Hi all!

So this is part two of the mini storyline within the storyline that I started last chapter. This is a definite turning point in their relationship from enemies to not so hated enemies lol, so I hope you all enjoy!

Mel woke up the next time to someone pouring some of the most vile tasting liquid down her throat an forcing her to swallow.

Instantly she shot into a sitting position, gagging and coughing violently as she blindly batted away whatever psycho was trying to poison her.

"?!"

Mel ignored the startled exclamation as she coughed and attempted to recover her ability to taste and breath as the liquid made her entire body feel strange and immobile for a moment.

"What the hell was that?!" She rasped without even looking at the person, blinking hard to clear the blurry vision.

"That, was a medication that is currently keeping you off deaths doorstep."

Mel froze at the sound of a very tired, extremely irritated, and terrifyingly familiar voice coming from next to her.

She turned slowly, dreading what she would see but knowing that no amount of ignoring would make it go away.

"...Gyendal?"

A pair of extremely unimpressed green eyes met her's.

"You nearly hit me in the face. Give me one good reason why I shouldn't drown you in your life saving medicine for that."

Mel swallowed.

"Uh..."

He snorted before standing and placing a bottle of glowing blue liquid and a spoon on the side table before leaning forward and pressing the back of his hand to her forehead.

Mel instinctively moved to slap his hand away but Gyendal caught her hand without even looking, holding her one hand steady and continuing to check her temperature for a half second longer before releasing her and removing his hand from her head, sitting back.

"Your fever has gone down." He muttered to himself before rising and striding out of the room.

Mel stared after him, puzzled as she tried to piece together a few hazy memories from after she passed out. As she waited she glanced around her and it took mere moments of seeing the clothing on the chair in the corner of the room as well as the general scent of the room to realize where she was.

Footstep approached the room once more and Gyendal walked in, muttering something about air headed girls.

"Why am I at your house?"

He glanced up at her blandly before dropping down to sit on the edge of the bed with a heavy sigh.

"I know you place spells on your house to ward it against unwelcome intruders, and I didn't feel like messing around with the door and blowing us both halfway across the city just to settle you in your own house while I waited for the apothecarist so you ended up here."

Then he glanced up at his door when voices could be faintly heard.

"Speaking of which, there he is now."

Gyendal vanished once more and Mel couldn't help but think about the fact that the usually pristine and put together ex-vampire looked very human with the dark circles under his eyes and the tiredness in his movement.

"Well now, you're finally awake?"

Mel looked up as the tall apothecarist walked into the room and stopped next to her, kneeling on the ground beside the bed as he studied her intently.

"You do seem much better. More colour to you, and your eyes are alert. Let me just check..."

Mel closed her eyes as she saw the man's hand begin to glow a soft ivory colour before settling on her forehead like Gyendal had done earlier. His hand remained for several moments giving off a comforting warmth before the apothecarist settled back onto his heels, appearing quite satisfied.

"The sickness has passed. With the help of the concoction I made and Gyendal's care your body has fought it off quite nicely and has adapted to the difference between realms. You no longer need my assistance.

The apothicarist then stood, nodded to Mel and Gyendal, and then briskly strode out of the room. Moments later they heard the door close firmly behind the man and the two of them were left staring at each other silently.

"So you took care of me."

He shrugged elegantly.

"Yes, I decided that if you died I would have no source of entertainment or somewhat intelligent conversation. You not around would serve to be rather boring and I do not wish to be bored for eternity."

Mel nodded before pulling the covers back, swinging her legs over the side of the bed and standing to her thankfully steady feet.

"I had forgotten how nice it felt to stand without feeling like someone's dragging you over a bed of nails." She quipped dryly as she moved over to her shoes.

Gyendal raised a brow before moving over to the chair and picking up her coat, tossing it to her.

"How long was I sick?"

"A week and a day. Today marks a week and two days."

"And you had to give me the medicine once a day?" Mel asked as she did a rush job of doing up her shoes.

"Try once every four hours."

Mel's head shot up and she stared at Gyendal wide eyed.

"Once every four hours?!"

"It was either that or leave you in the streets to waste away."

"...oh."

Once she had her shoes Mel straightened her shirt before giving a awkward nod and walking out of the room and towards the front door.

Gyendal followed, his steps tired and slightly dragging. Once she reached the door she pushed it open and went to leave before hesitating.

"What is it?" Gyendal sighed, although surprisingly enough not sounding irritated or frustrated.

Mel shifted uncomfortably before finally spitting it out.

"Thank you for taking care of me while I was sick. You didn't have to. So...yeah."

Gyendal blinked before a hint of a smile flickered across his face.

"You're welcome."

Mel gave another nod before practically bolting across the path to the safety of her own house saying the word to let herself in as she heard Gyendal chuckle quietly before closing his door as she entered her abode and hurriedly closed the door behind her.

As she slipped off her shoes and hung up her coat Mel found her mind sticking stubbornly to the knowledge that while she was sick instead of just dumping her somewhere he had taken her in and taken care of her until she was awake.

Why would he do that for her? It's not like he had a real reason he needed to keep her alive.

'You never had a real reason to help Gyendal, but you helped him care for his arm anyway.' The traitorous part of her mind reminded her.

"That's different!" She protested aloud, "I needed a second fighter to help me should I need it!"

'Did you truly need him well for fighting?' Her mind continued.

Mel was silent.

He didn't need her for anything magic wise, the prophecy wasn't in place down here so it's not exactly like he was going to take over the demon realm through her, and there was no way out without the staff that she had thrown into a lake of lava so she was useless for helping them get out of here.

Knowing all that, there was only one possible explanation for his actions.

Maybe Gyendal wasn't the devil incarnate after all.

Mel was cleaning her house when someone knocked sharply on the door. Muttering under her breath she opened the door and greeted her visitor with a grouchy "what?"

Kandy greeted Mel cheerily, as did the three other girls with Kandy.

"Hi! Did you know that there's a massive city party in the freespace behind the market?"

Mel paused, drying her hands on the towel she was holding.

"No."

"You should come! Everyone else is going, even the ones who live like hermits on the outskirts of the city."

Mel shook her head and moved to close the door.

"Not interested."

Before she could close the door Kandy grabbed it, stopping it only a few inches from the doorframe.

"There's free food. Lots and lots of free food."

Mel stopped.

"Free food?"

"Tables and tables of it."

Mel hesitated for a moment before sighing and throwing the towel onto her small table.

"I'll be ready in a few minutes. Just let me change into a fresh pair of pants and a shirt."

Kandy laughed, clearly pleased about getting her way and Mel sighed once more before closing and locking her door as she headed back into her bedroom.

Quickly changing into a fresh pair of pants and pulling on a fresh green shirt she quickly pulled on her boots, lacing them up and putting on her staff bracelet as she pulled open the door and exited her house under the watchful eye of Kandy.

She murmured a word to set up wards around her house before turning to Kandy.

"I'm probably just getting food and coming home." She stated with no room for argument.

Irritation flashed in Kandy's eyes.

"Of course you are."

Mel ignore the sarcasm and followed Kandy and her friends through the streets to a path that led around the market. People and monsters were milling around, laughing and chatting.

Once they entered the main area Mel looked around in mild surprise at how full the clearing was. There were decorations strung up and massive tables of food where people were coming and going. There was also platters of food in the middle of every table that were being passed around and dished off of.

"You should join us." Kandy said, sounding uninthusiastic and more like she was offering out of obligation then genuine interest.

"Not interested, thanks." Mel responded absently as she looked around.

"See you later then!" Kandy chirped, switching moods once more before sashaying off with her friends.

Mel ignored them and scanned the people sitting at the tables, curious about how many people that she recognized that were here. Her eyes bounced over random people until stopping upon seeing Gyendal sitting at one of the more empty tables looking rather bored as he picked at his food. He released a sigh and Mel glanced at him before glancing back at the grab food and run table.

She glanced back and forth a couple of times before slumping and muttering a unpleasant word under her breath then grabbing a plate and making her way through the crowd. She walked directly up to the empty seat next to Gyendal and dropped down with a thump, setting her plate on the table in front of her.

"Mel?"

"I still hate you." She growled as she picked up a bowl with corn in it and dished some onto her plate.

Gyendal was silent for a moment.

"And that's why you chose to sit next to me over everyone else here."

"Misery loves company. That doesn't mean that I don't still hate you."

She glared up at him bad temperdly and watched as he snickered before picking up a large dish filled with delicious smelling roast meat and spearing several pieces before dropping them onto her plate.

"That's nice. Here, have some roast rat."

So what did you think? Reviews are welcome! Flames shall be laughed at, posts for others to laugh at, and ignored while I continue the story.