Arielle planted her hands on the floor with his head between them. She pushed herself up to stare down at him as he stared up at her. Emotions flowed freely through her eyes. Confusion, sadness, anger.

"What are you doing here?" She asked

"I need to make sure you were alright." Kaulder said. Arielle closed her eyes briefly and when they opened again, she had shut him out.

" You need to leave." She said. She pushed herself off him and walked quickly towards her closet. Kaulder stood up and frowned. She yanked a bag out of the closet and threw it on her bed. Next She moved to her dresser.

"Where are you going?" He asked.

" Anywhere but here." Arielle snapped as she threw clothes into her bag without looking at him.

" who was that man? Why did he try and take you?" Kaulder pressed.

" Because he's nuts." She muttered. She hurried past him and right into her bathroom.

" Arielle." He went to her door way. He took a hold of the top of the door frame and leaned in while she grabbed bottles out of her shower. " Look at me."

" I mean this in the nicest way possible. Fuck you. " She snapped. Then she stopped and turned to face him. Her arms were full of shampoo, conditioner, soap and face wash. Her shoulders fell and she pulled in a deep, long breath. " Thank you for saving me." Kaulder nodded.

" Come home with me. Let me protect you while I figure this out." He said.

" We are even, Kaulder. You don't owe me anything. And you can't protect me." She said sadly. She dumped her things into a backpack and grabbed things from her sink. " I really need to go." His hands on her shoulder stopped her.

" Arielle, tell me who he was. Tell me what is happening. Trust me to help you."

Arielle didn't look at him. Instead she stared at herself in the mirror. It would be so nice to unload unto someone else. Just to let go and tell someone what she has kept secret for hundreds of years. To let someone else hold it all for her...She closed her eyes and slowly shook her head. Yeah it would be nice but it would never happen. And it damn sure won't happen with him. Anger flared inside her and she wiped around to face him.

" Why? Why should I tell you anything? You don't care. You don't care about me or Chloe or anyone like us. You're just looking to lock me up. Well I haven't done anything wrong. You don't want to help me. In fact, why did you help me? Wouldn't have been better to let him kill me?" She snapped.

" You're wrong. I do care. It won't make me happy if someone killed you. It would upset me."

Kaulder was speaking so softly to her. He was trying to be gentle with her. She was on the edge of bolting, just taking off. She was scared and was masking it in anger. Kaulder didn't know why but he wanted to help her, to calm her. He wanted to take care of her. Imagine that, a Witch Hunter wanting to take care of a witch.

" Look, I know you need my help. I'll help you then I have to leave. I will unlock your memory for you to help your Dolan but I need your word that you will let me go. You won't lock me up." She said.

" I have no interest in arresting you. You have my word." Kaulder promised. " You can trust me. Despite what you think, I want to help you."

" Why?" She asked.

" I honestly have no idea. Lets get out of here though. This place isn't safe for you anymore."

NRNRNR

Once they were settled in his car, her cat in a carrier in the back seat, he grabbed his gear shifter. Before he could engage it, Arielle put her hand over his and closed her eyes. The spark of magic washed over him at once. It crackled in the air. He watched her mumble words, expecting her to stop but when she didn't, he carefully shifted and started to drive. She kept her hand on his the entire time.

There was something about her that pulled him in. Something about her that made him want to stay around her. She was beautiful and feisty but she was scared and Kaulder had never been able to resist a scared woman in trouble. Only she wasn't a conquest for him. He wasn't sure what she was but he wanted to find out. There was a nagging pull to her that he couldn't seem to let go but he planned to figure it out. He planned on keeping her around him until he figured everything out.

Once they reached his building, he parked in the underground parking lot. They didn't saw a word to each other as he led her to the elevator and help to her floor. He was stealing looks at her but she seem to have checked out. She looked tired and pale. He needed to feed her, get to drink and to convince her to sleep over. It wasn't like he didn't have the room. His place had three bedrooms. It was safest to have her by his side anyway and he'd convince her of that.

" Kaulder, you're back." 37 stood up from the chair he had been sitting at. Kaulder pulled out his wallet and went to his Dolan quickly. " Who is that?" 37 looked past him to Arielle. Kaulder spared her a look then dug into his wallet.

" Here, take this cash. I need you to go to the pet store and buy anything her cat might need. Litter, a box, food, toys, whatever." He handed over a hundred dollar bill.

" She doesn't need toys. We aren't staying long." Arielle spoke up. Kaulder smirked but didn't reply to her.

" Who is she?" 37 asked again.

" She's a friend in need." Kaulder said.

" OH, okay..." 37 started to blush. " Okay, okay, I get it. This is your way of putting a sock on the door knob without putting one there."

" Excuse me!" Arielle snapped. Kaulder looked back at her and had to fight the urge to laugh.

" Relax." He said. He looked back at his Dolan. " No, it's not like that. She's here to help, that's all."

" Okay, well, I'll be on my way. It shouldn't be more than an hour...is that enough time to get whatever done you need to get done?" 37 asked shyly.

" I'm not going to fuck him!" Arielle snapped. Kaulder looked back at with amusement. At least now there was color to her. He could swear she was actually blushing.

" No one said we were going to have sex." He reassured her.

" Well you do have a reputation with women." 37 filled in. Kaulder shoot him a look that made the young man shrunk back.

" You're not helping." He said.

" Sorry." The young man said quietly.

" Go. Before I get annoyed." Kaulder snapped.

37 nodded to him first than Arielle as he hurried past. Once the door was shut, Kaulder moved to his bar and grabbed two glasses down. He grabbed his best Bourdon and faced her with a smile. He held up the glasses and the liquor with a shrug.

" Why don't we have a drink to take the edge off?" He asked. Arielle sat down the cat carrier and bend down.

" No, thanks." She said, opening the door and coaxing her baby out. Kaulder chuckled.

" Still don't trust me, I see." He said.

" It's not that." She stood up with the cat in her arms. She rubbed her face against the cat's head and Kaulder heard it start to purr. " I just need to have my wits around me right now."

" That's a good idea. Let me make us something to eat." He set his glasses and liquor down. He motioned with his head for her to follow him to his kitchen. " We need to eat after the night we had. After he gets back, we can talk about everything that is happening."

" I'm not that hungry." She set Sally down and the cat took off to explore.

" Well I am. And I hate to eat alone." Kaulder threw over his shoulder.

Kaulder's kitchen was huge. Arielle wasn't sure what she had expected but this wasn't it. He had the top rate appliances, stainless steel everything. His fridge was huge, being a double door one. The stove was a five range. His counter tops looked like they were marble. Arielle spread her fingers on top of the cool, white stone.

" This is not what I was expecting." She said without thinking.

" And what were you thinking?" He asked as he opened his fridge.

" I don't know. It's so clean in here. I guess I never pictured you eating." She said as she blushed. Kaulder smiled. He took out a few containers of Chinese food that he had ordered the night before. He opened his cabinet and took out two white plates.

" So you have pictured me then." He couldn't help but say. Arielle felt a rush of heat hit her cheeks and was thankful he wasn't facing her as she cursed herself.

" Of course I have!" She said defensively. " All Witches have. I guess...we just never thought you'd do things so human."

" Well I am human." He said. He dished out the orange chicken between their plates, next he plated the rice.

" But are you really? I mean, you heal almost right away. You can't die. So can you really say you are human?" Kaulder paused in his movements.

" I never really looked at it like that before." He said. He frowned. Was he human anymore? Could he consider himself human? He knew magic now. He could even do a few spells himself. Was he really that different from her? " I guess I can't say I am completely human anymore, can I?" He grabbed the plates and popped them in his microwave.

" I guess not." Kaulder turned around. He leaned against the counter with his arms crossed over his huge chest as they stared at each other. Both were lost in their thoughts for a few moments. "You know, I didn't ask to be born a witch, anymore than you asked to be made into what you are. It's not my fault I was born into this."

" I know. And it's not my fault I was made into this. You know I never come after innocent people. You are innocent." He said. Arielle dropped her eyes to the counter.

" Chloe was innocent too." She said quietly. Kaulder sighed and nodded even though she wasn't looking at him. " She never hurt anyone before." This time she raised her eyes to look at him. Kaulder pushed off the counter and crossed the small distance between them. He placed his hands on top of hers to hold her attention.

" I never meant for her to be hurt. Please believe me. If I could it all over again, I won't have gone there. I wont have if I wasn't doing this for my Dolan." Kaulder said just as quietly. Arielle nodded.

" Somehow I know that. I was angry and hurt and scared. I had no right to blame you for anything. And I'm sorry for what I said."

They continued to stare at each other. Neither one seem to know what to say or if they even wanted to say anything. He was holding her hands and she wasn't stopping him. Something was happening between them and it might have continued if his microwave hadn't picked that time to go off. Kaulder frowned and stood up straight. Arielle pulled her hands out from under his with her own frown. They didn't break eye contact as the air around them sparked.

" I guess...it won't be bad to eat." She said. Kaulder inhaled and nodded.

They ate in silence, sitting side by side. Both were stealing looks at the other without either of them knowing. What was happening to him? Kaulder was never attracted to a witch but there something about her. Usually being a witch was a completely turn off to him but she made him forget who she was and that could be dangerous.

" I'm back!" They heard 37 call out shortly after they were done eating. Together they started cleaning up, still not talking. 37 appeared in the kitchen and noticed the tension right away. He looked from one to the other. " Is everything alright?"

" It's fine." Kaulder said quickly.

" We were just eating." Why did Arielle's voice sound so defensive? And why were they talking at the same time?

" Okay, well, I guess I'll set up the litter box then maybe we should all talk?" 37 asked.

" Fine." Kaulder snapped.

" Super." Arielle and Kaulder looked at each other then averted their eyes just as fast.

" Alright." 37 said.

NRNRNR

" How long as he been like this?" Arielle gently sat down on the bed in one of his rooms. The bedroom he had picked for his cursed Dolan. She placed her hand on his and learned into the old man.

" Two days now." Kaulder was frowning again as he watched the witch and his beloved Dolan. Arielle nodded. She placed a hand on his forehead and closed her eyes.

" What is she doing?" 37 whispered to Kaulder who shook his head.

" You are right." Arielle sat back and looked at The Witch Hunter. Because that is what he was, a Witch Hunter. " He's been cursed. He had four, five days at the most left. If we can't break this curse by then, he will die."

" How do we break it?" 37 asked.

" You have to find the one who cursed him. Either you convince him to break it or you have to kill him." Arielle said, standing up.

" How do we find him?" 37 asked. For the first time since the kitchen Arielle looked at Kaulder.

" We need to see what he was trying to tell you first. There might be some answers in there."

" What do I need to gather for you?" Kaulder asked. Arielle sighed.

" I don't need anything. Come with me." She said.

As much as she needed to leave the city and get as far away as she could, she couldn't leave the Dolan like this. He did nothing wrong and didn't deserve this. Besides, the protection spell she had cast to cover them as they drove here should keep her safe for a while. It should keep her off anyone's radar, it won't be forever but it would do for now.

Once Kaulder was laying on the couch, Arielle sat on the edge, but his head. She placed a leg on either side of him. 37 was sitting on the couch table beside them with a worried look on his young face. Kaulder was staring up at her as she was staring down at him.

" I want you to just relax. I'm going to place my hands on your head. It might hurt at first. I am going to force the memory of your death to the surface but this time, I'm going to be there with you. I'm going into the memory so I can look around. I might see answers that you don't." She said.

" Alright." Kaulder exhaled and placed his linked hands on his chest.

" Close your eyes." She whispered.

Arielle placed her hands on the top of his head with her fingers spreading out. She placed her index fingers on his temples and closed her eyes. She sent her power down through her hands and into his brain. She shifted through his recent memories then dove in deeper. Underneath her, she felt Kaulder tense shortly before he groaned.

" Shh..." She soothed him.

Deeper and deeper she dug. She shifted fast, dismissing this and that. She pushed it aside, searching and searching then she stopped. He was picking his way through some brush. He was wearing hand made clothes, rough fabrics from long ago. The pants were tan, deer skin. This shirt was a rough wool, long sleeve. There was a sword strapped to his back and a few strapped to his arms and legs. She could feel the weight of the cool metal against him as if she had carried them herself.

" Arielle." She heard him said, she soothed him and kept watching.

He came to an embankment. He crouched down and looked at the mud carefully. Someone had . clearly slipped here. Someone small, a child size body. He stood up and vaulted down into steam below. He continued to look around for another clue, any clue that would tell him where the child had gone next or was hiding.

" Look over there." He followed his Dolan's pointing and found what he was looking for.

Kaulder hurried over to what would be an opening if it wasn't covered in vines. He took his ax from his belt loop and began to chop. There were not natural vines. They were too strong to be natural. There was made by a witch and they would be hiding the child he was searching for.

Sweat break out along his brow and down his chest and back. It was hot and he was having to make his chops harder and faster. When he broke through the first few ones, he dropped his ax and grabbed the next vines. He pulled, planting his feet to keep his balance. He grimaced and grunted. Soon he was rewarded by the sound of roots ripping.

He yanked them again and tossed the vines behind him. Kaulder had to bend down to appear inside. And that was when he found a child inside. She was huddled at the back of the space. She had her knees tucked under her chin and was squinting at the sudden burst of light. She was dirty with leaves and sticks in her hair and she looked scared.

" Come here, Child. It's alright now. You grandma sent me to find you." He said, reaching his hand out.

In present time, Kaulder frowned with his eyes shut. Why had she stopped at that memory? Why did she want to watch that whole thing? Did it help her to see that he wasn't a monster? He did have a heart and maybe seeing this, she would finally trust him. Because she had a story to tell and he wanted to know it.

Something wet hit his face and he was getting ready to open his eyes when he was thrown back into the deep end again. She was searching once again. It won't be much farther now. When he found the lost child, he had only been the hunter for two hundred years. They would find what they were looking for at any moment.

And then she did...

As Arielle watched the Queen grab Kaulder's chest and give her curse, Kaulder completely tensed against her legs. Light filled the Queen, travelled down his sword and up his hand. This slipped under his skin and began to fill his body, tracing and lighting up all his veins. She felt him grab her legs in the real world as his breathing increased. He arched his back slightly then dropped back down to the couch.

Again and again, he bowed his back. She watched in horror as his men discovered his link to the Queen's heart. They carefully placed the heart inside a box they had brought with them. Kaulder's fingers dug down into her thighs. They didn't destroy the heart, they kept it. It was still around now or Kaulder would have died long again.

" That's ENOUGH!" Kaulder yelled as he surged up, knocking her off balance. Arielle grabbed the couch to study herself. Her brain felt off balance from the abrupt withdraw of his memories. She squeezed her eyes shut and tried to inhale a deep breath. Kaulder's deep, fast breaths matched hers and she knew he was struggling to gain control as she was. Arielle opened her eyes and looked at the Dolan 37 as she struggled to catch her breathing.

" Did you know?" She whispered.

" Know what?" He asked as he sat up straight.

" Answer her." Kaulder was sitting with his feet planted on the floor. He had his forearms resting on his knees and he was leaning forward. When 37 didn't reply, Kaulder turned his head to look at Arielle and made a motion with his hand. " Pull it out of him." Arielle turned to face the young man who jumped up quickly with his hands up.

" There is no need for that! Yes, yes! Okay, I did know. Everyone in the Axe and cross knows!" He said quickly.

" You mother fuckers!" Kaulder exploded as he surged up. Arielle was quick to act. She put herself between Kaulder and the Dolan with her hands up.

" Kaulder, relax." She said. " Just wait a minute, okay? Hear him out. You can't have such an emotional outburst after the memory recovery. You need to rest." There were only a few inches between the Witch and the Hunter. She could feel the amazing heat that was pulsing out of him. He cast his glaring eyes down on her smaller frame. Something moved in his eyes and then he said,

" Why did you stop at that memory?" She held her breath. His face soften at once and he reached up to catch something on her cheek. His touch was surprisingly soft and gently as he ran his fingers over her skin. " Why were you crying?" He asked. They stared at each other with her shaking her head. " Arielle, please."

" It was me." She whispered. His eyebrows knit together but before he could ask what she was talking about she said, " I was the child. I was the child you pulled out of the cave, the one you were set to find."

" How is that possible? That was six hundred years ago." Kaulder said.

" I think...I need that drink now." She said.