Hello everyone my exams have concluded and finishing this chapter was a real task because I started writing it back in like October and I wrote the rest a few months later so suffice to say this chapter covers a hell of a lot because I have a lot of ideas for where I want to take the story after the dates. Also my college didn't give my any breaks this semester because of the virus that must not be named so I was pretty burnt out but now I am well rested and I can start writing a lot more which I am really happy about. By the way I am also going to start chapter titles because those are pretty cool.

It's easy to think of the Directorate of operations as one dark and mysterious monolith shrouded in secrecy and surrounded by danger. In part, it is not a wholly incorrect statement but as they say, there's always a bigger fish. The bigger fish is the ethics committee. They are the monster in the boogeyman's closet. They wield almost unparalleled amounts of power and with the stroke of a pen, they can end an agent's field career. Even the director of the agency is hesitant to oppose their rulings.

That being said, many agents and analysts have served their entire careers with the agency and have never interacted with the ethics committee. However, for those who do, every personal detail of their life has been reportedly dredged up and put under the highest levels of scrutiny in search of infractions. Most who go under review will resign to save face for themselves and the agency but for those who stand their ground and survive become heroes for beating the committee. If an agent ever finds themselves unfortunate enough to be under the gaze of the committee their story must be perfect and their character spotless. Before one meets with the committee preparation is paramount, even if an agent is innocent guilt is assumed until proven otherwise. The committee stands as judge, jury, and executioner, and may God help anyone who finds themselves in front of the committee.

When James woke up the next morning he didn't have a hangover but nonetheless he felt like crap. He only realized this fact when he went to roll over on his wounded shoulder. His eyes shot open and he hissed from the pain. The next thing he noticed was that his mouth felt like it was full of sand. Groaning he sat up but a sudden head rush flattened him back onto the mattress he had no trouble recalling the events of the previous night but the last thing he remembered was passing out on the porch and Naomi looking like she was going to kill Rashka. James started to panic, "did Naomi kill Rashka? where the hell is Jin? oh shit, oh shit, oh shit, oh shit." "Naomi, wake up," said James shaking her awake. Naomi looked up at James sleepily, "what's the rush Friday? We got a week off, remember."

"What happened to Rashka," said James in a serious tone. "Nothing happened, Jin stepped in and told me what happened so I let her go, and then I brought you to bed," said Naomi with regret in her voice. "Thank Christ, I thought something happened," said James with a sigh of relief but there was still one thing that was on James' mind and Naomi could sense it.

"Last night when Rashka and I were yelling at each other in the pub she said that I had no idea what salamanders did to her people. But when I was studying liminal anthropology I heard about a lot of conflicts but never about Salamanders and Hellhounds," said James blankly staring up at the ceiling.

"The reason you don't know about it is that it was purposely hidden from your country's history," said Naomi. She had wanted to tell him for a while but now it was unavoidable, she had to tell James about the history of her people. Feeling her tail tighten around his leg James felt like he was about to learn a national secret. And in a sense, he was right.

"Hellhounds and Salamanders have lived in the Americas for millennia, but not peacefully. There were wars fought over everything from hunting grounds, farmland, livestock, territory, and for revenge. In general, Hellhounds had the upper hand so in most wars they won and Salamanders had to retreat. Hellhounds also had the advantage of not being an all-female species so they could recover soldiers easier. The native Americans saw both sides as gods and worshipped us equally so there was no need to kidnap men but since tribes were few and far between we were pushed further and further east till our backs were against the coast. When the Europeans arrived that's when everything changed and we started moving west again."

James' mind was overflowing with questions but he stayed quiet.

"When the first Salamander fell in love with a European that's when marking was discovered."

"Wait, why didn't Native Americans get marked as well. Isn't it the same deal?"

"Marking didn't happen with native Americans because it was a god and believer dynamic. So, when the first European was marked, the tide of the war shifted for two reasons. First salamanders joined with Europeans and got the benefit of their technology and the other reason you already know. When a Salamander marks a human they become much more powerful and some of that power is given to the human. It seemed like the answer to their prayers but things quickly broke down on all levels. When the Europeans started moving west Hellhounds allied themselves with Indians and salamanders with Europeans. Between their better technology and greater elemental power, it was a continuous slaughter west. Centuries-old Hellhound dynasties fell like dominos. Outgunned and overmatched the Hellhounds and Indians fled west and settled in central and south America. It seemed like divine justice that salamanders reclaimed their homes and ancestral land but it was too good to be true. When the Puritans arrived Salamanders were called Hell-spawn and hunted in a kind of crusade. So any Salamanders who didn't escape to the Caribbean fled to the west. The Europeans who were once allies now were the greatest threat and after betraying the Native Americans, Salamanders went into hiding till around the second world war," finished Naomi.

"That sounds terrible but why is there still such bad blood between the Hellhounds and Salamanders right now? It sounds like Salamanders just got even," said James.

"When I said it was a slaughter, I was putting it gently. For Hellhounds they call it 'the rape of the homeland' or "ghratok dershi" which translates to 'the devil's march' in their language. Salamanders took the remaining men as sex slaves and the colonists took the women and children. There were centuries of rape and murder. THAT is why Hellhounds hate Salamanders so much."

"That makes sense but then why do Salamanders hate hellhounds? It sounds like they got enough revenge?"

"That's because when salamanders went into exile in the west they were weak and easy targets. Hellhounds knew this and sought revenge for generations of torment and Salamanders were powerless to stop them since they were usually without a mate. They returned the cruelty in spades forcing Salamanders deeper into hiding. When I was a little girl my mother would tell me stories of living in hiding and the cruelty of Hellhounds and I hated them for it. When I grew up I learned more about the history and I found out that my family wasn't telling me the whole story."

"But if you knew everything that had happened then why did you react like that last night?"

"Seeing a hellhound face to face and seeing you bloody and unconscious triggered something inside me that I hadn't felt in years. Even though I knew Hellhounds were no worse than Salamanders I assumed the worst and that she hurt and maybe even took advantage of you just to spite me. If Jin hadn't stepped in I would have killed her," said Naomi turning to James. When James looked at her he didn't see the soft gold eyes of the woman he knew, he saw a soldier's eyes.

Try as he might James couldn't hide the look of shock and horror on his face. This was all coming at him way too fast. Sure, he knew about what Juarez did when she broke out of that lab but those people were bad, right? Rashka had been completely innocent and had taken care of him and Naomi almost killed her! How many other innocent Hellhounds did she kill? James' mind was racing. Seeing a distressed look on James' face and feeling his heart slamming in his chest Naomi reached up to place a hand on his chest but James shot to his feet. He was breathing hard from the pain in his shoulder and starting to sweat.

"Friday, please listen to me, I know this is a lot and you probably have a lot of questions. There is some stuff I didn't tell you and I'm sorry but you have to believe that I would never knowingly hurt someone innocent. I didn't mean for you to find out this way, just come back to bed," pleaded Naomi.

"Did you ever PLAN on me finding out?!"

"I did, it just wasn't the right time!"

"What, were you waiting till we had to hide a body before you told me?!" Yelled James, furious.

"Friday...I was just trying to protect you," Naomi wanted to say more but she choked on her words.

"PROTECT ME!? Protect me from WHAT? Don't you think telling me that mark on my leg would make me a target in a race war might have been something I should know!"

"Would you have agreed to it if I did?" Asked Naomi with tears welling up in her eyes.

"THAT'S ALL THE MORE REASON TO TELL ME! What kind of monster would put lives in danger over some damn mark." Shouted James.

Not giving her a chance to respond James grabbed some clothes and stormed out leaving Naomi alone in his bed. After throwing on some clothes she left the house and started sprinting. Thanks to the mark on his leg his stamina was through the roof. After about 4 miles at a full sprint, he slowed his pace to a jog. He was now in a part of the forest he had never seen before, after another 5 miles he slowed to a walk. Back in college whenever he needed to clear his head he would run the 5k trail on campus. Now that he was completely alone he could be free to think and more importantly, to be alone.

James never saw the tripwire that had been stretched across the path. Webs flew from every direction wrapping James and hanging him upside down in the middle of the path. At first, James was terrified thinking that he was about to be eaten and due to his general arachnophobia. Then, he remembered that it probably wasn't the work of just any Arachne and his demeanor quickly turned to frustration, "NATASHA! CUT ME DOWN!"

No response came. "Natasha... This was your trap right?" The forest was completely still and silent. Sparking up his right hand the webs holding him burst into flames and he landed with a thud on the forest floor. "Just a banner day all around," said James getting to his feet and looking around. Seeing nothing James turned around and started back toward the house.

Moments later James was once again hanging upside down from a tree by his feet. "Natasha! If this is some sort of joke I am really not in the mood right now," called out James letting his voice trail off when he heard nothing. This time when he burned the webs he threw his weight backward and landed on his feet. Bracing himself against a tree he let his headrush die down then sat beside the tree to think about everything that happened. 10 minutes later the only thing James could think about was food and that he was about 9 miles away from his kitchen. Sighing he stared up and the canopy "what the fuck am I supposed to do." Then, he began the trek back to the house. There was no use trying to think if he was hungry and had to watch for traps the entire time. Scanning the path in front of him he was on high alert for the slightest sign of a web.

It had now been an hour and a half without the slightest sign of a trap or Natasha. Pulling out his phone he saw 3 missed calls and 2 voicemails from Naomi before shoving it back in his pocket. Now at the tree line, he saw the house. It was around 11 am, he could see the light on in the kitchen, probably Juarez making breakfast. He was starving and the thought of a warm breakfast sounded like the best idea in the world. As he went to take the final step out of the forest his world was once again flipped upside down. The webs were wrapped tightly as usual. Sparking up his hands James was more annoyed than anything," for fucks sake, wha-." James's words died in his throat when he realized the webs weren't burning. Starting to hyperventilate he tried to clear his head. Reaching for his phone he punched in Natasha's number but got no response. It was the same result for Juarez and Mia. James had now been hanging for 7 minutes, the headrush was getting worse. If he stayed like this for much longer he felt like he would pass out. She may have been the last person James wanted to see but she was the only one who could help him, James had to call her.

Still hanging upside down with his phone on speaker he relayed his situation and hung up. Then he waited; James had now been hanging for 15 minutes and the pressure in his face was starting to get intense. Soon, he heard Naomi's footsteps closing in. With a swipe of her claws, James fell like a ton on bricks and if it hadn't been for Naomi he would have landed on his neck. Setting James on his feet, his knees instantly buckled after being upside-down for so long. If Naomi hadn't been supporting him his legs would have given out from lack of blood flow.

"Fridayimsosorryabouteverythingareyouoka-," blurted Naomi.

"Naomi, I need to be honest with you," said James, still leaning on her for support; he felt her grip tighten around his chest.

"When you told me everything you scared the hell out of me and honestly right now you still kinda scare me," said James trying to pull away to look her in her eyes but Naomi only hugged him tighter. Sighing James continued, "I'm still not over what happened last night but if you say that you had my best interests in mind then I believe you."

"Do you really... think I'm a monster," asked Naomi pulling back and staring into James' eyes. Looking into her eyes James saw a soldier but he could also see the woman he loved how much she cared for him... and the pain his words caused.

"Of course I don't."

"Then why di-"

"Because you didn't tell me sooner and someone almost died. But, I still shouldn't have said it and I am sorry for hurting you like that, it was a cheap shot," said James with a look of remorse.

"Friday, it's not like I care about being called a monster, God knows I've been called worse. What I care about is what you think of me. And if you call me a monster again... I'll have to prove you right," said Naomi leaning in and biting his neck.

James took a deep breath "Naomi you are an irredeemable pervert and I will be reporting this to our superiors," said James in a serious tone. Pulling back Naomi looked shocked that James would even suggest such a threat "Do you really mean that?" James burst out laughing "of course I don't, there's no way I'd ever report you." Puffing out her cheeks in mock offense Naomi crossed her arms. "Come on let's get back to the house I'm starving," said James. "I know something you could eat," said Naomi gesturing to her shorts. "You have no shame," said James as they started the walk back to the house.

Seeing James and Naomi returning to the house in high spirits Natasha smiled to herself as she replaced her teammate's phones in their respective rooms.

When James and Naomi made it back to the house they found Juarez finishing the last items for breakfast. On the menu was James' number one favorite breakfast food: bagels and locks. How Juarez knew to make that on the day of their date was beyond him but he decided it was best not to look a gift horse in the mouth. "So where are you taking me today for our date," asked Juarez, putting extra emphasis on the word 'date' earning an eye-roll from Naomi.

"It's a surprise but I'm sure you will like it," said James with a smile despite his woeful procrastination of everything concerning their date today.

"I'm glad to see you are in good health James, Last night was not kind to you," said Natasha from the doorway with a blank expression. She was wearing a brilliant white blouse. Her soft black hair reminded him of a raven that he raised when he was a kid but that was a story for another day. Thinking back on it James almost forgot what he meant to ask her.

"Natasha, you wouldn't happen to know anything about web traps in the forest, would you?"

"Why do you ask?"

"Because one was fireproof"

"Then I suggest you be more careful the next time you are in the forest."

"If you lied as well as you made traps I might believe you," said James unamused.

"A real hunter always watches where he steps"

"When I take you on a date it will be somewhere with a lot of witnesses"

With a smile, Natasha moved to the table and they began eating. "Has anyone seen Mia? It's not like her to miss a meal," asked Juarez.

"We have a week off, she's probably just sleeping in, its only 11:30," answered Naomi.

After breakfast, James rushed to his room and shut the door. After a quick shower, he fell into his desk chair. 24 years old and he still procrastinated like he was in grade school, pulling out a sheet of notebook paper he grabbed a pencil and began to prep for his date with Juarez. An hour passed, then another, and a few more until it was around 5 o'clock.

Throwing on a pair of slacks a collared shirt and cologne James went upstairs and knocked on Juarez's door. "Hey, Juarez?"

The door swung open on its own revealing Juarez sitting in the center of the room on a black mat meditating. Opening her eyes, she focused her piercing stare on James, "So, where are we going tonight."

"Eddie V's, be ready in an hour"

"Class, but are they..." Juarez gestured to her horns "friendly"

"We have a private table, no one should bother us"

"Well then that just leaves one thing"

An hour later James was scrolling through his phone on the couch in the living room when he heard the sound of heels on the stairs. She wore a long straight black dress with a slit on the side going up to her mid-thigh. Her black horns shone in the evening sunset; It was an elegant look fit for an assassin.

"How do I look?"

"Stunning, but you're going to be cold"

When they arrived at Eddie V's the sun had almost set and the temperature was starting to drop rapidly. James pulled into a curbside spot in front of the restaurant. Getting out he walked to the passenger side to open Juarez's door, taking her hand they walked arm and arm into the restaurant. At the hostess stand, he recognized the manager and his friend Rashawn White.

"James, it's been far too long," said Rashawn pulling James into a hug. "You owe me for getting you a table tonight. I had to cancel on a congressman," whispered Rashawn.

"It's good to see you too," said James pulling back and giving a curt nod. "This is Juarez Santiago, we work together back at the agency."

"It's a pleasure to meet you, ma'am," said Rashawn holding out a hand. Shaking his hand Juarez scrutinized him; he didn't look like he was being disingenuous or polite out of fear but if James trusted this guy then he must be decent. "I assure you, Ms. Santiago, you are welcome here," said Rashawn with a comforting smile. "Thank you, Mr. White," said Juarez without returning the smile.

As they both sat at the table Rashawn bought two glasses of water and left to attend to the other tables. "What made you agree to be on my team? It's not like it is for the money and you don't even get to practice medicine very often."

"And here I thought you were a fan of small talk," said Juarez rolling the water around in her glass with a grin before locking eyes with James and becoming serious. "It's because I believe in the work we do and if the world will ever come to see devils as anything more than evil then they need to see them fighting for good. Now tell me, James, what made you take on this job. You know there are much easier ways to get a harem?"

"If I were in this for a harem then don't you think I would have picked cat girls and cutesy types? "

"No, I think you would have hosted the exact same species no matter what."

"And Why is that"

"You like outsiders James, you feel more comfortable around them because they make you feel like you fit in"

James was a bit taken aback at her forwardness but she wasn't wrong. "Ok, but I'm still not building a harem. I didn't plan to be in this situation."

"But here you are so what are you going to do?"

"Hopefully, he will order something," said Rashawn seemingly appearing, making them both tense up.

"I'll take the Chilean sea bass and she will have the Norwegian Salmon," said James listing the first two things that came to mind

"Excellent choice." With that, Rashawn left the two alone once again.

"To be honest with you Juarez I'm going to do what I think is best and if that means dating all of you then that's what I'll do. But when we are in the field, dating or not, we are all the same no matter what. Even though no dating is technically allowed on the team so really this is all hypothetical."

"Yes, of course. As a devil, I could never break a contract, even one that was never officially signed."

They both smiled knowing full well McKenzie would have their heads if the higher-ups found out. James couldn't help but wonder about the security system at the house and who had access to the feeds. Even an intern could clearly see that he was blatantly violating interpersonal protocols. When their food arrived the conversation became much lighter telling childhood stories and remembering past missions.

"So there I was sailing in the middle of the lake on the first windy day all week and these kids decided to screw up their rigging since they are both like 12. I didn't check their rigging since I taught them how to do it like 100 times but they still messed it up. So they drop their sail which would be fine since it only weighs like 30 lbs and you don't need to be that strong to hoist it. The problem is it was wet, so now it's about 90 lbs and they are crying plus they forgot the plug for the stern so their boat is filling with water. When I finally get over to them they climb in my boat and I send them back to shore leaving me with a sinking boat. By the time I fixed the rigging the hull was about an inch above the water and the bail bucket was the only thing keeping me up. Coming back to shore I saw my boss on the beach watching me standing in a boat trying not to flip or go under. When I made it to shore and got everyone packed and sent to lunch he actually had the nerve to tell me that those kids look a LITTLE YOUNG to be sailing like fantastic observation Mr. Obvious but you were the clown who put them in my class.

"He sounds like a Jackass but I have a better story. Just after my sisters and I came to the overworld our first host was this uber-religious family who thought devils were just angels who didn't worship god, so they tried everything to "convert" us. I really have to admire their determination because there was this one time they took me to bible study. Imagine a six-foot-something blue devil sitting in a folding chair surrounded by a group of tight-lipped Christians. To their credit no one was rude but to say they were on edge would be an understatement. The most awkward moment of my life was when I sneezed and NONE of them knew what to say. I swear I could see the gears working in their heads trying to figure out if I would burst into flames if they said bless you."

"That's gold but this one time I was in Tehran...

The dinner had gone well and the conversation came surprisingly easy as they had a lot in common but there was still one more thing he planned for their date. Standing up from his chair James didn't notice Juarez turning pale and motioning for him to turn around until it was too late; A large hand clapped down on his shoulder. It was McKenzie and some woman he didn't recognize.

"James, funny seeing you AND Juarez here. I'd like for you to meet my associate Ms. Hargreave," there was a hard edge to his words. The hand stayed on James' shoulder as the group followed by Juarez made their way to a booth.

"It's a pleasure Ms. Hargreave, are you with the DO? I don't think we've met before."

"Agent Friday, I'm the chairman of the ethics committee and I have a few questions about some recent behavior within your group."

"Of course," said James with a broad smile. "I have been expecting an ethics review for a while considering my group is the first of its kind. What would you like to know." Sweat was building under James's collar.

"Concerning the night of the full moon would you say that you felt unsafe around anyone in the detachment?"

"The full moon presented an interesting range of challenges but in no case did I fear that, because of their species, I was at risk of any harm. At no time did I assume that any of my homestays presented a serious threat to the integrity of the team or my health and well being"

"That brings me to my next question, while the monsters you work with are considered homestays on paper you are aware of the specific restrictions that come with your position, are you not?"

"I assure you I am well aware of the rules and consequences concerning interpersonal contact between myself and my coworkers."

"Then can you explain on the morning of the 29th when you stated and I quote "that you would be glad to," when prompted to bring each one of them on a date? And can it be assumed this is one of those dates?"

"I do not recall the exact wording of the proposition but to call this a date would be incorrect. I agreed to form stronger professional relationships with my coworkers that would enable greater team cohesion. As for the nature of Juarez and I being here tonight, we are getting dinner as co-workers with the intent to better understand each other. Juarez, Naomi, Natasha, and Mia are still cultural exchange program participants and I would be neglecting my duty as host if I failed to help them experience human culture."

Hargreave scowled, as much as she wanted to pin him with misconduct without any evidence there was nothing more she could hold against him. However, James wasn't the only target. Fixing her stone-cold gaze on Juarez she adjusted her glasses.

"Ms. Santiago is it, has agent Friday ever acted inappropriately toward you or his other homestays," said Hargreave, spitting out the last word.

"To my knowledge, the captain of the MH detachment James Friday has never engaged in any unprofessional activities with anyone under his command myself included."

James sighed with relief, it's not that he didn't trust her but one wrong word, even a misstep in tone when dealing with an inspection like this can turn an entire department upside down.

"Very well then. Then was your behavior on the night of the full moon indicative of any underlying motivations for this date."

Juarez's eyebrow twitched, this was bullshit. Why did it have to be THAT of all things? This question was a trap, no matter what, her answer would be used against her. She didn't live through poverty, the lab, and fighting the trafficking cartels in Rio just to finally be brought down by an ethics community battle-ax with a distaste for liminals but what could she say. It was over before it began, the game had always been rigged against her. A hand or two of good luck may break a losing streak but it doesn't get your money back. Tears began to well up in the corners of her eyes, This was the end, no answer could save her. Then Juarez felt a hand close over hers under the table. "Ms. Hargreave, you must understand that the events that transpired on the night of the full moon can only be considered the fault of the agency."

"I beg your pardon!"

"When the agency set out our living quarters and supplies, they failed to recognize that the pills expired over 100°F. A temperature commonly exceeded by poikilotherms, of which there is one on the team. It was the agency's negligence of this fact that not only put my crew under severe and completely avoidable mental strain but also shook their trust in themselves believing they were to blame for a failure that was not their own. To insinuate that any actions taken that night were the fault of anyone other than the agency is slander." Juarez and McKenzie sat in stunned Silence staring at James; they then turned their attention to Hargreave and to everyone's relief she bought it.

"I'll be sure to document this in my report," said Hargreave with a scowl, promptly standing and staring James down. "You will be seeing me again," growled Hargreave before walking out of the restaurant.

Everyone at the table breathed a sigh of relief. "James what the hell was that," asked McKenzie.

"What do you mean? She asked me about why we were here and I told her the truth."

"James, listen to me, these people aren't boy scouts. They don't play fair and she won't stop until she has someone to hang on her wall. You and I both know what the committee is capable of and how they feel about your team. So why the hell did you give them a golden opportunity to come after you. I didn't tell you not to do anything with the girls for my sake, hell, you can marry 'em for all I care. You're going to be under a microscope and so is everyone around you thanks to what you pulled. I'd probably guess you have about a month before they try to put a case against you. You and your team will still be required to perform normal duties at that time but if you value what you have then I suggest preparing for war." Standing to leave McKenzie put on his coat and turned to the door "Ya' know I was looking forward to eating here tonight but I've lost my appetite," said Mckenzie with a sigh.

"Wait, how long have you known about everything," asked James concerned. McKenzie stopped and turned "James, I don't have a damn clue what you're talking about. You two enjoy yourselves" and with a nod, he left. Juarez and James sat in stunned silence.

"Let's get out of here."

"Good idea"

When they made it outside the temperature had dropped further. Luckily, it wasn't a far walk to the car. Buckling in they sped away from the restaurant. They both sat in silence as the gravity of the situation set in. "What are you going to do," asked Juarez. "I said I'd take you on a date and that's what I'm going to do." Juarez smiled lovingly as she stared at James who was focusing on the road "and what about the committee." James swallowed, "if it's a war they want then it's a war they will get. But I won't let it ruin tonight." Sometime later they arrived; parking in front of the porch, James and Juarez stepped out and stretched. Resting his forearms on the roof of his car, James sighed. Turning to face him Juarez looked puzzled "I know tonight didn't turn out like it was supposed to but I'm glad I spent it with you." Juarez smiled and met his gaze "I'm glad I spent it with you too but can I ask you something?"

"Sure?" Responded James.

"Can we please go inside, it is freezing out here."

"I told you, you would be cold," said James cracking a broad smile.

"Just open the door before I get icicles on my wings."

Walking through the front door they saw Mia sprawled out on the couch watching a movie. She nodded as they made their way back to James' room. "James, you know we can't do anything since the committee is watching, right?"

"I know, except as far as I know the thing you asked for doesn't break any rules," said James with a light tone assuming she thought he'd forgotten. "What are you talking abou..." Then the realization dawned on her, "YOU WILL?!" Said Juarez beaming at the thought of experiencing her favorite moment from her most beloved story. James nodded and returned the smile. Forming a magic seal Juarez materialized a hairbrush and tossed it to James. Forming another seal two stools appeared in the middle of the floor. Juarez eagerly took a seat on one of the stools followed by James who sat on the other. In a moment he thought of the song he wanted to sing, taking Juarez's silky black hair in his hands he began to brush and sing.

"Will ye' go lassie go, and we'll all go together," sang James in a deep voice adding a slight Irish accent.

Juarez closed her eyes and relaxed, immersed in pure bliss hearing James' voice as his hand and the brush caressed her hair.

"To pull wild mountain thyme, all around the blooming heather," as James sang he let his mind wander as he knew the song by heart.

"I will build my love a bower

By yon cool crystal fountain

And 'round it I will pile

All the wildflowers o' the mountain

Will ye go, lassie, go?"

James began to think about his life and what if it was simple and quiet but looking at the girl in front of him practically purring from having her hair brushed and thinking back to the shootout in Brazil, he knew he wouldn't have it any other way. They all loved the thrill of a fight and could never really go back to normal. But that would be a problem for another day.

"If my true love she'll not come

Then I'll surely find another

To pull wild mountain thyme

All around the bloomin' heather

Will ye go, lassie, go?"

Tears formed in Juarez's eyes and rolled down her cheeks as James sang.

"And we'll all go together

To pull wild mountain thyme

All around the bloomin' heather

Will ye go, lassie, go?"

Finishing the song Juarez immediately turned around with tears running down her face. James was alarmed for a split second before she wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him into a kiss. Feeling her smile against his lips James realized the tears were not of sadness. Passion radiated off her and James could feel her temperature rising. Putting a hand under her lower back James guided her onto his lap and pulled her closer to his chest. James deepened the kiss allowing Juarez to move further into James' mouth. Reaching up James rubbed one of her horns causing her to stifle a moan. They both immediately pulled back remembering that the house was bugged. After thinking for a second Juarez formed a magic seal that sent a pulse through the room that gathered all the audio bugs in a black floating orb which she tossed into the hallway. She then formed a second magic seal and a speaker appeared in her hand. She cranked the speaker to the max and pulled up a rock playlist. "Now we can be as loud as we want," said Juarez hungrily.

In the living room, Mia was still watching the movie even as music was blasting down the hall. Natasha, who was in the kitchen, came to stand beside the couch and stare down the hallway. "At least they try to hide it," mused Mia. "I wonder why they chose to be cautious now and not before; maybe he got a warning," responded Natasha. "Maybe, You know he sings. I didn't really see him as the singing type but I guess she brought it out of him," said Mia. "All spies sing, the only difference between them is who they sing to," said Natasha returning to the kitchen.

*Lemon*

James stood up to move to the bed but Juarez couldn't wait. Unbuttoning his slacks and pulling down his underwear she set his erection free. Her hot breath made his knees feel weak and he had to brace himself on the bed behind him when she took half his length in her mouth. Sealing her lips around his shaft and sucking while bobbing her head made his mind feel fuzzy but as his eyes glazed over he had no intention of stopping her. Taking her hand off his cock and sinking his shaft into her throat she grabbed his hand and moved it to her horn and showed him how to stroke her horns. The second James' hand touched her horn she moaned around his shaft giving James an idea. If one was good two must be great.

Grabbing her other horn he felt Juarez's breathing becoming heavy and her wings flared as she forced the full length in her mouth. Worried that he might have accidentally hurt her he loosened his right hand but Juarez's hand grabbed his, keeping it on her horn and shook her head. "If you say so," said James moving his hands to the tips of her horns. Feeling the hands of her mate on her horns made Juarez's mind swim with pleasure. Backing off to catch her breath she was panting from James' onslaught on her horns but she was focused like a predator on the cock in front of her. taking it back in her mouth she snaked her tongue along the underside of his shaft wrapping it around the base of his member. James couldn't hold back anymore and let out a deep moan as his eyes rolled back. She started building a rhythm with her tongue and mouth sending James to cloud nine. The mind-melting pleasure of James rubbing her horns was quickly bringing Juarez toward her climax nonetheless she reached between her legs and began rubbing her clit. Matching her rhythm James started moving his hips, feeling his climax fast approaching. He was going to make the most of it because he felt he would pass out afterward. Staring up at James Juarez's red eyes shone like stained glass at sunset "Fuck, you're beautiful," said James in a husky voice.

James tightened his grip on Juarez's horns sending Juarez over the edge and Juarez dropped to the base of James' cock and swallowed increasing the suction in her mouth taking him with her. Juarez's orgasm hit like a tidal wave bracing herself on the bed behind James with her arms while her legs shook uncontrollably. James hardly even noticed as his own orgasm hit, letting loose in Juarez's mouth he unloaded more than he ever had, filling her cheeks. When Juarez swallowed her eyes glowed red absorbing the life force contained in his seed.

Taking his shaft out of her mouth and standing up Juarez spread her wings and stared with lust-filled eyes at the man before her. James felt like he just ran a marathon and at the same time like solid gold but the truth was without magic or caffeine he didn't have the energy for anything more. Juarez could sense it and while she was more than ready for another round today hadn't been easy on either of them and they could both use some rest. James reached up to caress her cheek for one final kiss before they fell back into bed exhausted. Still in the night's clothes, they relaxed in each other's arms; James enjoying the feeling of Juarez's head on his chest and Juarez enjoying the sound of his heartbeat. Snapping her fingers the speaker went silent and the only sound that could be heard was the muffled sound of the movie from down the hall. Neither of them fought sleep and it arrived swift and gentle like summer rain.

*end lemon*

[In the committee's office]

"Dammit, how in the hell did they find all the bugs at once," cursed Hargreave, throwing off the headset which was blaring music. "I bet it was that succubus he was with tonight," muttered Hargreave. "Actually she's an Elder-devil from House Satan," mentioned Washington, staring at a newspaper.

Frank Washington was another committee member but unlike Hargreave he couldn't care less about liminals in the agency. He was there for power and unless something interfered with that it wasn't of his concern. He was an older man who did his duty with the agency and now he was content at the top with a wife and kids. But he was also young once and he knew what it felt like to be a field agent.

"I miss the cold war. Back then if you wanted someone out you just dropped some LSD in their coffee and they would sing like a bird."

"You and I have a very different view of the cold war. I remember never leaving a drink unattended and being called a token by more than a few of my fellow agents. Tell me, Valentina, why do you want to see them fail so badly. They got those files from the South China sea without a problem and they do good work." Lowing his paper he stared across the boardroom, "don't tell me this is about Don-"

"DON'T say his name. This has nothing to do with that. If they aren't human then I don't trust them, two of them aren't even American citizens."

"You didn't always think like that and be serious, the agency has been hiring outside the country since the beginning. If this turns out to be another red scare then it'll be your head on the block, not mine," said Washington returning to his paper.

"I caught them on A DATE, and they tried to brush it off as a business dinner. I know what they are doing, I just need proof."

"So what if they are starting something like that. If we took down every agent for having a relationship with a coworker we'd run out of agents. If the agency didn't want this to happen then why did you house them all together? Putting a young healthy guy in a house with four beautiful girls and expecting nothing to happen is beyond shortsighted and bordering on a double bind. Either there is so much tension that none of them can think straight and it interferes with their work or they start a relationship and get penalized for that."

"I'm well aware of the situation they are in and it's only a matter of time before they slip and I'll be there waiting," said Valentina lacing her fingers staring into the hijacked camera feeds from James' house.

In the comments leave your thoughts about Hargreave or anything else; I always want to know what people think about my characters or chapters. Coming up next for dates is the Natasha so stay tuned. I enjoyed writing this chapter and I hope you enjoyed reading it.

Best,

Agent Friday