This chapter is kinda short. Sorry...I just needed a link between the last chapter and the next chapter.

Chapter 11: Fight the Good Fight

Her chest was on fire. She felt her legs tremble as shock ran through her body. He stabbed her. He had actuallystabbed her.

That bastard!

Jack gave Natalia a hard shove away from him and smirked as she fell to the floor and struggled to rise.

"Sweet little Nattie," Jack said. He sucked his breath between his teeth and clucked his tongue in a mock grimace. "You forget, duckie. I've been doing this for quite a bit longer than you."

"But you…have a soul now," Nattie gasped out. She clenched her teeth against the burning in her chest.

Jack walked over to her and knelt beside her, gently rolling her onto her back. He wiped away a drop of her blood that had splashed onto his bruised cheek.

"Yeah," he whispered. "The thing is they gave me my old soul back, and let's face it..." He shrugged and absently ran a hand through the back of his hair. "I was just never really one for being a nice guy."

He gave a dry laugh. "But you on the other hand were like, crazy nice. I mean, giving up your soul? Yikes…"

Nattie moved her mouth, but the words were barely audible. Jack leaned closer to her.

"What was that?" he asked.

"I said… Things. Have. Changed."

Jack's eyes widened in surprise as Natalia pulled the knife free of her chest and stuck it in the middle of his torso. Such a quick recovery from the wound he had dealt her was something he hadn't been expecting, as new as she was. Knocked off balance, he fell back onto his butt.

"We'll be at this all day…" Jack said, glaring at her.

Nattie stood and spat a mouthful of blood onto the floor. "You arrogant, pretentious, egotistical son-of-a-bitch!" she shouted, kicking him between each adjective.

Jack grabbed her ankle and jerked, sending her sprawling on the floor in front of him. He pulled the knife out of his stomach and threw it over the counter to ensure that it didn't end up in either of them again before pinning her roughly by the wrists. He pressed his hips into hers to keep her still.

"I gave up my soul for you," Nattie said as she struggled against him.

"What do you want? A medal?" Jack replied.

She reared up and popped him in the mouth with her head. Taking advantage of his loosened hold, she rolled him over and used all of her newfound strength to keep him down, pinning one hand under her knee and gripping his other wrist.

"A frigging 'thank you' would be nice," she said hotly.

Jack spat off to the side and ran the tip of his tongue over his lip. "Thanks a-million," he said snidely.

Natalia found the wound in his stomach with her free hand and punched him. His breath left in a great whoosh. Jack was able to get his hand from beneath her knee and used it to grip a handful of hair. He jerked her head backward, knocking her off balance and sat up once again pinning her to the floor.

"ENOUGH!"

Jack and Nattie both turned their attention to Dennis, who appeared less than thrilled to see them beating the shit out of each other.

Dennis tossed his hands to the sides and both Jack and Natalia went flying in opposite directions.

"Did either of you—for one second—consider that there are two living, breathing mortals hiding behind this counter and one is watching everything you do?" He pressed his fingers to his forehead and sighed.

"You two have really put me through it over the past few days." Dennis whirled to face Gloria as she held onto Deb's unconscious body. She flinched away and closed her eyes as tears rolled down her cheeks.

"Fortunately for you, these two have assed around so much that I don't have time to kill and mark you." He turned back to Jack and Natalia, who were now on their feet. "You two. In my office, NOW."