Illyana rose slowly and stumbled almost blindly down the alley. She was desperately afraid that she was going to die – and be discovered there in the alley.

How humiliating. She thought. More suited to Emma than to me.

She swallowed. He was trying to remove the mark. I know it. But who sent him? Even Emma would have sent someone more dedicated than he was. He could have done it. I'm sure.

Doubt crept in and a small voice inside her head began to whisper. What if he was just passing by?

She shivered.

"No." She whispered out loud. "I will not tolerate this."

She forced her arm up and hailed a cab.

The back seat was quiet and comfortably warm. "Take the long way." She said, handing the man a large bill after giving him the address.

I've got to recoup and recover. I've got the Club on my back and Emma to deal with. I can't tolerate any wildcards at this point.

Here eyes shined. The other voice was talking again, whispering… but she couldn't hear it any more. But even that bothered her – that her better self, what she called her 'other side' was forever whispering… And trying to put ideas in to her head.

She took several deep breaths.

I'll just kill him. She said, thinking of Forge.

The thought was consolatory and it made her relax.

I'll do a spell, find him, and cut him down. She smiled. And then I'll be able to relax and come at Emma and the club with a fresh mindset.

She smiled. Nothing in the world soothed her like the absolute destruction of her problems – who ever they may be.

Lucy looked through the doorway.

Then she looked left and right down the hall. No one was there.

She crept up and peered through the slightly open door.

Well, it's not closed. She told herself.

She took a long slow inhale through her nose and the scent of Forge filled her mind.

She glanced around again and then slipped in to his room.

Immediately she could feel the change of mindset. This was definitely a different world.

While Forge had equipped the rest of the lighthouse to be relatively normal, his room was reworked in it's own special manner.

Tables, the bed and chairs came right out of the walls and there seemed to be every conceivable gadget, gizmo and gimmick strewn about in various degrees of disrepair.

She surveyed it all carefully and then peered out the tiny window.

She sniffed the air and could smell him mixed in to the smell of the wood of the windowsill as though the oil of his hands had saturated the wood. He goes through the window? She arched her eyebrow and slipped up to the little window and opened it.

She stood on her toes and peeked out to discover that Forge had created his own balcony on the outside of the lighthouse. It matched the lighthouse in color so, unless he was on it – no one would ever see it. And when he was on it – he would appear to be suspended outside his room.

She raised her eyebrows.

She desperately wanted to jump out the window and on to the ledge. Every core element of her personality wanted to leap out and experience the feeling.

There was no railing as on the deck above. It was a wild space. A place that demanded outrageous action.

She took three rapid breaths while she thought about it.

And then…

She didn't jump.

This is… She swallowed. It's a place… like a … She shook her head.

It's a habitat. She decided. One he picks for himself.

My habitat was designed to keep me strong.

She considered the view and then the ledge…

And then she looked around the room.

He lives with science…

And she looked out the window.

But he still goes home…

She smiled and backed humbly away from the ledge.

It must mean a lot to him if he went through the trouble of building it and climbing out there…

She sank back off her toes and stood flat on the ground.

And she looked out the window.

And suddenly she felt wrong. She looked around the room and frowned.

Then, in two agile steps she was out of his room and back in the hallway.

She didn't feel bad about snooping in his room. She felt bad about the view.

It was the most personal thing she had ever discovered about another person.

And she understood it all too well.

Kitty gunned the engine and the tiny motorcycle tore through the English countryside – literally.

Forge whimpered and she shook her head. I can't talk to either of them… She hit a tiny jump and they flew for a moment before she let the bike touch back down on the ground for just an instant.

And I'd like to talk… She sighed. No one's ever tried to kill me before.

I mean, I like totally could have been killed a hundred times over already and sure, some people might have fought me to death if I let them…

But no one has ever come calling for me like that.

She pursed her lips. I wonder how Lucy knew I needed her? She smiled. And I guess I owe someone some extra belly rubs now don't I?

She sighed. It's not sooo bad. I mean, whoever did this is pretty desperate, right… Like this wont be an every day sort of thing… I hope…

She swallowed. Am I just doing this to make myself feel less threatened? To get my assasin on my side?

She could feel Brian's body warmth against her back.

No… I'm not. I was hoping she was telling the truth…

And it looks like she was.

She took a deep breath and roared over a bridge.

She shook her head. I don't know what to think about Forge and his magic talk. I don't even know why we're bringing Brian back to the lighthouse.

She drove through a drunk man on a street corner as she took a right hand turn.

"Hey! Watch where I'm drinkin'!" He called out.

She smiled.

And then she shivered just a bit. I can't believe it…

I actually owe Lucy my life…

She took a small breath and sighed.

I have to help her have a good one.

I have to.

I owe her big-time.