Part Two, here we go! I actually put some thought behind this after having LunaTheBlackWolf question about it in the early stages of this story. Clever girl! XD

I apologize for keeping this away for long time. A lot of things have been catching up to me at last, and it's slowing me down.

Please enjoy!

"I don't like this!" Diego shouted to the dark lady as a Beowolf stood in front of him, growling. "I'm gonna die!"

Salem simply flashed a smile and answered, "Think positive, boy!"

"Okay... I'm positive that I'm gonna die!" he remarked.

Salem rolled her eyes. "Just go over to the Grimm and lay your hand on it!"

Diego trembled as he walked towards the Beowolf. It was still growling, sensing his fear as he approached. The only thing keeping it from killing him was its mistress nearby, who was controlling it with a form of telepathic commands. Diego didn't feel like trying this at all, but a voice in his head kept nagging him forward.

You wanted to conquer your fears. Why throw away such an opportunity?

Diego gulped as he got within arm's reach of the Beowolf. He closed his eyes and held out his hand. For a moment, nothing happened. Then he felt something rub against his hand. Opening his eyes, he found the Beowolf rubbing its head against the hand of the stranger before it. Feeling a little calmer, Diego started patting and petting the creature, which growled in satisfaction.

"It's almost like a puppy," Diego managed, a small smile forming on his face. Salem also smiled, as her technique had worked beautifully.

The boy is learning fast, she thought to herself, He could be of great use to us in the future.

With a smile, Salem stood to her feet to address the boy.

"Good job, Diego," she said to him with genuine pride. "Ready to move on to something larger?"

Diego looked to her and gave a small smile.

"If you don't mind, I think I'd like to wait for another day or two," he replied.

"Suit yourself," she answered with a small shrug. She watched him go back to admiring the Beowolf and smiled with amusement.

He will learn, eventually...

"Diego, I'd like for you to meet someone."

Diego looked up from the book he had been reading and stood to his feet as his father called to him, as he stood in the doorway. Mr. Kaplia was a human in his mid-forties, with black hair and blue eyes. He wore a blue suit and a cane was in his right hand, which he seemed to lean upon for support whenever he was standing in one place for an extended period of time.

"What is it, father?" he asked, following the adult to their living room where two unfamiliar figures waited on them. Both were cheetah Faunus, one male and one female. The male seemed to be much older than the female, who looked only a year younger than Diego. The male Faunus looked up at the two and a polite smile formed on his face.

"Ah, Master Kapila," he addressed Diego's father formerly, "I assume that this strapping young lad beside you is your son?"

"Indeed he is," Mr. Kaplia replied just as politely. Diego could hear a hint in his father's voice that said his father disliked something about this meeting, but the Cheetah Faunus didn't seem to notice. Turning his attention back to the cheetah, he put on a polite expression of his own.

"Pleased to meet you sir," Diego said, shaking the cheetah's hand.

"Likewise," he replied. "I've come to propose a tie between your father's family and my own."

Diego felt a little voice in the back of his head warn him that he wasn't gonna like where this was going, but he still asked, "What kind of tie did you have in mind, sir?"

The Cheetah gestured to his daughter, who walked over to her father and held his hand.

"A marriage," he said bluntly. Diego realized now what was going on and felt his father's heat signature rise a bit more as he tried to keep himself composed. The Cheetah continued.

"This is my daughter, Katherine," he said formerly, "She's fifteen years old, and it's customary in our family for her to be betrothed to someone by this age. We've gotten a list of others, but you were our first target, given your respectable status in society."

Diego wanted to outright refuse, for his family wasn't a believer in such forms of marriage. However, an idea came to his mind as he thought about what benefits this could grant to the poor little girl. As he thought to himself, he heard his father say, "Of course. We'd be more than happy to accept your proposal, and we hope that your daughter will feel right at home here."

The Cheetah smiled and shook Mr. Kapila's hand. "Thank you. Now as much as I'd like to stay, I'm afraid I must be going. Katherine is free to come and go as she pleases, if that's not too much trouble for you?"

"No trouble at all," Mr. Kapila beamed. The Cheetah nodded, then excused himself and with a final farewell he left the room. They waited until they heard him close the front door signaling that he had departed, then they started speaking to each other. Meanwhile, Katherine quietly excused herself and left the room.

"You aren't seriously agreeing with him, are you?" Diego asked, knowing what his father's answer was but also curious as to what his father had planned.

"Of course not," his father replied, "But I've seen the other suitors he had in mind, and I wouldn't wish to see Katherine betrothed to them. No, she's safer with you. Besides..." He gave Diego a grin. "I believe that my son has an idea of his own for her?"

Diego smiled and nodded. "If she's betrothed to me, then she cannot be given away to any other unless I personally will it. So as long as I never do such a thing, she's safe from any unwanted suitors."

Seeing what his son was planning, Mr. Kapila made a laugh and slapped his son on the back.

"That's my boy!" he remarked cheerfully, "Now, maybe you should tell Miss Katherine about this arrangement? So she feels more at ease."

"Absolutely," Diego replied, looking in the direction the said Faunus had taken off to. He walked out of the living room and heard a soft crying upstairs, as well as sensing her heat signature with his viper pits, one of his few Faunus traits that he had inherited from his mother. He walked up the stairs and to his bedroom door, where the sobs seemed to get louder. He gave a soft knock before opening and found the poor girl sitting on his bed with a tear streaked face. Giving a friendly smile, he walked over to the side of the bed and sat down, not bothering to close the door beforehand.

"Why are you so sad?" he asked her gently. She didn't answer at first and he tried again. "It's okay. I won't tell anyone if you don't want me to. I just don't like seeing a girl sad, let alone any guest under this roof."

She sniffed a few more times, then dried her tears and looked to him. Maybe she felt that he was sincere or perhaps she had no one else to pour out her grief to, but she finally spoke.

"I didn't want to be married," she explained, "I don't feel like I'm ready for it. Especially to someone I don't know or have never seen before. My father... is one to follow older traditions, so he doesn't understand." She sighed sadly. "I didn't wish to upset you downstairs, but... You're cute and I believe you're nice people here, but I-"

Diego cut her off with a short hand gesture, giving her a reassuring smile.

"My family doesn't believe in such a thing either," he told her, "We simply agreed for a different motive. Miss Katherine, if one is betrothed to another, you can't be given to anyone else unless I wish it to be so. Well... I don't wish to marry you for your sake, but neither do I feel that it's right to let you marry someone else who may not respect you as he should." He gave her a grin. "So, I'm keeping you under my wing to prevent both."

She looked to him with surprise in her cat eyes, searching his expression curiously to see if he truly was as sincere as he let on. Satisfied with his answer, she dried her tears and smiled. Her smile was rather cute on her face.

"That's awfully kind of you, Mr Kapila..." she began, but stopped when Diego chuckled a bit.

"Mr. Kapila's my father," he said, "Just call me Diego."

"Okay, Diego," she said again, "I don't know how else to thank you for this act of kindness you've shown to me. How can I ever repay you?"

Diego gave her shoulder a comforting squeeze. "I only wish I could do more." He stood up and looked around his room. "Feel free to take the bed if you'd like. I can fix up another one for myself. Make yourself at home." He walked to the doorway, then turned back and gave her another smile. "I'll see you at dinner Katherine."

"Kitty," she said.

"Huh?" Diego paused and listened again.

"My friends used to call me 'Kitty' when I was child," she explained.

Diego smirked. "Well then, Kitty, I'll see you in an hour."

With that, Diego left the room fully and descended the stairs to where he had left his book. Opening it up again, he muttered to himself, "Now then, where was I? Oh right. The Grimm chapter..."

"You're late!" Salem scolded him sharply that night as he arrived at the place where he had placed his blind.

"Sorry I can't always make room for you, Your Majesty," he replied sarcastically, "Besides, I have a life outside this thing you do with me."

"Then balance it more efficiently," she remarked rudely, "I can't afford to have you late for my lessons."

"Sheesh, one time and she's on you like a ravenous wolf," Diego joked. "Okay, show me what you've got."

Salem just glared icily at him as she summoned the largest Ursa Major she could. She stared at him as he went through the same procedures he had gone through with the other Grimm. He had been mastering his fears quite well, maybe too well. Even though she could kill him at anytime and even though she was something rather frightful to be around, he never seemed to fear her. If anything, he actually acted like she was another person from his town whenever he was around her. It was not something she was accustomed to, and it infuriated her.

Yet at the same time, it made her feel something inside that she couldn't exactly identify. All she knew was that she hated it. She wanted the feeling to go away, to crush it and banish it to the deepest darkest recesses of Remnant. And yet... an itty bitty part of her said otherwise. That tiny part of her enjoyed this feeling, craved it, longed for it every day. It was a feeling it felt was long overdue in her miserable life. To be treated like an equal, like a person... not a monster...

She growled to herself. She was not a person, she was a monster! She would never change that nor could anyone else. Still, she couldn't deny that it was a feeling that she found alluring.

A yawn from the direction of the boy signaled that he was done with lesson. She looked to him and nodded in approval.

"You've done well, Kapila," she said, "If you keep this up, you may become invisible to the eyes of the Grimm entirely."

"I'll take that as a compliment," Diego replied. He then gave her a smile. "Thanks."

"For what?" Salem asked, genuinely confused.

"For helping me overcome my fears," he answered, giving her a hug. The Queen of the Grimm was too surprised to react properly to this situation, whether negatively or positively. The boy released her and then stated, "Well, I'd better get back home. I need my sleep, and I wouldn't wish to worry my parents."

He skipped off in the direction of home through the forest, humming happily to himself as he went. Salem watched him go, her gaze never leaving him until he had disappeared from view. Even then she continued to stare in the direction he had headed for the longest of times.

As a small non-evil smile appeared on her face.

Well, this took much too long to finish! But, I finally got part two done!

Next up, part three!

Cya next time! I hope you enjoyed!