Anna's eyes kept flicking to Vera, in her corner booth, but the woman seemed content to listen to the music while sipping a drink Anna knew no one had served her. She drummed her fingers on the bar and finally pushed her way toward the lifting counter to get into the crowd. As she did she almost bumped into a tall blonde man as he rounded the bar.

"I'm so sorry Ms. Smith."

"It's no problem William." She nodded at his uniform. "Here on official business?"

"Bit like that." He bent down, lowering his voice as much as he dared so Anna could still hear him over the din of the room. "I'm here to keep an eye on a few people."

"Anyone interesting?"

"A group that rolled into town recently and may need some… looking after." William jerked his head toward a grouping of tables where men similar to the descriptions Gwen provided earlier in the day sat. "Sheriff Carson's not too trusting of them."

"I could understand his hesitancy." Anna glanced toward the door and set her jaw as the man walked in. "Tell Daisy I said you've got a free drink on me."

"I'm on duty."

"She'll only caffeinate it." Anna winked at William and wove through the crowd to grab Alex's arm and steer him toward the door. "I told you to come through the back."

"Why? Afraid someone'll see me?"

"Yes, I am." Anna pointed over her shoulder at the crowded tables taking orders of fries, alcohol, and onion rings from three frazzled looking servers. "Friends of yours, I'd assume."

"That's why you called me?"

"No." Anna crossed her arms over her chest. "I called you because I might have a solution to a few of your problems."

"Really?" Alex shrugged, putting his hands into his pockets. "Willing to lend me money or something?"

"As much as I'd like to kick you in the teeth for even suggesting that I'd lend you money before booting your ungrateful ass out the door, no." Anna ground her teeth a moment. "More of a someone who might help you."

"You found someone to help me?" Alex snorted, "What a world."

"Don't sound so grateful." Anna crooked a finger to lead him through the crush to Vera's table. "It's a deal with the devil."

"I'll be the judge of that."

They stopped at Vera's table and she looked up from her drink at them. After one glance she leaned back in her booth and laughed. "What a pair you two make."

"Did make." Anna moved a step away from Alex. "But he's here all the same."

"Anna says you've got an offer for me." Alex took the side of the booth opposite Vera. "Some kind of deal to get me out of the shit."

"Depends on how much shit you're willing to shovel."

"None."

Vera raised her eyebrow and turned to Anna. "You're right about him."

"What?" Alex looked at Anna, who refused to meet his eye. "You talk about me when I'm not around?"

"I talk about a lot of things so you should think about the context in which your name was dropped." Anna focused on Vera. "Take him or leave him, it's up to you, but I'll take the offer since I made this happen."

"I'm as good as my word, remember that." She wagged her finger at Anna before turning to Alex. "Anna tells me you're in a bit of trouble."

"Maybe more than a bit."

"I thought suggesting a mountain might not be kind." She sipped at her drink, "But I've got a way of dealing with matters like these and perhaps you'll help me solve a few problems in return."

"I'm nobody's errand boy."

"I think you'll be everyone's errand boy if you continue the way you have." Vera dragged her finger in a ring around the lip of her glass. "But I'm interested in giving you a chance to be my bitch before those men other there don't leave enough of you for a street sweeper."

Alex snorted, leaning back in the seat. "You think I need a hag like you to help me?"

Vera turned to Anna, "You're weren't kidding. He's a right piece of shit."

"I'm as good as my word too." Anna folded her arms over her chest and shrugging, "But we've all got the demons we drag with us."

"And you wanted my help to save his miserable ass?" Vera chuckled, shaking her head. "The tangled webs we weave when we think we know what's best for us."

"You both want to stop talking about me when I'm right here?"

Vera paused, as if considering her answer, and scoffed. "Of course not. It's a lot more fun to watch you squirm."

"I'm not going to-"

"You'll sit your ass in that seat until I'm good and finished with you." Vera pointed at him and Alex shrank in place, cowering as something about the woman across from him seemed to grow and take over the space between them. "Good. Now that I know you can obey orders, shut up until I ask you a question or give you permission to speak. The adults are talking now."

Vera sighed, "Man-children. And what's worse, more of them every year. How could you ever fall for something like this when you've got my ex-husband chasing after you?"

"I was young and stupid." Anna shifted in place, "And your husband wasn't after me at the time, not that it's any of your business."

"Quite right, another time." Vera winked at her, sneaking another look at Green before glancing back at Anna. "And you're right. Those are perfect adjectives to describe what you were then. Although I'd add that 'naïve' should be on your list but that's neither here nor there now."

"Okay." Anna jerked her head toward the cowering Green. "And him?"

Vera pursed her lips and then shrugged, "He'll do. He's going to self-preserve and I could use his complete lack of morality."

"May God forgive me helping you."

"Then perhaps you should have asked Him for help when you needed it." Vera paused, "Or maybe just let the little bastard die."

"Maybe." Anna pointed at Green, "Are you going to let him speak now."

"Of course." Vera snapped her fingers, bringing Green's attention to her. "I've got an offer that may seem appealing but you should be warned, it'll cost you your soul and then your life, should you cross me."

"How can it be that bad?" He waved a hand toward Anna. "She took the deal."

"What passed between Ms. Smith and I is our business." Vera put her fingers together, resting her elbows on the table. "I'm here to ask if you want a chance to save yourself."

"I don't need-"

"Don't lie to me. It's not attractive and I'm not interested. Since I'm not in the camp of fools who'd sleep with you or the idiots who'd think you'll treat me fairly, I don't need any of your falsehoods." His jaw snapped shut and Vera managed a small smile. "Good. Now, do you want to sell me your soul in exchange for your life?"

Green's eyebrows rose and he turned to Anna. "Is this bitch serious?"

"As the grave, Mr. Green, which is where you'll be in about five minutes." Vera took another drink, flicking her finger toward the men at the other end of the bar who noticed Green. "And I think they want to say hello to you."

"I…" Green looked between the approaching men and Vera. "What'll it mean?"

"You work for me, somewhere not here, and I own you until you've paid back the debt for your soul." Vera snorted, "Not that you've got much of a soul left to offer but a crumpled bill is still valid currency."

"Sell you my soul?"

"Tick tock Mr. Green." Vera tapped her wrist, keeping her eyes on the men weaving through the crowd. "Time's almost up."

"I…" Green thrust his hand forward. "Fine."

Their hands met and the smell of burning skin reached Anna's nose. A crack echoed about the room and the speakers from the stage vibrated, feeding back so everyone covered their ears at the noise. One of the speakers exploded and then all Hell broke loose.

Vera waved at Anna and vanished in a moment, taking Green with her, and Anna fell back into a set of arms that wrapped around her as bullets tore through the booth in front of her. She twisted, crawling along the floor to put her back against the wall and noticed William next to her. He struggled to free his gun from the holster but the snap still closed over it.

Reaching over to help, Anna snagged his taser and slipped over the floor as William moved. The taser pulled from his belt and Anna's finger depressed the trigger to hit the large man ahead of her. He caught both bolts in the chest and shuddered in place before hitting the floor to twitch and squirm until Anna released the trigger.

She dropped the taser, as the man soiled himself and spasmed on the floor, and covered her head as William finally released his gun. He brought it up, his form seamless and practiced, to aim at someone coming toward them with their own gun. One shot and the man hit the floor before William extended a hand to Anna to help her off the floor.

As she went for his hand, he flinched and dropped to his knee. Anna peeked over his shoulder to see someone else with a gun and pushed William to the floor as another bullet whizzed over her head. With fingers scrabbling over the man convulsing to recover from the electrical pulses still ebbing away in his body, Anna found his gun. It fit awkwardly in her hand but she checked it before firing at the man across the room. A thud on the floor encouraged her to grab William under the arm and drag him toward the bar.

Gwen crouched behind it, holding the baseball bat they kept, and Anna forced William next to her. "Where's Daisy?"

"In the back with Mrs. Patmore and Alfred." Gwen's hands on the bat shook so it tapped against the cupboards behind her. "The same place I'd like to be."

"Where's Sheriff Carson?" Anna hissed at William and he only pointed at his radio. "Bloody hell."

She depressed the button and shouted into the speaker. "We need help at Devil's Bar. Shoots fired."

Releasing it, Anna turned sideways and fired at the man trying to get over the bar. He grunted and grabbed his leg, falling over the counter to hit the floor beside them. With a groan he moved toward them but Gwen leapt over Anna to knock him in the head with her bat.

They all sagged back, ducking under their hands when shots ripped through the bottles on the back shelf. Glass rained down on them, tinkling on the floor, and Anna clutched the gun closer to her chest. She pressed herself so hard against the cupboards that they indented her back. Her fingers shook against the metal and she tossed it away to bounce off the prone body of the man with them behind the bar.

"We're going to die." Gwen clutched the bat, trying to breathe through the beginning of tears. "We're going to die covered in glass with alcohol seeping into our shoes and-"

"Police!"

More bullets hailed around the room and Anna pulled her legs toward her. Glass shattered in the background and the splinter of wood set her teeth on edge. But then silence reigned but for the shouts and orders of the police to accompany the metal ring of handcuffs.

Anna let her head hit the cupboard and the tears came to her eyes. They all raised their hands as Sheriff Carson came around the bar. He immediately holstered his weapon and helped Gwen to her feet. She threw her arms around his shoulders and sobbed into his uniform while he patted her back with a gentle but awkward hand. The same hand he used to help William from the floor while his other hand pressed to the injury in his shoulder.

"Sorry I couldn't call sooner sir."

"We came at the first report of 'shots fired' but Ms. Smith's call convinced the Highway Patrol to breach." Sheriff Carson disentangled himself from Gwen and crouched down where Anna still trembled on the floor. "You did good work Anna."

"I think I shot someone and there's a man who peed himself after I tased him with Officer Mason's taser." Anna pointed. "Over there."

"We'll get to them." He let his hand go to her shoulder. "Are you alright?"

Before Anna could answer, arms wrapped around her and pulled her from the floor. At first she fought, worried and flailing, but then John's voice soothed in her ear and she spun to hug him. Her arms wrapped around as much of him as she could reach to cry on his shirt. His hands soothed over her, feeling around for injuries and letting the glass fall from her clothing, while she left ever darkening stains on him.

"I'm here. I'm here." He breathed in her ear, twisting them slightly to set a motion meant to soothe her. "I'm alright. It's alright."

"I… I thought I was going to die."

"I know." He kissed her temple. "I know. But it's alright now. It's over and you're safe."

"I wouldn't tell lies, Mr. Bates." Everyone turned as a man in a fine suit entered the remains of the ravaged bar. "It tends to lower the mood."

"Who are you?" Sheriff Carson stepped around the bar, still supporting William as his hand pressed on his wound. "This is an active crime scene."

"Not for much longer I think." The man dragged a finger over the scared and divot-filled bar. "I give it two days before it's ruled something innocuous like 'drunken brawl ends in gun fight' and the whole thing is forgotten."

"The number of handcuffs and the cramped police cars outside the win-" Sheriff Carson paused, frowning at the empty spaces where only glass shards remained… one of them flapping and then falling to shatter on the floor as they all looked. "Outside this building says otherwise."

"Oh, my apologies." The man extended his hand to Sheriff Carson. "We've not met yet."

"Not sure that matters."

"It'll teach you the respect you need." The smile that pulled across the man's face sent a shudder through Anna and she edged closer to John. "I'm Richard Carlisle and I'm a very influential man."

"I don't give a flying fart in space who you are." Sheriff Carson pushed past him. "This isn't something anyone just covers up."

"Then you've no idea the kind of power I have." Mr. Carlisle nodded as Sheriff Carson only scoffed at him. "Tell me, Sheriff, how would you like to never have to run for your position again?"

"How would you like me to take the handcuffs I still have and put them around your bony wrists?" Sheriff Carson tugged William with him. "Come on, let's get you looked at before you stain that uniform."

Anna released her fingers from John, pulling away slightly as Mr. Carlisle turned toward her. "What do you want?"

"I wanted to come down and enjoy some blues music, perhaps a bit of what they call 'southern rock', and perhaps to treat myself to an evening at this…" He looked around and then laughed, "Rather shitty little dive."

"You know," Anna moved away from John, wiping at her eyes. "I'm tired of people calling this place shitty."

"Then find another venue, Ms. Smith." She froze as Carlisle took a seat. "Yes, I know who you are. I've known about you for quite awhile now."

"How do you know me?"

"We've a mutual acquaintance." He put his hands together and leaned toward her over the bar. "Alex Green."

Anna swallowed, "I've not seen him lately."

"You and I both know that's a lie." Carlisle shook a finger at her. "My source says you called him to this bar just this evening."

"Anna?"

Anna ignored John and put her hands on the bar in front of Carlisle, digging in her fingers there to steady herself. "What do you want?"

"I want Alex Green to pay for what he stole from him." Carlisle hissed through his teeth at her. "I want to break his kneecaps and then leave him to crawl across the highway."

He leaned back, gathering himself again as he pushed hair back from his forehead. "I'm sure you share the sentiment, considering what he did to you."

"I'm not overly worried about him anymore." Anna shrugged, "Past is past and he's free to bang whomever he likes now because I don't-"

"I meant the injury he caused you." Anna froze as Carlisle looked her over. "Such a shame to realize you'll never have children. Have you, realized I mean?"

"That's none of your business."

"You're right." Carlisle pushed off his seat, straightening his jacket. "My business is Alex Green and it'd behoove you to help me."

"I don't know where he is."

"You called him to this bar."

"For a meeting with someone else." Anna snorted, "Someone, would you believe, worse than you."

"I think you're playing games with me Ms. Smith."

"I've got nothing to gain by playing with you, Mr. Carlisle." Anna gathered her breath. "I honestly have nothing to gain from keeping you from Alex Green but I can't deliver him to you because I've no idea where he is."

Carlisle studied her a moment more before reaching into his jacket to pull out a card. He balanced it on a broken glass still standing on the bar. "If you happen to run into him again, pass that along."

Anna did not move to take the card. "I'm sure I'll keep you in mind."

"That would be wise considering I'll be keeping you in mind." He nodded to her and walked toward the door. When he got there he took a moment to survey the scene before whistling. "Wouldn't it be a benefit if you had someone to help you fix up this place."

"We'll manage." Anna nodded at the door. "Don't let that crack you in the ass on the way out."

Carlisle laughed and left the building.

Anna sagged against the bar, hissing as her arms impacted with chunks of glass. She moved to remove them but John was at her side in a moment, taking her arms in his hands to pick the glass from her skin, and she noticed the weight of silence between them. Their eyes met every few seconds but neither of them spoke until John let the final shard of glass tinkle onto the bar.

"You called Green?"

"No." Anna found a rag and dabbed at her skin, cleaning up a bit before tossing it into the sink. "I texted him to meet me here."

"Semantics."

"Still an honest answer." She leaned carefully against the bar. "What of it?"

"I thought you wanted nothing more to do with him."

"I didn't want anything more to do with him."

"Then why-"

"Vera offered me a choice and I took it." Anna shrugged as John's eyes widened. "It was simple."

"What choice?"

"She said it was either your whole soul for mine or Alex's soul for my remaining sentence halved." Anna pushed off from the bar. "I took the latter option and I think I got the better end of the deal."

"You sold him to Vera?"

"He sold himself. The choice was his own." Anna pushed through the kitchen, sighing at the holes in the wall and a few dented cooking implements as well as some shattered dishes. "Shit."

"You're avoiding talking about this."

"I'm avoiding justifying myself." Anna turned around to face John. "I wasn't going to give you to her so why not let the scum dwell with the scum?"

"You let him sell his soul-"

"He's not got much of one left."

"All the same," John persisted and Anna rolled her eyes, going toward her office. "You let him meet with her to sell his soul?"

"Yes and I can show you the exact booth where it happened." Anna pushed into her office, holding the door open for John to follow her. "But that's not why you're angry, is it?"

"I'm…" John ran a hand through his hair. "You called him. You still had his number."

"Yes, I did." Anna nodded, "Because one day, maybe in the near future maybe in the distant one, he'd call me and I'd need to know how to tell the police to find him. Or, to help the police track him."

"That's bullshit and you know it."

"You're right, it is." Anna took her seat, "I still had his number because it's one of those things you can't just throw away."

"I could." John slapped his hand to his chest. "The moment I could toss out Vera's number I did."

"We're not all as strong as you are."

"I'm not saying you're…" John sagged, shaking his head. "It's… It's hard to-"

"You're worried that I might go back to him, aren't you?" Anna rose from her chair as John failed to meet her eyes. "You're worried that I wanted his number for some kind of late night booty call."

"Would you judge me if I said 'yes' to that?"

"No." Anna shook her head, "But my feelings were Alex Green is concerned are very clear."

"You texted him-"

"So he could sell his soul to Vera." Anna let out a bark of a laugh. "Honestly you sound almost more offended that I didn't try to set you up for that."

"It's not-"

"Not what? Not what you meant? Not what you wanted to say? Not how-"

"You traded someone's life for yours." John's chest rose and fell the two of them separated by her desk. "You were willing to sell his soul for yours."

"I thought it rather poetic, considering I once sold my soul to save his life and then he repaid me by getting me shot and then running off with a waitress."

"That's not justice, Anna."

"Who said anything about justice?" Anna folded her arms over her chest. "Are you upset that he's out of our lives?"

"Is he?"

"Vera, for all the things she is, isn't one to go back on her word."

"And you trust that?"

Anna shrugged a shoulder, "In an odd way, yes. She's got no reason to lie when she owns me. We're very familiar with where we stand in this relationship."

"Are you?"

"More sure than I am of where we stand in our relationship." Anna let her arms drop. "Why does it bother you so much?"

"Because I wasn't…" He flailed a moment before letting out a breath. "I wasn't here when you needed me and you looked to someone else."

"What?"

"You needed someone to defend you and fight for you and I wasn't here so…" John sank his hands into his pockets. "It's difficult to accept that there's no use for you somewhere you hoped would always have a place for you."

"John," Anna put her hand out but John shied away. "Do you seriously think I don't need you?"

"You didn't seem to earlier." John pointed at her. "You got what you needed from Vera and Green and-"

Anna took his face in her hands and forced his lips to hers. He froze, at first, and then sank toward her. Her hips hit the desk as John's hands smoothed over her body to hold her close and assure himself she stood before him.

They separated for a moment, staring at one another, before John took his turn attacking Anna's mouth. Her hands hurried to open his trousers, flicking his belt to the side and forcing them down his legs so she would grapple over him. He groaned in her mouth and she left a hand snake under his shirt to caress over his chest.

His hands echoed her motions, opening her jeans and pushing them down her legs so his fingers could sneak and scope around her knickers. Anna rocked into his hands, the one at her jaw and the other seeking to move deeper between her legs, while hers continued to try and strip him without focusing on a single location. The lack of focus forced them both to break the kiss again so their hands could attack one another with fervor.

Her shoes hit the floor, jeans and knickers tumbling to the ground after them as John lifted her from the floor to land her ass on the desk. Anna twisted toward him, her hands finally snapping the elastic lower, but John only kissed down her body to reach his goal. Fingers grasped into her thighs, digging for support while her own wrenched into the edges of her desk, as John sank to his knees in front of her.

Leaning back on her hands, knocking into the jar of pens on her desk and sliding papers to the floor, Anna lifted her ass just enough to spread her legs for him. John's kisses rained down on her inner thighs and hips before shifting lower to continue on her folds. His tongue slipped out, licking along her until he explored further to leave her crying out. And his fingers slipped into her when she opened her legs wider to give him more access.

Each motion left her shaking and quivering, his lips and fingers working persistently to find the places that brought her to the edge. Anna collapsed back onto her forearms, leaning her body over her desk, and arched her back as John sucked hard on her clit. The blinding impact of all of her adrenaline rushing through her body heightened her climax to leave Anna shrieking out her finish.

With her chest still rising and falling with the rapidity of a racehorse, Anna pushed herself off the desk to pull John up from his position. He bumped the desk but she only wrapped her legs around his hips and tried to bring him closer. They fumbled with his pants and finally worked him free enough to let him thrust forward.

Anna's forehead hit his chest, her fingers clenching in his shirt, and held there as John rocked against her. Her legs loosened slightly to gain a better hold and John lengthened his thrusts to drive all the way inside her. Their motions synchronized and Anna raised her head to kiss him.

It did not last long, his speed increasing until they were mindless rutting against one another, and Anna sucked in air as John put his mouth to her neck. His breath ran over her shoulders and she clutched him to her as he finished. And she only released him when his shaking hands left her body.

He collapsed back into the chair in front of her desk, his trousers and pants around his knees, and Anna let her back hit her desk. Papers stuck there and she groaned as she lifted herself to peel them away. John could only manage a half-hearted snort before Anna shook her head.

"Anyone could've heard us just now."

"Anyone could still be here." John let his arms wave at himself. "And I'm not really prepared to receive guests."

"I don't even know if the door is locked."

John leaned back over the edge of the chair and flipped the lock on the door. "It is now."

Anna snorted, pushing herself to sit up fully. "How are you not exhausted?"

"Who says I'm not?"

"You're still up." Anna licked over her lips and slid off the desk to land on John's knees. "And I'd like to handle that."

"Sheriff Carson is probably out there, waiting to take your statement or something." John swallowed as Anna inched forward, her hand wrapping over him to entice him back to full hardness. "He'll need to talk to you and-"

"Shhhh." Anna put a finger from her free hand over John's lips, continuing her glide forward. "I'm busy."

"Doing?"

"You, for starters." Anna lifted a leg and slid down him, sighing as she did so. "But I'm in the middle of convincing my boyfriend that there's no one in the world for me but him."

"Your boyfriend?" Jon twerked an eyebrow at her before hissing when she twisted her hips.

"I thought it was time I put a name on what we are to one another." She paused, "Unless you disagree."

"I agree fully and completely."

"Good." Anna held herself close to him, hips still moving over him. "Because I think I might love you, John Bates, and I'd rather not think I blew it on the wrong person for the second time."

"You haven't."

"I know." Anna let her hand caress over his face as she rose and fell, setting an easy rhythm for them. "You're the best man I've ever met."

"I just want to make you happy Anna."

"You already do." Anna pulled his lips to hers, keening when his hands dug into her hips to meet her motions with steady thrusts. "You already do."

They continued, keeping their pace slow and contained until John finished again. He sighed into her skin, his fingers moving over her to give the final spark to ignite Anna's finish. She buried her head at his shoulder and held him as they both relaxed into one another's hold.

"I love you." Anna raised her head to look at John. "I know I've said it in so many different ways but never out loud. Never in just three words and now I've just got to tell you that I-"

"Love you." Anna finished for him.

"Yes." John nodded, "That's exactly it. I-"

"No." Anna put her hand over his mouth and swallowed. "I love you."

John gaped at her, pulling her fingers away from his mouth. "You what?"

"You've said it so many times and in so many ways and I've been afraid to say it back because anything I loved I lost but…" Anna took a deep breath. "I love you, John Bates, and I don't want to lose you."

"You won't." John caressed her cheek. "I'm here for the long haul. For the howevers, the whenevers, and the wherevers before us."

"I'm here for those too." Anna let her thumbs trace over his cheekbones. "And I think I loved you from the first moment you sang to me."

"I was auditioning."

"But you were singing to me." Anna kissed his forehead, "And you've loved a lot of my hurt away. No one else has been to me what you have. I can never repay you for that."

"You don't have-"

"But I do." Anna sighed, pushing his hair back from his forehead. "By loving you the way you deserve to be loved and accepting the love you'll give me in return."

John grinned, "I'll take that payment."

"Good." Anna laughed at the two of them. "Then we'd best get ourselves together so you can show me how much you want my payment."

"Yes ma'am."