bryn shooting me a good natured glare.

I laughed and said "Look like Brynjolf's panties are in a twist, heard they got stolen to." I decided to embellish my little prank a little.

"Any truth to that?" asked Vekel his eyes wide, poor Vekel having to listen to us thieves talk about vulgar things, and then laugh about it.

"Maybe," Snapped Brynjolf his face was red but he looked like he was trying not to laugh. The best thing about Bryn was that he was always easy going; I'd never seen him get seriously angry. Although when you spend a lot of time around Mercer everyone else seems like butterflies and bunny rabbits.

Tonilia and Dirge shared a look before laughing. Of course all the laughter brought more guild members in and Etienne, who showed up a while ago apparently the Dragon born rescued him from the Thalmor but he took till the end of the war to come home because he was scared, anyway Etienne asked "We talking about Brynjolf's little accident? You guys know that a female guard found him right? Yeah real mystery what happened, looks like Bryn didn't get away from the scene of the crime fast enough." Bryn growled and stormed out of the Flagon to everyone's roaring laughter but I caught a trace of a thin smile. I figured he was probably thinking those idiots don't have a clue to what happened.

I smiled and got a piece of rabbit form Vekel, who looked at me like I was crazy for eating rabbit for breakfast. I noticed that Mercer was absent but I doubted that he would get into any serious trouble. The guy could easily face an army he was so good with his sword, reminded me of my sister and partner in crime. I myself preferred my daggers.

I considered looking for Bryn. I sighed my instincts hinting where he was, Honey Side. When the previous owner Gallus died Honey Side went up for sale. Brynjolf had apparently bought it but he didn't use it. Yet somehow I knew that was where he would be.

I knocked on the door and no one answered. I sighed he was obviously in the house because the door was unlocked but I wasn't about to intrude. Plus the guild didn't know about our relationship. In fact as far as Mercer knew, it was a crush nothing serious. I almost laughed at the idea of them finding out, but Bryn would have a heart attack thinking that he would never live it down. Probely because when you live with a bunch of thieves every time someone new joins up every story that has ever been told is told again.

I was about to turn and head out of town to find some other sort of trouble when the door opened and I smelt mead. I turned so fast I was a blur. I had never seen Bryn drunk, never. But here he was drunk as could be glaring at me. Bryn never glared he always seemed about to smile if he wasn't smiling, even when he was sad or hurt. That scared me just a little. "Brynjolf are you drunk?" I asked, I knew the answer and I was hoping he did to.

He looked me up and down and shut the door in my face. That did it. I was normally quiet and just had a dangerous air but you NEVER shut the door in my face. I waited about two seconds and I slowly opened the door about to kick him were it hurt and saw Bryn pretty much passed out on his bed. I didn't have time to look at his house, I had never been in before, Brynjolf was lying face down in a pool of his own drool.

I walked over and sat him up; I didn't want him to drown in his own barf. "Go away I hate you!" he mumbled. I rolled my eyes hoping it was just a drunk thing and grabbed a wicker basket emptying the paper inside on the floor. I handed it to him just in time. He vomited several times before flopping back down. I sat down realizing that I was in for a long night. I had not planned on spending my time babysitting Bryn while he had a hangover.

When morning came the house filled with light, it was actually quite refreshing compared to the gray of Riften and the Cistern. Bryn was looking better but his shirt had vomit on it. I groaned and removed it, he was still out cold. I grumbled about how house chores were not what a thief did while washing his shirt.

"Stupid, thieving, idiot, drunk, Nordic, impulsive bastard." I cursed at him as he slept and I could have sworn that him lips twitched like he was going to smile but it was gone so fast I couldn't be totally sure. "Spent the whole night taking care of him pfft! Said he hated me, why do I bother? Seriously Night, he is a scamming swindler! But then again, what are you? Could you have possibly fallen in love with anyone worse? No, you had to fall in love with the impulsive Nord! Why did he get drunk anyway?" I smiled I knew he was listening; oh this was going to be fun.

After my rant I got up and glared angrily at his sleeping form like it was his fault and decided he would be fine. Now it was my turn to be the impulsive idiot. I walked over to his bedside and kissed his forehead. The whole time I was thinking, what the hell is wrong with you? But I had to smile as I walked out of his home. I really did like messing with that red head.