The return to Nick's hotel was not a triumphant one for either of them. Judy had internally lamented not having a vehicle before, but now the lament had grown fervent. The last thing she wanted to do after enduring the day she'd been through was be stuck on a bus, surrounded by tired mammals during rush hour. It was a sad irony in her mind that both she and her companion looked just as haggard and dead on their paws as the rest of the commuters.

Slumping through the lobby and making their way from the elevator to the room was a task of Herculean proportions. Nick was drained, but somewhat pleased by the results of his taxing day. By rights he should have been thrilled. The discovery of Judy's weakness was cause for celebration as far as he was concerned. However, his success seemed small in the face of what he'd been through. The emotional hammering he'd taken lingered and the unfamiliar feelings, for reasons he was hesitant to explore, couldn't be shaken off no matter how hard he tried.

Meanwhile, Judy was tired. Very tired. She was heartsore, mourning the unnecessary death in the park and her own behavior. Somehow, her errors just seemed to be compounding. Beyond the regrets she had started the day with, she had a mortal life and inflicting pain on Nick to add to her tally. The conscience she had hoped to ease was only further distressed and the information she had gained on Nick was not worth the price she was paying. The questions were piling up faster than the answers and every answer was distressing.

Upon arrival at his room, Nick dumped his things in a chair and beat a path to the sideboard, where he poured himself a very large drink. Half his glass vanished down his throat before he held it up to her with an inquiring look. Seeing her head shake, he finished his drink and poured another. Cigarette smoke wreathed his figure moments later. As Judy watched, Nick struggled to suppress his shudders. To her eyes, he was not holding up well.

Struggling to find words was a new experience for her, but decreasingly so when it came to him. Judy wanted to do many things, but had no strength for subtlety.

"Could you have done anything for her?"

"No. Why are you bringing that up, again? This bond thing makes lying impossible and we've had this conversation before."

"I'm trying to understand."

"Understand what, exactly? I couldn't do anything beyond the two options I gave you. I assume there was nothing an angel could manage?"

"No… I saw no corruption, so I couldn't purify it out of her. How is that even possible, Nick? I've never heard of a demon that didn't corrupt."

"It has nothing to do with corruption, or anything of the kind, Carrots. It's just a fact of what I am. That's what you're trying to understand, isn't it?"

"What are you?"

"A demon."

"Nick…"

"You want to know what kind of demon I am, so you can more efficiently exterminate me."

The weight of things unsaid weighed heavily on their minds.

Judy watched as Nick stubbed his cigarette butt in the ashtray and lit another. He carried his still-full lowball of bourbon to the coffee table and set it down before he flopped into a chair. Judy moved to the sideboard, collecting the decanter and a glass before joining him. She wasn't interested in a drink, but knew the importance of shared experiences. Sitting opposite him, she poured a bare measure into her glass and took a sip. He nodded his understanding and took one, himself.

"You may as well ask, Hopps. I'm too tired to fight you."

"What did you mean you fell twice?"

"You really want the sob story, don't you?"

"I want to know why you flinch every time I say anything that sparks your memory, Lieutenant."

Nick flinched before answering. "I'm not that anymore. Not in a very long time, Carrots."

"So, what else were you? A Captain? Major? What Host?"

"I don't remember."

"How can you not remember?"

"Do you remember what I said about what happens when an angel falls?"

"Yes…?"

"Do you think I want to remember anything to do with the good times before that happened?"

"So, you don't remember why you fell?"

"I know it was due to my pride. That's all. Anything else hurts."

"What about your second falling?"

Once I survived my initiation in Pride, I rose through the ranks quickly. I was powerful and ambitious. A near-perfect fit for the House of Pride. Before long I was a candidate to lead the Sin."

"You were an archdemon."

"Was?" He chuckled at her discomfiture. "My rank is suspended, but I am no less powerful. I wasn't content to wait for the leadership to empty on its own, so I acted."

"You tried to kill Asmodeus."

"No. He's the Archdemon for Lust. I was in Pride at the time. I skipped the House throne and went right for the big seat. I tried to kill the Devil, himself."

Judy couldn't believe her ears. "You…"

"That's right, sweetheart, I led a coup d'etat to try to take the Throne of Hell. Buffy didn't like that."

"Wha-? Buffy?"

"Baphomet. The reigning head of Pride and current holder of the Throne. If I'd just challenged for the House, he'd have handed it over. Instead, the miserable old goat smacked me down and punished me for my attempt."

"What did he do?"

"He stripped me of my rank in Pride and gave me to Luxuria as a toy. Asmodeus was very pleased to get his claws on me."

"What happened to you?"

"It was Lust, rabbit, what do you think?" Nick took a long sip of his drink and muttered, "Hell breaks everything that comes to it."

"I thought Lust was the least Sin."

"If you think that, then it had a Napoleon complex. Lust teaches you to enjoy everything. Any twisted desire you can imagine would only be a warmup. I was passed around like a party favor by all the Sins; used as a whipping post for Wrath, humiliated for Pride's amusement, Tortured for Envy's… And at the end of every day I was tossed into the brothels of Hell to be used as any demon saw fit. After a few millennia, anyone would go insane. I didn't. I learned to desire my tortures and embraced Lust."

"And you claimed another Sin."

"I did. Now, I can't claim to be of Pride's ilk, though I have its hungers. I belong to Lust, through and through. I suppose you can guess what I am, now."

"You're an incubus."

Nick raised his glass in salute to her statement. As he drank, Judy fought down her terror. Incubi were rare and uniquely dangerous, even among demons. Tolerance for pain, individual powers, an extreme capacity for adaptation, inherent masculine allure and addictive characteristics. Owing to that, it was common practice to eliminate them as soon as they were identified. Having spent time with Nick, she understood why. However, she also knew he wasn't just a monster. He was also a victim of sorts and she had not treated him well. There wasn't much she could do for him, certainly not for his suffering in Hell, but there was one thing she could.

"Nick, stand up."

"Hmm?"

"Stand up. Now, please."

"Alright," Nick groaned in exasperation as he stood. "Now what?"

Looking at him, Judy had second thoughts. This was insane. Arguably the single most idiotic thing she had ever conceived of. Her weakness was Lust and an incubus was standing right in front of her. An incubus who was likely aware of her weakness. He was shirtless and looking down at her in a way that sent a distressing thrill all the way from her ears to her toes. Every shred of basic sense and survival instinct she possessed was shrieking at her to run, but she stood her ground. She needed to do this. She'd get her head examined afterwards.

Judy stepped forward and wrapped her arms around his midriff.

"I'm sorry."

Nick almost dropped his teeth.

"Fluff? What are you doing?"

"I'm trying."

"To make things awkward? Congratulations."

Judy didn't stop hugging him, electing instead to thump him as best she could with her palm.

"You are one crazy rabbit."

"Don't I know it. So, are you going to hug me back, or not?"

"Kinda hard like this. Hang on." So saying, Nick pried her off him long enough to take a knee.

Seeing what he was doing, Judy experienced a breathtaking array of frantic emotions. She was already mentally ruffled and hadn't planned for a second round. Heavens only knew why she'd prompted him to hug her back. She'd initiated this and she couldn't back out now without undoing her hard work. That said, she was so high-strung, she felt like she was going to faint. Despite her awareness of her weakness and the obvious dangers, Judy stepped right back in as soon as he hesitantly opened his arms. The fear was exciting, bordering on intoxicating. She enjoyed it in a way she realized was rather twisted, but she couldn't help it. He was warm and solid and smelled like flowers.

Nick, on the other hand, was tempted to pinch himself. He had allowed her to hug him, not taken the opportunity to be cruel to her, and moved to accommodate her stature. Now, she was lightly shivering in his arms. Something was wrong with him. He should be pressing his advantage, or at least her up against the wall, but he was paralyzed. When he felt her inhale deeply and sniff slightly, he took the opportunity to end the embrace.

"Alright. That's enough. You're going to ruin my bad-boy image."

"That's fine."

They shared a lighthearted chuckle that was only slightly forced. Seeing Judy rub her nose, Nick commented, "Sorry about that. I'm a little on the ripe side, I guess."

"No! No. It's fine."

"Not really, fluff. If you can smell me, I'm in need of a shower. Think you can entertain yourself while I clean up?"

"I'm pretty sure I can manage the television." As she spoke, Judy moved to the sofa opposite the television and flicked it on with the remote.

"Then, make yourself comfortable."

There was a moment of silence before Judy realized Nick hadn't moved. "Nick?"

Visibly shaking himself, he smiled in an unusually embarrassed way. The words were ungainly as they left his mouth, a testament to how unfamiliar he was with them. "Thank you. For your apology, I mean. It was a first, for me."

"Feeling a little thrown are we?"

"Just a lot."

"Good to know I can surprise the archdemon."

His smile was wry and cheeky. "You do realize this won't stop me from tempting you, right?"

Judy chuckled. "Demon."

The laugh they shared was genuine, just like the one they'd shared minutes previously, but this time there was no hesitation, or ambivalence. For just a moment there was no difference between them. The realization was not missed by either of them. Nick recovered first.

"Right. I'm going to take that shower. I need to get all the angel dander off me before I start sneezing."

"Of course, you're allergic to being nice."

"Demon." Nick winked.

Judy shooed him off with a wave of her paw and turned back to the news, the picture of calmness and ease. The moment the bedroom door closed, however, she was a bundle of nerves. Thank whatever powers that be for his misinterpretation and distraction. It was a testament to him being off his game so badly that he had missed it all. Her face was flushed under her fur. She could feel it. It was a wonder that her ears weren't pink. She'd only realized it after the fact, but she'd been sniffing his fur and they'd been close to flirting at the end. As long as he was in the other room, she could have her panic attack in peace.

Or so she thought.

While Judy was forcing her heart rate to lower and sniffing the bouquet on the coffee table to erase his scent, Nick was gripping the bathroom door frame and trying to shake himself back into his mind. Something was very wrong with him. He'd let opportunities to tempt, or at least tease her pass him by, willingly helped her; he'd bloody said "thank you"! He needed to hurry up and make her fall before anything else went wrong.

His reaction to that thought was, in fact, the next thing to go wrong. The idea of her falling should have filled Nick with a sense of anticipatory accomplishment. Instead, it filled him with revulsion. He didn't want Hell to get its hooks into her. He wanted something else... And he was not about to allow the thought to finish. Instead of letting his mind finish that path, he slapped himself right over where she'd hit him earlier. It hurt just enough to clear his head.

Nick stripped off his clothes, such as they were, and turned the shower on. The hot water and scented shampoo weren't enough to distract him, so he reached for the next thing he had at hand.

The bond.

Judy was finally calming slightly when Nick's voice in her mind startled her.

Testing. Testing. 1. 2. 3. Is this thing on?

When she peeled herself off the ceiling and sat down again, she finished her drink and answered him.

I can hear you, Nick. What do you want?

World peace.

This isn't a beauty pageant. What's wrong?

Nothing. I was just testing this bond thing out.

Is that all? Judy's head flopped against the back of the sofa.

Did I startle somebunny? His chuckle came through loud and clear. Judy smiled even as she rolled her eyes at the pun. So far, you've been the one using it. I figure I may as well, too. Seems useful.

I'm glad to hear it.

So, how does it work?

What do you mean? You're using it. That's all there is to it.

Not quite, sweetheart. You told me honesty and communication, but what you did in the park wasn't either.

Judy refilled her glass, more generously this time, and drained it before answering.

That's the basic level of the bond. It's called the Truant's Summons.

How many levels does it have?

Four. I used the second level in the park.

What's that called.

Wellspring Gateway.

Judy did not like discussing the bond one little bit. While he had a right to know, there were some things that she would prefer he didn't know just yet. Preferably ever.

Does it also go both ways? What does it do?

Of course, it goes both ways. We covered that, already.

Touchy touchy…

Sorry. The day is catching up with me.

That's fine, Carrots. Have a drink and tell me what it does at this level. I won't ask anything else about it after that.

At least, not until tomorrow?

Fine… Tomorrow. So what does it do?

Judy slugged another, smaller measure of bourbon before replying. She was in dangerous territory. Too much tension or anxiety creeping into her voice would give her away. If he glimpsed the deeper meaning of the bond, she had no illusions his fury would be endless and wouldn't be stopped just because of a hug and the word "sorry".

The Gateway transmits perceptions and emotions, just like Summons send thoughts.

And it functions the same way?

Of course. We can experience what the other does if the bond is open.

She was about to ask why, when she was flooded with the feeling of warm water coursing

through her fur. Amusement and mischief fluttered through her and she felt familiar, yet alien paws scrubbing fur conditioner out of her undercoat. As she was sitting on the sofa, dressed, and didn't have an undercoat, there was only one explanation.

Nick!

Enjoying the shower?

Not as much as you are.

You could just join me. Feel it first-hand.

Judy felt mental paws sliding south against her wet stomach and slammed the bond shut. His thoughts drifted back through her mind and she prepadred herself to instantly close the connection if any sensation came through.

I did warn you.

Yes, yes. Demon. I remember.

With one last chuckle, he was gone and Judy was left with red ears, muttering, "Of course, he would," to herself.

Some minutes later Nick joined her again, his grin a few shades smugger than they had any right to be. In the intervening time, Judy had removed the decanter and glasses to the sideboard where they came from and started going through her transition checklist to flush the aftereffects of their shower-time chat out of her head. The results were mixed.

As tender as things had turned for a breath, the incident with Nick in the shower was sobering for her. Judy had to admit she'd been caught up in a moment when she'd hugged him the second time. The first had been calculated, but the second was pure madness in hindsight. His effect on her was orders of magnitude greater than she had been prepared for. Her resolve had crumbled, leaving her completely vulnerable. Then, there was what he had done to her with the bond. It was small event. Trifling, really, and yet heat had still simmered under her skin in a way she enjoyed far too well, since. She had been careless. Heinously so.

The one thing that scared her the most was the haphazard nature of their interactions. One moment was dulcet, the next caustic; Judy wanted to blame him for it, but her own behavior was also at fault. Something was off about the whole situation. Badly. She was not in control and it was painfully clear that he wasn't fully, either, though he had demonstrated little interest in it. He was up to something and it had nothing to do with the job he'd supposedly been sent here for.

The first she noticed of the change in him was in that he was wearing a shirt.

"I didn't think you owned any of those."

"I prefer not to bother with them, but I also can't wear my armor without wearing something over it. It attracts too much attention."

"You're wearing it, now?"

"Not yet. I do think I should, considering we may find the one responsible for the thefts, tonight. Don't you?"

"That's a good point. I wish I had my full gear, now."

Nick hummed as he looped a tie around his neck. "Don't worry, Carrots. I'll take care of keeping us safe. Besides, without armor slowing you down, you'll have a much easier time avoiding hits and escaping."

"I can take care of myself, demon."

"Are we back to that, then? I am aware of your capabilities as a warrior, but we're going up against something that isn't known. Personally, I'd prefer to keep the option of escape available, just in case."

"And I'm supposed to trust you."

"That's your choice. I gave you my word and I can't lie to you. Seems petty to not trust me despite your own spells."

"You can say that after your stunt in the shower?"

"Like I said, your choice."

Nick felt good. He felt better after his shower. Not quite back to his usual self, but getting closer. His plans were progressing and all he had to do was wait. In the meantime, the angel was proving a worthy diversion. Now, he could distract her a touch and enjoy a pleasant evening chasing ghosts through alleyways. Maybe frustrate her a bit more while he was at it.

"Well, Carrots, it's almost time to go a-hunting. Want to meet Lefty's friends?"

The bracelet in question chirped enthusiastically, at his words. Judy was not fool enough to let such an opportunity to learn more pass, so she hopped up from her seat and followed the demon into his bedroom. Once there, she was unsurprised to find a heavily warded corner of the room. The thick shreds of power in the ether from a disbanded illusion told her exactly how she hadn't felt the wards previously. It concerned her how little any of these feats were surprising to her.

The sea chest made her ill to look at it.

Judy hadn't approached the perimeter of the wards, so she was a fair distance from the object, but it didn't help. The nauseatingly potent aura of the thing was cloyingly thick. Nick seemed unaffected as he procured a large key from somewhere about his person and opened the lid.

"It's perfectly safe, Carrots. Nothing will hurt you if you come closer."

Judy raised an eyebrow in response, which garnered a chortle from him. Nonetheless, she crept a bit closer.

Inside the chest was a motley collection of miscellaneous bits and pieces. Stacks of cigarette boxes, a bottle of expensive scotch, a few bone relics and racks of vials filled with substances Judy didn't want too look too closely all filled the surprisingly large space. However, the space was dominated by a large crystal tub, roughly the size of her torso, filled with a vile looking blob of putrid metal.

"That's your armor?"

"Uhhuh! Took me centuries to collect it."

"Centuries?"

"It took that long to steal it's pieces from their owners. They were scattered among collections and shrines in Hell. Personally, I don't care. It's a good armor and it likes me, so I'm happy."

"It likes you. It's sentient? Fully?"

"It's more like many and one at the same time. It can be any form of armor I want and can change as I wish, but it isn't limited to one piece, or four. It can have one voice, or as many as there are stars in the sky. I'm just glad it was in four when I went looking for it."

"I can imagine. How do you put it on? Do you need to dive in, or something?"

"Like this." Nick smiled and held out his arm. "Go on, Lefty."

Long, thin tendrils shot out of the bracelet and dove into the mass of liquid metal. The silvery mass rippled in a way Judy could only call enthusiastic before flowing up the tendrils in a flood and under the cuff of Nick's shirt. He, in response, moaned and shivers.

"Your armor is doing something unspeakable to you, isn't it."

Between suppressed moans, he choked out, "I could tell you exactly what it's doing, but your pure little bunny ears would burst into flame."

"Sweet Mother of Dawn..."

"She's not being that aggressive, Carrots. She just missed me. That's all."

"Of course your armor would choose such a greeting."

"Greetings."

"What?"

"Greetings, Carrots. Plural." Seeing her confused look, he elaborated, "There's more than one way to pleasure a male," and punctuated his statement with another wink.

Judy's face and ears warred between going ghost white and beet red. All she could manage by way of verbal response was sputtering. For a breath, Nick could only think of how cute she looked like that, before catching himself and banishing the thought from his mind.

"Don't look so shocked, angelfluff. I cut my teeth in Hell's brothels. You learn to like everything, there."

"Are you completely shameless?!"

"Absolutely. 100%. Want to give it a try? She's very gentle." A look of delighted realization crossed his face and he exclaimed, "Oh!" before opening the bond, again.

Judy slammed it shut. "Let's just get going."

As she beat a hasty retreat, Nick grabbed a couple daggers and a few smaller coins from one of the compartments Judy hadn't stuck around to see. He wanted to be prepared, just in case. He also felt a little better for being defensible, but not for himself. A strange altruistic feeling floated through him, sparking on the edges of his memory. He disliked the feeling even as he found it elating.

They headed out to hunt.