After the Hellhound incident, it seemed that Mary and Jaegar had settled into an uneasy truce. They spoke to each other in strained civilized tones, but the tension still remained. Marsha still brought them food but she didn't say much to Mary. Mary also noticed that Jaegar was spending more and more time away from home. She spent her days extraordinarily bored, but she was afraid to say anything. One day seemed to blend right into another. She noticed that she hadn't been feeling well for quite some time, but she attributed that to the stress and the boredom.

Jaegar had called to her one day and she was coming down the stairs. An odd dizzy spell struck and she tumbled headlong down them. Jaegar had caught her just before she hit the floor and carried her to the couch. Marsha's big face emerged through her blurred vision.

"She needs to go back to the surface for a while," Marsha informed him, "this place wasn't meant for the living. She needs sunlight and fresh air."

Mary had recovered, but it wasn't long before she started having those dizzy spells more and more often. Jaegar reluctantly saddled Daredevil one day and lifted her up before getting on himself. She was so weak that she could hardly stay in the saddle even with Jaegar's help. Her eyes were fixed in a blank stare as they ascended up through the portal.

The rush of cold air hit Mary in the face and she seemed to revive. It was a very chilly morning, but the sun was shining. How long had it been? Her eyes strained in the strong light. The first things that she saw were her own hands; she was surprised at how pale they were. She looked up at Jaegar and he appeared even more corpselike than ever.

"You must promise me you won't run away," he cautioned her.

"I won't run away."

He eased her down off of Daredevil.

"Stay here. I will be back in a moment.

He nudged Daredevil into a trot and the two of them retreated into the distance. Mary sank down onto the bed of dried leaves. The good, cold air slid as smooth as mercury in and out of her lungs. She could smell damp earth and trees but no sulfur, which was a blessing all on its own. She guessed it was early spring; flowers were budding amidst their shelters of fallen leaves. She was so used to the sweat-inducing heat that the cold made her shiver uncontrollably. It still felt good.

Jaegar returned about half an hour later. He was vaguely surprised to see her still sitting where he'd put her. What puzzled him even more was when she went to him and held her arms out like a child waiting to be picked up. He swung her into the saddle, just noticing that she was much too light.

"Your house is empty," he informed her, "you may stay there for a while."

It was strange to see her house. It wasn't in too much of a state of disrepair, but there were some small things that needed to be fixed. Ichabod and Katrina were nowhere in sight.

"Where are they?" Mary asked, more to herself than Jaegar. He answered her question anyway.

"Gone. They are living in New York," he explained, "I asked someone on the way back."

"You mean no one recognized you?"

"I suppose not. I had a few stare at my armor, but not for long. They did not seem fearful, only nervous."

Mary slowly unlocked the door with the key she'd held in her pocket. It felt so strange to do such a mundane gesture; she thought she'd never see this house again. Convinced that she wouldn't run, Jaegar led Daredevil to the stables and stripped away the saddle and bridle. When he returned, he found Mary in the garden. Though it was choked with weeds, a few vegetables had survived the invasion. There was just enough to make a simple stew. He could already tell that being here on the earth's surface had made a difference; there was the slightest bit more of color in her lips and her eyes didn't look so empty. He helped her carry the large basket inside and they placed it on the kitchen counter. The stew didn't take long to prepare and both ate until they were beyond stuffed. Mary hadn't felt this hungry in weeks. The heat of the fireplace felt good when there was cold to balance it out.

"Feeling better?" Jaegar asked.

"Yes," she answered honestly, "I didn't fall today."

She looked at his face lit by the flickering fire. It was twilight outside and the world was drenched in soft blue light. To her vague surprise, he actually seemed concerned about her.

The strangest little tug pulled at her heartstrings. She rose from her chair and eased herself into his lap.

She wasn't heavy at all, but the gesture caught Jaegar off-guard. He tensed a little bit and had to wrap both arms around her to keep her from sliding off. Her head rested against his shoulder. It didn't matter so much that he was icy cold to the touch; the warmth from the fire counteracted it.

"Thank you," she said in his ear.

No one could have been more stunned than the Hessian. In all the years that he'd known her (yes, he still watched her though she couldn't see him), he hadn't once seen her express gratitude. Maybe being steeped in the fires of Hell itself had softened her somewhat. He was about to say something when she yawned.

"Tired?"

Rather than a growl or a bark, it came out as a sensuous whisper. Who knew that the harshly accented voice could have a softness to it?

"Very," she answered truthfully.

He rose from the chair without much difficulty, still holding her. Unlike the first time he'd carried her up the stairs, he didn't seem to be in much of a hurry. He seemed to know which room had been hers. Everything seemed fairly intact and all the sheets and blankets were still on the bed. He set her down and she retrieved her favorite nightgown from the closet. He leaned against the doorway and watched her undress but she didn't reprimand him. Once the soft petal pink fabric was pulled over her, she turned to him.

"You're not planning on sleeping in that armor, are you?"

Surprised, he began to unfasten it. She sat down at the dressing table and took her hair out of the haphazard bun she'd been wearing it in. The silky ashen-blonde strands fell like a curtain across her back. It was long enough to almost reach her waist. At first, there were many snarls and tangles. It took her a long time, but she worked all the tangles loose.

By the time she was done, Jaegar was undressed as well. They slid into the big bed together. Though this bed was much bigger than the one in Jaegar's house, she felt herself gravitating towards him more. He didn't object at all and was still adjusting to the alien feeling of being cuddled when her lips grazed his.

Knowing that her health was fragile at the moment, he was trying to be gentle. He could hear her heart struggling to meet the demands of her suddenly heated blood and made a conscious effort to pull away.

"What's the matter with you? When you brought me home, you were all over me," she protested, the slightest hint of anger rising in her voice.

"You are still very weak," he told her, "your heartbeat is off its rhythm. I don't want you to overexert yourself."

Though she was a woman who took everything personally, it was hard to argue with someone who seemed genuinely concerned about your health. Mary bit her lip and nodded, somewhat embarrassed. He felt the blood rush to her cheeks and kissed each one.

"I won't forget this," he said lustily, "and I look forward to it."

He felt her smile against his shoulder and his conscience was appeased for the moment.