A.N.- I looked up the history of makeup and extensions for this. Believe me, this beginning part was difficult to write since makeup and extensions weren't like they are today. Some things may be wrong, but again, this was difficult to write. Actually, this whole chapter was difficult to write. Sorry it's late, and I hope you like it!

Chapter 8- Grell's PoV- A couple weeks later

William's and my contact these past couple weeks have been very brief and awkward. Ever since we kissed, he hasn't seemed to want to be around me. Tonight, it'll be different though. We have to be close to each other all night because tonight's the night of the party. For the past hour, I've been getting ready for the party. Since I am going as a female, I've been putting on makeup and doing my hair. I figured out how to put on makeup by observing my mother and older sister when I was alive. I managed to get a synthetic hair piece the same color as my hair, which was extremely hard to find since I've never seen anyone else with my hair color. I also managed to find the makeup I needed. The shop owners stared at me strange, and when they questioned me, I told them that I was picking the products up for my wife. They believed me easily.

I finish putting on my makeup, which looks wonderfully done for a man, when I hear someone knock at the door. I bet that's William. I leave my mirror and go to the door, still dressed in my clothes from earlier. I open the door, and sure enough, it's William, who I must add looks very dapper.

"Evening, Grell," he says, walking into the room and closing the door. I smile at William.

"You look very handsome, William," I say. He doesn't look at me.

"Thank you," he replies. We both fall silent for a moment. "Do you need any help, Grell?"

"I will in a moment," I reply. "I still have to get into my corset and dress, and I can't do either of those things without another person's help. "Follow me."

I walk to my room, and he follows. 'Don't think about the fact that you're going to pretty much be naked in front of him. Don't think about it.' I face away from him, and remove my shirt and trousers. I feel myself blushing. Since I didn't go anywhere today, I'd actually been wearing women's underwear all day. I put the corset on.

"William, tighten it for me please," I say, walking backwards slightly towards him. He starts tightening the corset for me. I suck in my stomach and hold my breath. He pulls it tighter. God dammit, these things hurt. How do women deal with this? He pulls it a bit tighter.

"That's good," I say, out of breath. He ties it in the back, so it'll stay put. "Thank you."

"You're welcome," he replies, pushing up his glasses. I get my dress on, and William fastens it in the back for me. The dress in a dark red with a black, frilly trim around the bottom of the skirt, sleeves, and at the neck. I put my shoes on and stand back up. I turn around and face him. He stares at me, stunned.

"So," I say timidly. "How do I look?"

"Y-You look beautiful," he says, reaching into his pocket for something. He pulls a pearl necklace out of his pocket. "I want you to wear this." He puts it on me. "It used to be my mother's. I died with it in my hand, and I've had it ever since. I touch the necklace.

"Thank you, William," I reply to his kind gesture. He offers his arm to me.

"Shall we?" he asks. I smile and take his arm. We walk out of my flat, and head to the party.

We got in with ease since we looked noble. People will believe anything with a little makeup and the right clothes. If anyone asks our names, our names are James and Sofia Collins. We have to pretend that we're a married couple. I wish that this wasn't pretend, but it is. It's just for work, that's all. I'll keep having to tell myself that all night.

William and I walk into the ballroom, which is already crowded, even though the party just began. William whispers in my ear.

"We need to locate Cambridge as soon as possible. He's scheduled to die before this party is over."

"Right," I whisper back to him. We both look around the room. I locate the two people.

"There they are," I whisper, pointing at them. William draws his attention to them.

"Excellent," he says. "Now, we have to get over to them and talk to them without drawing too much attention to ourselves. I nod my head in agreement. I see that everyone is dancing. William seems to notice too. He offers his left hand to me.

"May I have this dance, my dear?" he asks me.

I blush a little and smile. "You may." I take his hand, and we begin to dance. We dance for a few minutes until we 'accidently' bump into Cambridge and his wife. William and I both act surprised.

"Oh, my apologies for running into you two," William says, bowing slightly.

"It's alright," Arthur Cambridge responds. William and I go back to the original position we entered in, myself on William's left, holding onto his right arm. Target has been found and met. Stage one complete.

"And what are your names?" Cambridge questions.

"My name is James Collins, and this is my lovely wife, Sofia," William responds. Cambridge shakes Will's hand, and kisses the top of my hand.

"Sir," William says. "If you don't mind, I have a few questions for you.

"I don't mind at all," Cambridge responds. "Ask away."

As William asks questions, I feel my eyes wandering over the couple. They both don't appear to be very old, 25 years of age at the most. They both have brown hair, his hair short, and her hair just going past her shoulders. His left hand is rested on waist, closer to her stomach. She doesn't appear to be wearing a corset, since her curves look natural at her waist, and her stomach looks to be extended out slightly. A realization comes to me, his wife is pregnant. I would predict that it's their first child since they're so young. In her blue eyes and in his brown eyes, I can see that they're very happy right now. I almost want to cry for the couple. Arthur will never get to see his first and only child be born. His soul will be collected before then.

"Thank you, sir," I hear William say. "That's all I wanted to ask.

"You're quite welcome," Cambridge replies. "You two should be dancing. My wife and I are going to go." He offers his hand to his wife, and she graciously accepts. They start to dance, leaving William and I there.

"I guess we should dance, Sofia," he says to me, smiling and offering his left hand to me.

I smile and accept his hand, and we start to dance again.

"So?" I ask him. "What did you find out?"

He looks at me. "Weren't you paying attention?"

I shake my head no. "I was making my own observations. Now, what did you find out?"

"He is a very kind man, I'll give you that. He helps children in orphanages, and donates money to the orphanages in London."

"That is a kind hearted man," I reply, my mind wandering back to him and his wife together.

"What did you try to determine?" Will asks me, drawing my attention back to him.

"Well," I say. "I believe that his wife is expecting their first child. I could tell that she's not wearing a corset tonight. Women her age only do that when they're expecting a child. Not to mention, the way he was touching her would prove my point."

"So you think that his wife is pregnant?"

I nod my head.

"Well, that changes nothing. He's benefiting the world, but not enough to live. He will die tonight, and we will collect his soul."

I look down, feeling extremely bad for his wife. I feel warm lips touch my cheek lightly.

"Cheer up, Sofia," I hear William say. "We're at a party." I look up at him and smile. He's really playing along with this. I just wish he was saying it to my real self, Grell and not Sofia.

We keep our eyes out for Cambridge all night, to make sure he doesn't get too far away from us. We see him head upstairs, not looking very well. He must have already been poisoned.

"We need to sneak upstairs without being seen," William whispers to me.

"We could scale the building," I suggest in a whisper. "We are Shinigami after all."

William nods his head. "That might be our best bet."

We manage to sneak out into the dark garden. William looks at me and whispers.

"Ladies first."

"Haha, how funny," I says sarcastically, as I start to scale the building. "I see a room a few floors up with light in the window. Let's head there."

"I agree," William says. "That's probably where he is." William follows after me. It's almost midnight, so we must hurry. It doesn't help that it's windy out, and it keeps blowing my dress up.

"Damn wind," I say, pushing my dress down. "You better not be looking up it, William."

"I don't have much of a choice, Grell," he replies. "I'm beneath you right now." I sigh and continue to climb to the dim light. We eventually make it up to the window and climb in. The room is quiet, and sure enough, Cambridge is laying on the bed located in the room. His eyes are shut. I walk across the room quietly, when the floor creaks loudly, and Cambridge opens his eyes and sits up.

"Who's there?" he asks, trying to see through the dark. Both William and I stay still. He lays back down and groans, closing his eyes again. I look at the clock. Three minutes until Cambridge dies. I summon my death scythe to me, and it appears in my hand, shining in the dark. I hold my shiny new chainsaw firmly in my hands. I see William do the same, summoning his scythe, which looks like a hedge pruner. We stand there, waiting for his time to come. I feel my heart sinking in my chest as I think about his wife, and how upset she'll be to hear that her husband is dead. I pity the woman. I hear the clock strike midnight, and I walk over to Cambridge, feeling for his pulse and listening to his chest.

"No pulse, and not breathing, he's dead," I say to inform William. I pull the cord of my chainsaw to start it, and stab Cambridge in the center of his chest. I start to collect his soul.

"Grell, I hear someone coming," William says, walking to the window. I nod, understanding and jump out of the opening window, still collecting his soul. I reach the ground and keep collecting. One reel tries to hit me, just like one did to William our first collection, but William uses his scythe to collect it just before it hits me. We finish collecting the soul, and I sigh, turning off my chainsaw and lowering the tip to the ground and leaning on it.

"Another day, another soul collected," I say to no one in particular.

"Indeed," William replies. We stand in silence for a moment. I look at him.

"Hey," I say to him, catching his attention. "After we return our scythes, want to come back to my flat for a drink?"

William smiles lightly in the dark. "That sounds wonderful, Grell."

I smile a wide, toothy smile at him as I run, jumping onto a nearby roof, with William following close behind.