The next morning as the sun slipped through the windows into Dyson's loft, Kenzi came awake once more. She felt better than she had before although she still felt a little stiffness in her joints but her muscles felt the ease of relaxation in them.

She gingerly flexed her muscles, feeling every sore spot, as the numbness of sleep wore off and the sensitivities flared around her body. She realised that she felt warm, very warm, snuggled in the large bed. Kenzi felt something, or someone, that was warm and solid right next to her. Kenzi cautiously cracked open her eyes to be met by the sight of Dyson sprawled out next to her.

Dyson's hand snaked under the covers to find her tiny waist. He wrapped his arm around her and dragged her up against his chest. "Morning nighean bhregha" he whispered in her ear and then let out a sigh which was one of male contentment.

Kenzi froze. "Oh my freakin' Goddess I'm in Dyson's bed and yep...yep I'm naked. And holy shit balls so is he!" Kenzi could feel his erection trapped between them. And then the memories of the previous day hit her again...the trial...the vision...the sight and sound of that broken, bloodied Dyson on the altar...the emotions... her breakdown and then the sex. Dyson had taken pity on her and they'd had comfort sex.

Kenzi had never felt smaller or more pathetically human than when that last thought had whispered its way through her head. "Bhregha?" Dyson whispered "What's wrong?" Kenzi didn't quite know how to answer that. Some images flickered behind her eyelids. Naked bodies.. hers... Dyson's... entwined. Oh SHIT! As her mind began to spin again she realised that she and Dyson had done the nasty a couple of times during the night.

She had initiated it once after she had woken from a nightmare, her heart pounding after reliving the vision. He'd woken her twice, she couldn't work out why. Why would he want her when he could have anyone he wanted? But he was a guy, right? Anyone would do really, to scratch that itch for him.

"Kenz, you're starting to worry me! You haven't said a word..."

Kenzi eyes swung to look at Dyson but she didn't really see him there in front of her. Her mind was still spinning from the idea that she'd done the deed with the wolf man, not once, not twice but multiple times since coming to his place after the trial. She'd broken the sista code...multiple times. Bo was going to kill her, if she didn't die of shame first.

Dyson reached out and touched her face, his warm fingertips tracing down her cheek, startling her a little. "Kenz? You ok babe?"

If Kenzi was startled by his touch she was completely stunned by the small term of endearment he'd used without even realising it. Seconds passed but it felt much longer than that for both of them. Finally Kenzi made a move.

"I've got to go," she scrambled out of the bed, her head turning, scanning the room looking for her clothing. "I've got to go!"

"Go? Wait. What are you talking about? You can't go nighean bhreagha!" Dyson said as he pulled his jeans on.

"I can go if I want D-man. I don't have to stay here." Kenzi said, her voice getting slightly higher in pitch. "I live with Bo, remember, not you."

Dyson swallowed, that was something he didn't want to hear, not from her, not now. He wanted her with him, safe, protected and in his bed. He stood for a moment before he moved towards her. She was hunting around for her clothes so she could get away from him as soon as possible. "Nighean bhreagha you can't go, it's too dangerous."

Kenzi whipped around to face Dyson "You keep calling me that...what the hell does it mean?" She prayed it wasn't some kind of insult but from the way he said it and looked at her it didn't seem to be that Dyson was saying she was a pathetic human. Which was kinda good because that was exactly how she was feeling.

Dyson smiled at her "It's all good Kenz...it just means beautiful girl." He looked down at his clasped hands slightly embarrassed at having to confess in this roundabout way his true feelings for her.

"You think I'm beautiful?" Kenzi asked in a soft voice.

"You are so much more than just beautiful. You're smart, funny, resourceful, strong, and goddess help me, independent, wilful, stubborn and..."

"Go on say it...say it, I'm human."

"I was going to say sexy. It doesn't matter to me that you're human. Does it bother you that I'm Fae?" Dyson said "And genetically superior." He added in the vain hope of making her laugh and stopping this argument before it really got started.

Kenzi stopped pulling her clothes on and looked at him, her eyes narrowing "Is that a trick question?" She was not going to rise to the bait of that comment.

Dyson shrugged at her "You being human means nothing to me but you mean everything Kenzi. You're my Kenzi, you mean everything to me."

Kenzi stared at him, examining him closely. He seemed genuine but she'd been caught like this before. The guys had all seemed genuine, until they left her. Usually broke, as they'd taken any money she'd managed to get together while she was on the streets. They'd all left her emotionally bruised but they'd occasionally leave her physically bruised as well. She was glad to see the back of those ones.

Ultimately, all those experiences had left her wary of the things that men say, especially when they had already been in bed together. "So you don't care I'm fragile and that I'm going to need rescuing my whole life, which will be significantly shorter than yours, that I'm HUMAN!" she yelled the last word.

Dyson looked solemnly at Kenzi, wondering how the hell he was going to convince her that he didn't care that she was human, it really made her all the more precious to him and all the things she saw as obstacles they could, and would, if he had any say about it, get past.

In the silence that filled the room Kenzi continued to pull her clothes on. Growing angrier with herself for sleeping with Dyson, and enjoying it. And at Dyson, because, well, because he was the type of man that she had always wanted for herself. The type of man she had wanted to finally find a safe place with, to stay with, and to love. But she knew she could never have that with him, knew that he could never never love her, the weak, fragile human.

"I'm not staying here Dyson. I'm leaving and going back to the shack." Kenzi made it to the door as Dyson called across the room. "Don't go, its dangerous Kenz! There are things we need to sort out so you can be safe." Kenzi's hand reached for the door as Dyson continued "Please don't run Kenz, I love you."

Her hand froze on the handle. Dyson moved quicker than she could have imagined. His hand covered hers as his other hand snaked around her body, holding her to him.