A short, sweet, and pointless in between chapter to give me a break from torture scenes and trying to figure out how to wrap this part of the story up. Much thanks to those of you who have waited so patiently.

Afrieal: Thank You! Oliver stone would probably kick my ass, but the compliment is well received. Hehe

Rainne: Like my email said, that was probably the best review I've ever had on this fiction. You got it down!

Theshadowcat: cats do so beg! You should see my deaf cat Cocaine (we didn't name him) follow me around and beg for cat treats, food, whatever… he's a brat.

This chapter is unbetaed (judocat be campin') so pardon the messiness.

Chapter Fourteen

Hellboy:

Abe eventually walked Lavinia back to their original quarters. It took a lot of promises and a little physical force (actually, it took my right arm and some good yanking) to pry her away from her sleeping friend, but Abe had a touch with women, something about him seemed to calm them down. Unlike me, I just frustrate the hell out of em. Or scare them half to death… He pulled her aside and whispered to her for maybe a minute, and Lavinia went with him, clinging to his arm like a child and staring back at her friend until the doors closed behind her

After those two were gone, I made sure Rielle was comfortable and covered her up with the blanket. Father also got out of his chair and did some minor cleaning. I helped him; I didn't want to see him doing menial tasks after the story we just heard. I took over the father role and ushered him off to bed as well, claiming he needed his rest and that I would take care of the place. I don't think I misread his face when he nodded a grateful thank-you and toddled off. That left me alone with the sleeping Secret Agent and a migraine.

I was done clearing the cups out of the way by the time Abe came back in, happy to have had something to do with my hands besides carrying out my previous plan of running down to Med Lab and pounding the hell out of Tanner and Ackland. Despite the horrible things Rielle told us she did, nobody deserved the sort of torture she received. But no, I had to behave myself for once, and take care of the people around me, and for tonight, that was Ellie. My palms itched though and I did my best to ignore them until I could get to the gym and beat on something inanimate.

With a heavy sigh Abe checked on the girl, gently lifting her injured hand into his and watching her reactions. "The painkillers are working; she's out like a light."

I nodded, "Good. How's Vinny?"

"Worn out, very angry, and yet sympathetic. She forgives easily despite the betrayal and the hard front she puts up." Abe put Ellie's hand down and wandered behind Pop's desk. "I almost had to drug her to make her stay in her room though. She really didn't want to leave Rielle's side."

"I don't blame her; they've been friends for almost as long as we have." I said, plonking myself down in a nearby chair.

"True." Abe glanced at the couch again and frowned. "I need a drink."

My head shot up, surprised. Abe looked like shit, but hearing him say something that I would normally say was sort of scary. Not that he didn't drink at all, in fact he was hilarious when he was drunk, but in general that would happen only after I bugged him until he submitted. "Want one?"

"Sure" is all I could say. Abe looked through the books and found what he was looking for, a bottle of scotch I didn't even know about. When he saw my look, he laughed.

"A benefit of having a window into this office, I've seen where the Professor stashes his booze when he thinks I'm not looking."

Abe dug up a couple of short glasses and poured a stiff drink for us both. Handing one to me, he sat cross-legged on the floor close to Rielle and took his collar off, dumping it on the carpet without a thought and placing the bottle of scotch within reach.

"So what do you make of this?" I asked after a minute. Abe would know what was going on in Ellie's head better than anyone, including her best friend. That and he hadn't voiced any opinion on Rielle since she told us her story.

Abe leaned back against the seat of the chair behind him, downing his drink in one shot. He shook his head a little at the burn but poured another one, and refilled my glass. "I'm not sure. I know she's full of regret, pain, but also pride and love. She knows what she did, and she's learned a lot from it. I guess the main question is: what do you think of her? Because that, and what Lavinia thinks, is what is utmost in her mind right now, besides getting shot in the head when she wakes up."

She cares what I think? NOBODY cares what I think!

What do I think?

Abe smiled knowingly. "Don't worry; she won't wake up for a while, so you have time to form an opinion."

"You never told me yours."

"Yes I did."

"No, you read her head. Big difference."

Abe frowned again. "I think she deserves another chance. I think she regrets her decisions and has tried to make up for them, and I like that… and I think she will redeem herself fully if given the opportunity."

"I still can't believe someone that tiny is so scary." I said without thinking, glancing over at the raven-haired girl curled on my father's couch.

"I know. And she knows it too. I felt her reaction when you backed away from her, and needless to say she wasn't overjoyed."

Yeah, well one moment she's the best lookin' drinking buddy I've had in years, the next she's cold-hearted killer, just as scary as some of the spooks I've dealt with…

"Smooth move, by the way." Abe interjected while peering at me over the rim of his half empty glass.

What?

Damn. He knows.

"Oh shut up, what do you know?" I glared at him, daring him to say what we were both thinking.

He just grinned.

"Tell anyone and I'll rip your gills off."

Rielle:

I don't know how long I was out this time, but when I became aware of my surroundings, I realized my face hurt, my eyes burned and my hand throbbed like a bastard. I was still in Broom's office, cocooned in a heavy blanket and apparently splayed out on one of the couches near the fireplace, head propped up on a hard pillow. My neck ached a bit.

I looked around me and saw Abe floating around in his tank, probably asleep. Hard to tell really, he just wasn't moving much. The fire was out, popping a little, heat still coming off of it, but no flames. I loved the smell of the wood smoke and inhaled it as much as I could.

"Ellie?" A deep and sleepy voice mumbled from above me. Only then did I realize it wasn't a pillow my head was on, it was Red's leather-covered thigh. I felt his hand move down and stroke my hair like a kitten. I envied cats the ability to purr.

Wait, why is he touching me? Wait. Why am I on his lap? Ugh, never EVER let Abe inject you with stuff again. Ever.

"How are you feeling?" Asked Hellboy, mid-hairstroke.

I turned my body so I was facing up, rubbing my cheek after having it stick to Red's pants for who knows how long. "Do I have leather marks in my cheek?"

I looked up into his golden eyes and tried to grin at him. He looked so tired.

His hand moved from my hair to my cheek and pretended to smooth it out. "Nope. Not anymore."

"Good, cause I forgot my iron at home." That was the drugs talking! Honest!

His entire body shook with laughter, jolting me around where I lay. I couldn't help but laugh with him. I could feel it vibrate though him and down into my feet. Somehow after all this, he still finds a way to make me laugh. Strange guy.

I wiggled around to make myself comfortable and cradled my buggered hand across my chest. The couch was nice and squishily comfortable and I wished I had one like this at home.

Yeah, and a warm leather thigh to lie on when you want it, right?

Shut up, brain! I fought back, blaming my thoughts on the drugs.

Red resumed petting my hair like a kitty and I shut my eyes again. It felt so nice to have someone being gentle to me for once, I didn't want to spoil it by talking, let alone asking why I wasn't in solitary confinement bound and gagged waiting for the Canadian government to come pick me up. Or asking why Hellboy was sitting here being sweet when before he looked like he'd run off screaming if I so much as tried to touch him. I didn't want to think about it, so I shut my eyes.

I don't know when Hellboy shifted our positions; I must have dozed off again. When I woke, I was on my right side, face to neck with Red. His chin was digging into the top of my head, but it wasn't painful. His goatee tickled my forehead. By some miracle we both fit on the couch, although Red was twisted funnily and his feet were hanging of the edge. He must have felt me wake up because his yellow eyes opened at the same time, and he leaned his head back a little to look at me.

"Hey." He whispered.

"Straw." I whispered back.

Nothing more was said. I looked at him, and he looked at me. I think we were trying to figure out what the other was thinking, but it wasn't working. Too bad Abe wasn't in on this too.

Threesome! Squealed my warped mind.

I was happy for the moment, happy in the fact that Red didn't require talk as we lay. Happy that the pain in my right hand wasn't as bad as it used to be, and that now it lay between me and Red, safe from being jostled, very protected. Happy that for the first time in years, I felt like I was free.

Then again, I wasn't exactly free yet. Well, I didn't know if I was or not. I hated having to think that telling my story lifted a weight off my shoulders, because it was so cliché... but honestly, it did feel like that.

Now the only thing to deal with is the consequences of breaking my silence. Thinking about it though, I would rather do that than keep the secrets locked up any longer. All they did is hurt the people I loved, and messed with my dreams.

I had no clue whether or not Broom would have me arrested, locked away, or just banished from the BPRD and the United States. I knew in my heart he would not have me executed, and would fight like mad to prevent it from happening if Tanner or his associates tried to have it done.

Would CSIS come after me? For that matter, would Broom spread what I had divulged to him? If he didn't, CSIS might not find out that I talked, and I might be safe. That is, if Tanner could be convinced to keep his fat mouth shut.

Too many risks. I should have kept silent.

No. You did the right thing. These people will protect you.

Protect me? They need protection FROM me!

How would Lavinia react next time I saw her? I know she held me when I finally broke down last night (or was that this morning... the hours have no meaning right now), but would she, after a few hours to think, do the same again? Would she ever confide in me, look me in the eye and call me a bitch, or even come out for a simple night at a blues club with me again?

I looked up at Red, who appeared to be asleep again, resting his right hand gently around my waist, one finger on my spine. I don't know when my shirt rode up but I remember feeling him tracing it up and down, keeping it respectful but at the same time curious. Stone against flesh doesn't feel as nasty as it sounds. His face was peaceful, relaxed, with a small smile on his lips. If I had a camera right now...

Would he treat me as a friend after tonight? He had been nice to me in the past couple of hours, but that could easily be blamed on exhaustion and the scotch I could smell on his breath. Then again my head was on his lap at one point, and he would have had to be the one to put me there. Maybe in his heart he's forgiven me my sins. I hoped so, because I don't think I could see that pain in his eyes again without sobbing.

Quit thinking and go to sleep.

Good idea for once, brain! I decided to ignore everything for a few hours and enjoy being here, now. If it weren't for the circumstances this would be perfection. A warm fire, a warm man, nice aquarium (with another warm man), comfy couch, and head still sort of woozy from drugs and events… like being pleasantly drunk.

Perfection… until Hellboy started snoring.

A few hours later a meek hand slightly touching my shoulder woke me up. I noticed immediately that Red's arm was still firmly around my waist, and that there was something wrapped around my left calf. I opened my eyes and blinked at the sudden light. I was happy that I had a dreamless rest, and looked over my shoulder to see who woke me.

I was greeted with a rather bedraggled yet amused professor Broom, whose hair was all fuzzy and unkempt and whose glasses were perched crooked on his nose. He was still in a robe and pajama bottoms too. In his left hand was a small steaming teacup while his right remained lightly on my shoulder.

"I would offer you coffee, my dear but it appears you're…" his sleep-roughened voice caught for a moment, "rather tied up."

He pointedly glanced left and down where my legs were, so I lifted my head and looked too. Tied up is right. Red's tail somehow coiled itself around my leg, and when I experimentally moved it, the coil tightened. Not enough to cut off circulation but an adequate amount of pressure to keep me still.

I couldn't help but give Broom a sleepy grin. "Let me guess, he won't let me go for a while, huh?"

Broom didn't bother answering, just walked away chuckling into his tea and shaking his head.

I spent the next few minutes trying to free myself. At fist I couldn't have cared less, I liked where I was, snug and warm, but now that I knew I couldn't move, I had to.

My first attempt, trying to lift Red's right arm off of me, resulted in realizing just how weak I am in comparison, and getting hugged so tight I literally squeaked. The next attempt consisted of prying his fingers off one by one and at the same time, wiggling my leg to hopefully get away from the tail, but he only grumbled, shifted, and almost rolled on top of me. I gave up after that to save my pride.

A couple minutes later my bladder tightened with the overwhelming need to pee, and I could have cried right there. Broom just laughed harder.

Groan.

Already partly through writing chapter 15, so the next update shouldn't be two months away. Haha. Once again, thanks for reading and putting up with my slow updates.