A/N: Is this an early update? Yes. Will there be another update within the same month? Currently working on it. I wanted to see if I could attempt weekly updates. Technically, this was supposed to be up last week to celebrate the end of college, but plans changed, and then procrastination/laziness took over. But, here it is. I've already begun the next chapter, and this chapter reached 5.5k, so I'm pretty happy.

Some trigger warnings ahead, the beginning is rather depressing and depicts the aftermath of abuse, but nonetheless, for those who are sensitive, you are welcome to skip, but you may be missing a crucial part of the story. Second, you'll notice it'll say 2nd/3rd POV. It might be confusing, so I'll just say that it's somewhat of a shared perspective between Rachel (3rd) and the Unknown (2nd). I hope that clears that up. If not, you're welcome to leave questions in your reviews or PM me.

Now, no reviews (aside from anon which is probably a troll message) that need replies, but otherwise, I appreciate all my silent readers. Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I don't own Kuroshitsuji nor will I ever. Everything read not included in the manga are my ideas and characters alone unless mentioned otherwise.

Chapter 15 Unknown's POV (2nd/3rd)
(sometime in Rachel's childhood)
7-year old Rachel
The rat bastard left her there. In the barely built house. Stained with sin. Trembling. Cold. All those beatings that took an ounce of life from her, black and blue all over.

She couldn't get up.

An arm lifted itself weakly. A soft whimper before it collapsed under her.

'No. Not here. You can't give up here.'

She was so close to giving up. Why even bother? What was the point if everyday would be the same damn routine.

She winced just from the thought. 'No, I can't die here. I won't.

With newfound strength, she tried again. Nothing. She grunted weakly in frustration.

Then, all of a sudden, she felt a dark presence next to her. He was back.

She flinched, crying out from pain, and fear, and-

"Shh, hush, now, child. I won't hurt you." Gentle hands - yours - tried reaching for her, but she huddled closer into herself.

'No! He's going to hurt me again!' A tear escaped, barely even staining the mottled floor she cowered on.

A dim light flickered on and off the dank room, a stellar representation of her fluctuating trust. She couldn't trust strangers, not after-

"Please, Rachel, let me help you." Your soft voice albeit urgent was also pleading, desperate. Pained.

He knew her name. But how? Only he did. But he never begged. No, he only took and hurt and yelled. No, this one was different.

She was still afraid to look up, but when the hands tipped with black nails coaxed her gently into their strong arms and warmth, she fussed, crying. "It hurts, it hurts!"

A pained sound escaped you whilst holding her, and you held her tighter. Just barely. "I know, child, I know. Just, please, no more crying…"

She sniffled, pathetically, shivering and cold but stuck between burrowing further into his clothes or struggling to get away. Eventually, she gave in to the inviting warmth, not making a sound as she felt the man slowly begin to pet her head. She sighed, cuddling closer. Uncaring of whether this was reality or an illusion. She'd take anything in this state over him.

Then, she decided that she wanted to see you. This savior who rescued her. She tried opening her eyes, and the first thing she saw was dark. No, not dark, black.

You were wearing black. All black. Her squinting eyes tried traveling higher. Your face. She wanted to see your face. To makes sure that it wasn't him.

"Don't strain yourself, my dear. It'll only hurt worse." The soft deep voice was bemoaning her.

No, she had to know. Her small, dirty hands pulled on your clothes, gripping with whatever miry strength she possessed. She strained higher, moaning from the pain until she saw him. No, she saw you.

Her mouth gaped at your inhuman eyes staring back at her. No, it wasn't him.

She wanted to cry with relief. Her hand that was fisted in his clothes tugged several times. "Save me, p-please. Take me away from here… It hurts."

Your eyes creased with pain and guilt. "I can't, my dear. They won't…" You sighed. "They won't allow me to."

Her heavy silver eyes that once gleamed hopefully at you began to dull, and with each darker shade, you felt your heart tugging tighter with guilt.

Her lips that were pulled in a little smile began to recede, and your anger from remembering about the rat bastard beating her rekindled. No, you definitely wouldn't just leave her like that. They won't let you do anything. Not yet. But, oh, how badly you wanted to kill him. That lowly filth who dared lay hands on her.

"I promise you, my dear. I will find a way out of this for you. On my heart, I promise."

She sniffled, jerking from the force of her sobs. "Why? Why me?" She couldn't imagine why anyone would want to save her out of their own volition.

You stilled as you held her. Then you smirked sadly. 'If only she knew.' So you decided you'd tell her.

Looking down at her, you used a finger to tilt up her chin. She was sitting in your lap, your arm around her to shield her from her harsh reality and protect her from the cold. And mustering the gentlest smile you could offer, you said to those weary and dull silver eyes looking up at you, simply, "Because you are my dearest treasure."

…

Rachel's POV (1st)
I jerked awake, bolting upright on my bed, gasping for breath.

What was that?

Then, I registered a presence to my right and was surprised to find myself gripping the outstretched wrist of Undertaker who had a concerned frown on his face with my right hand. "My dear?"

I blinked before looking away. Still trying to catch my breath.

I can't let him see me like this.

I shook my head. "I'm fine." I swallowed thickly, trying to work some moisture into my mouth. I shook my head.

Deep breaths, Rachel. Deep breaths.

I exhaled, releasing his wrist before feeling his hand enclose around mine, and I looked at him, confused.

He still had a disconcerting frown on his face, probably from doubting my answer. He'd yet to say anything more.

"What?"

He tilted his head before releasing my wrist just as quickly. A flashed smile. "Nothing at all, m'dear~ Just simply wondering why you weren't waking up."

I blinked and slowly nodded. "Okay…"

He grinned, giggling under his breath. "Now then, this is no time for idle chit-chat! We have much to do, much to do~" He was tugging on my wrist now, trying to get me out of bed like some impatient child who wanted to show me something.

I quirked my mouth. Or in this case, get me to do more of his paper work. "Can you just allow me a few minutes to get changed and washed up, at least?"

He held up a sleeved hand, covering his grin as chuckles pealed out. "Hihihi~ You and your rigorous routine! Why you bother with such meaningless trifles eludes me~"

I sniffed derisively. "Better than rolling out of bed and walking around in the same dirt and attracting more dirt only to dirty your sheets more. At least I can say I have a sense of hygiene." I had walked about the room, collecting articles of clothing I needed and a towel before brushing past him and into his bathroom.

I set the clothes on the counter before prepping for my morning bath. Hearing steps behind me stop at the doorway, I didn't have to turn around and see the sardonic grin he had on his face. I concentrated on warming the water into the bucket he had in the basin.

His bathroom was bare but clean, at least. Well, at least the stereotypical bathroom a third-class citizen would possess. But, if Yana was actually serious, then Undertaker probably didn't take baths often, which was why his hair appeared silvery-gray rather than white. It still looked marvelous, for a guy's hair, but still, his canonically lack of hygiene was rather concerning, even if he were a reaper who needn't be concerned with bacteria.

My mouth quirked, and when I still didn't feel him leave, I sighed in exasperation. "Plan on leaving anytime soon?" I turned around and found him leaning against the door post, arms crossed with a smirk. My eyes narrowed. "What?"

His smirk only grew. "For a demon, I find it intriguing that you are so meticulous with human routine. Why go through all the hard work at all~?"

I paused, one hand in the bucket to gauge the temperature as the other rested on the faucet. I blinked at him before raising an eyebrow. "Aside from the fact that I'd have to appropriate some aspects of their daily lives to fit in, I've grown up among them, as well. Why wouldn't I bother?"

His head tilted, considering me thoughtfully. "There's no need for you to maintain a human facade here, m'dear. Your secret is quite safe with me~"

I scoffed. "Hah, depending on whom, you mean." I faced forwards, missing the smirk on his face and turned off the faucet before standing up and pointing at him. "You. Leave." I waved my hand dismissively at him. "I'll be taking a bath and no audiences are allowed."

He relented with a chuckle before straightening up. "As the lady commands. I'll be awaiting downstairs, in that case." He closed the door, booted feet walking away.

I shook my head, huffing. "Yeah, I'm sure you will," I murmured. Dipping my hand in the water again to make sure it didn't cool off, I stripped off my shirt and pajamas. No way I would be wearing those nightgowns my tailor made, not if I felt like I couldn't breathe.

I stepped into the bathtub before using a cup to pour the lukewarm water over my head. Normally, I wouldn't mind a shower, but at least this process was quicker. But, it made me colder, too. Already feeling goosebumps pebble on my skin, I quickly used whatever products he had offered, most of which were for men, so I'd smell rather odd for a few days until we got out and bought some stuff for me.

Having scrubbed soap and shampoo and conditioner into my hair, I dumped the rest of the water, cleaning off the suds before drying off and putting on the dress. Thankfully, the "corset" wasn't actually an corset but mainly for show and easily self-tied. After tightening it until it became uncomfortable, I slipped on the stockings and the the knee-high boots.

I sighed. Well, I can at least cross out "cosplay as a Victorian" off my to-do list.

I snorted.

Now for my hair. It was still slightly damp, but since I'd rolled it into the towel to keep from dripping onto my clothes, I'd have to comb it out until it was dry. Or just rub it dry and work out the tangles later.

Don't get me wrong, but being able to take a bath meant not feeling dirty the whole day. The first chance I'd had right after being injured, I stayed for a whole half hour, which cracked up my boss to no end, but he could shove it.

Putting down the comb, I looked at the mirror. It creeped me out how different I looked every time I saw my reflection, which wasn't very often. It's like I couldn't recognize myself anymore. I tilted my head and watched it do the same. I frowned. Shrugged.

It's not that big a deal.

It shouldn't be.

I closed the door.

…

It had only been a couple of hours, yet Undertaker wouldn't stop glancing at me. The first quarter of the hour, I politely ignored it, simply going through the motions of dusting, sweeping, the works. Breakfast hadn't been all that interesting, and since I both hate and suck at small talk, silence would have to do. Except for the fact that awkward silences were also just god-awful uncomfortable, and to top it off, Undertaker had just simply stared at me while eating with no expression whatsoever. He wasn't mad, but he wasn't happy either, simply deep in thought.

I deadpanned. If it was because of yesterday, then I wouldn't know what to do. I wouldn't apologize for what I said since it was all true. I looked down, sweeping up the last of the dust and dirt into a small tray before dumping it in the trash. Since I'd finished off dusting not too long ago, I decided it was about time we did something about those cobwebs.

Feeling a stare burning at my back, I decided that rather than attempt to look at him and get him to say whatever he's got going inside his mind like I've tried for the past half hour or so, it would be in my best interest to just start acting random.

Henceforth, the sudden wacking at the cobwebs that clung to the side of the walls and the corners of the room. Did I care that I was ruining the atmosphere of his shop? Fuck, nah. I cannot, could not, and will not stand for bugs of any kind. My neck craned upwards in an attempt to spot any that I missed before turning around hands on my hips to stare daggers at him.

The sound had startled him so much that he'd stopped working to watch me beat down the layers of dust and spiders inhabiting the nook and crannies of his shop. His mouth which had been agape was now set in a frown, almost a pout, really. I guess he didn't like seeing all his "hard work" going to waste, i.e. him not moving a goddamn inch to actually clean his shop.

"Dear, what are you doing?"

What an obvious question. One that did not deserve an obvious answer. I ignored him and went back to walking at his walls, dodging the occasional critter that somehow managed to find a living here. Well, nevermore, in that case.

"Dearie~"

Whack.

"Ellie, are you ignoring me?~"

Stomp! Another bug dead that won't be missed.

"Rachel-"

"You!" I pointed an accusing finger at him, disgust plain on my face though I doubt he could see it. The trail of dead bugs that had been smacked or squashed on only inciting my anger further. "You ought to be ashamed with how many of these disgusting things you allow to live here."

Aside from the blatant smirk on his face, I could imagine he had his eyebrows raised as well. "Oh? You mean these poor innocent critters that lent a hand in establishing the mood for my shop?~"

I sneered at his misplaced pity. "Innocent? Hah, those things shouldn't even be alive."

I could see him grow amused at having figured out a dislike of mine that he'd no doubt be utilizing in the near future to get me to do what he wanted. At that thought, I pointed my broom at him and rose my eyebrow to show him I was not shitting around. "I suggest you abandon whatever thoughts are running inside your head."

"And if I don't?" Came the cocky reply.

"I'll make sure to bite back twice as hard. Try me."

The stare-off ensued as he decided, deliberately dragging on the suspense. Then the corner of his mouth quirked upwards, dubious of my intent and self-assured of his victory. "Heh, not if your conscience gets you first~"

I growled. "That's it! You're getting it!" I suddenly appeared in front of him, swinging the broom to knock him on his ass, but, of course, he evaded easily. He pranced around the room, dodging just at the last minute as I tried to get him with my broom. In all our fool-hardy, I failed to take account of the possibility of anyone walking in on us like this…

… which manifested into the scenario we found ourselves in, now. The dreaded bell on his door rang, and the broom which was held in the air via me akin to a bat ready to swing paused, allowing the unsuspecting guest a more than welcome glimpse into the madness the shop contained. Whatever rumors there were that floated about me and the Undertaker were further cemented by what would've been a comical scene of me trying to beat up my boss had it been the right crowd. Alas, no such luck.

Seeing me, the subordinate, attempting to beat up my boss with said broomstick was all the persuasion the potential customer needed to get the hell out. Already drained of color, the guest managed to sputter, "U-um, I'm very s-sorry to have interrupted. I-I'll just take my leave now." And with haste, he slammed the door closed, hurried footsteps walking away in an attempt to recover some of his sanity.

I looked back only to find a creepy grin on Undertaker's face, aimed at where the former guest was. Ah, well then, glad to know that I wasn't the only contributor to this odd turn of events. Then, before I knew it, my back slammed against the wall with a grunt, the stick of the broom almost pressing against my throat had I not pushed back. He'd moved before I could even react, all within the span of a second, maybe even less. A millisecond? Does that even exist?

A sharp black fingernail poked my nose to bring my attention back to him. I sighed, disgruntled when his cocky smirk came into view. "What?"

"What was that about you biting back twice as hard, my dear?" He emphasized his words by increasing the pressure, forcing me on the defensive.

"Who said anything about it being right now?" I bit back, gritting my teeth at the effort to fight back the pressure he was exerting.

"Well now, a penny for your thoughts?~" A sneaky nail poked the cheek hidden intentionally by my bangs, and I had to turn my head to look at him while trying to keep it out of reach from his nosy fingers.

I scoffed. "Tch! Yeah, you first."

From the way his grin widened, I could tell he was enjoying the mini verbal spat, aside from the fact that he was inches away from crushing my throat with a broomstick. "Oh? And what makes you think you're in any position to make demands~"

I rose the only visible eyebrow facing him. "Rich talk for a guy who can't seem to say what he wants for literally two hours and is yet still having trouble figuring out how to say it. Oh yeah, it's that obvious." I nodded enthusiastically, which seemed to simultaneously amuse and annoy him.

"Hihihi!~ Now, now, some mercy for this poor hermit. After all, I was a lonely old man with no one for company before you came along."

I snorted. "Excuses. With how long you've been around, one would think that you would've already formed some socialization skills."

"How cruel~" A finger poked my side, making me squeak.

Oh God, no...

"Oh? Is someone ticklish, I wonder?" I saw from the corner of my eye, a hand flex dangerously close to my side, threatening oncoming torture if I didn't act fast enough.

I squirmed helplessly before blurting out, "Hey! Focus, here!"

His smug face was all I needed to know that this tidbit would be well stored away to use for his convenience. "If the lady insists~"

My eye twitched but I continued, nonetheless. "So? What's it that's been bothering you the whole morning?"

He paused, as if needing to think of how to reword it. He tilted his head and giggled. "Hihi~ well now, I was simply thinking of a way to ask you if you'd like to go out."

I blanked. It took him two hours to figure that out?

He continued, regardless of no response. "I simply wanted to make sure you were in the mood for it."

What the hell was that supposed to mean? "You make no sense."

He grinned, but was stopped when I held up a finger.

"I don't know why it would take you that long to ask if you could go out. It's your house, so you call the shots."

He chuckled. "I call the shots, eh~?"

When his face neared, I blanched and pushed against the stick to stop him. "Not in that way! Dammit, you know what I mean!"

His face stopped mere inches from mine before suddenly releasing and bursting into laughter.

I sighed, frustrated. I face palmed. So that's why he was acting all weird. He just wanted me to let my guard down. Stupid asshole.

I watched as he rolled on the floor, all giggles and tears with my arms crossed. "Are you done yet?"

More giggles.

I sighed. "Forget it." I stalked over to the door, yanking it open when I felt a clawed hand gently enclose my free arm, stopping me to look back.

He was already on his feet, a sleeved hand wiping his face to likely clean off the drool.

I rolled my eyes. "What do you want now?"

"Hihihi~ now now, m'dear." He released my arm but instead held out the same hand.

I stared at it, then looked back up at him. "What?"

He snickered but pulled me from the door and brought my arm around to tuck into his elbow. Then, he gave me an impish smile, making me further confused.

What the hell was he doing? Look, I understood that he was trying to imply that I needed an escort, but why he needed to be so extravagant really made no sense.

When he realized that I was still giving him the same blank stare, he snickered before leading me out of the shop and into the sidewalk.

My brain was still processing whatever the hell just happened inside the shop when I realized we were outside. I looked up, only to find the sky cloudy.

"Is England usually this bland?"

"On a daily basis, yes. Why do you ask, m'dear?"

I shook my head. "Just wondering." I looked from the corner of my eye to see him looking straight ahead, the typical smile pasted on his face. I was wondering why he was still smiling until I noticed people had given us a wide berth, most of which were staring at me.

I looked down, already feeling suffocated with the attention. Normally, I would've glared, but considering my boss was right next to me, I couldn't really act "normal" without tainting his image. Well, whatever else that hadn't been touched by his own doing and eccentric nature.

"Hihi, why do you hide, dear?"

I ducked my head, making my face more obscure with my hair as much as possible. "Don't like being stared at," I murmured.

He hummed before quickening our gait and entering a pub. I didn't have to look up to smell the booze and cigars permeating the atmosphere. What I hadn't expected was to find everyone's attention on us. Only thanks to Undertaker's eccentric nature, no one dared approach us. Still, the curiosity burned in their stares, especially at me being attached to his arm.

He led us to a table where I was released and sat on a chair. "Be a dear and wait right there while I get us our food, won't you?" Without leaving me any room for response, he was gone with the flutter of his cloak.

Oh great. I gauged the reception of the room. So far, most people were curious, at least those present in the mind. Some stares I could feel burning into my back, but so long as I minded my own business, there shouldn't be any problem…

"Well well, what's a pretty little thing like you doin' here?"

… Too late. Stifling a sigh, I tilted my head up to acknowledge the unwelcome presence bothering me. Much like the majority of the guests in the pub, we have here a middle-aged drunkard, third-class nobody. A nobody currently disturbing me, mind.

I suppressed the urge to move away, especially since he reeked of booze. It'd only make me look more vulnerable, and I didn't want to cause a scene already. I simply decided to keep my glare on him but not bother answering. It's not worth my time to talk to idiots.

"Cat go' yer tongue, eh? Heh, we'll see about tha'." He moved closer to grab my arm and probably drag me off somewhere he could have me to himself when a clawed hand gripped his forehand, tightening its hold considerably. He winced, and when he saw the Undertaker, he tried putting up a brave front. "Eh, wha's the deal, guvnah?" He tried wrenching his arm away, but Undertaker didn't relent one bit.

His grin widened until we could see the white of the drunkard's eyes as he loomed over him. "How about you bugger off and leave the lady alone. It's rather ungentlemanly to handle her so roughly~" He smiled rather cruelly, forcing him back with a giggle as the drunkard scampered out of the bar.

Having stayed in my seat the whole time, I could only ponder over English men and their weird selection of words. When he turned back to look at me, I rose an eyebrow at him to ask if he was done. He only giggled and sat beside me where I noticed that before us lay two plates of fish and chips along with a cup of water each.

Noticing my lack of reaction, he added, "I thought it'd do us some good to start the day with some good ole fish and chips. I'd reckon you haven't tasted it before, have you, m'dear~"

Looking at the meal, I shook my head. "I've heard of it."

He quirked a smile at that before stuffing his face with fish. Observing his manners, I couldn't help but think of those food competitions where people compete to finish first. Undertaker would definitely be a world winner in that case.

I blinked down at my food before eating my fill, barely eating just half of it until I noticed he was stealing bits and pieces of my fish and just figured I would relinquish the rest to him. He was surprised at how easily I gave up my food, but noticing the lack of complaint decided not to question it.

The food itself wasn't lacking, it was fried well, and the chips - which were actually fries - were pretty okay.

When he noticed my sour glare, he snickered and asked, "What seems to be the issue, dear?"

I prodded the so called "chip" and answered, "It's this ridiculous notion of the same things having different names. This 'chip' for example would be called fries in America, but ever since that stupid Revolution that won my country its independence, we're still keeping up with this charade. Even the damn streets operate the opposite; Americans drive on the right, English on the left. And what is it with the English accent that makes them more posh? If anything, they look like assholes!"

I glared as laughter bubbled from his lips, making my sour mood even worse. "What!"

He wheezed out in his slumped over position, "Hihi… I'm sorry, dear, but… just how riled up you are… with such little things!… I'd have never… imagined… haha~"

I facepalmed. Oh right, he didn't give a shit, did he? Well, at least he had a cockney accent, so that gave him a pass.

I waited for him to catch his breath, propping my arm on the table and resting my chin on my hand as I gave him the stink-eye. Once he'd recovered, I stared at my plate, pushing the crumbs around with my utensil. He straightened in his seat, assuming the same position I did.

The commotion had caught some people's eyes, but thanks to the Undertaker's unintentional intimidating presence due to his eccentricities, no one dared confront him for his behavior. And a good thing they didn't either, because I was pretty sure I wouldn't have the patience to deal with them.

I stabbed said "chip" with my fork and shoved it in my mouth, ignoring the smirk on my boss's face as I tried finishing the rest of my meal.

"What intrigues me most is why you seem to react the opposite a demon usually would~ Just now, the man who had attempted to drag you off, why didn't you respond or even seduce him, I wonder?" His nail tapped his lip as he observed me.

Still fuming about the situation, besides being laughed at, I curtly replied, "You're forgetting I'm only half."

He tilted his head. "So it's the human side of you that I've been seeing, then."

I sighed. "I don't know. I myself don't know how it works. All I know is that just because I change forms doesn't change who I am. Sure, I may seem different due to personality, but I'd like to think that it doesn't change who I am. And if it does, then I suppose I have a problem."

He stayed silent, giving me time to collect my thoughts.

"I don't know if maybe along the way, our 'personalities' might end up merging. I wouldn't know if that's a good thing or not. I can't even remember how I came to be half-demon, all I know is that I am one."

He frowned. "How wouldn't you know?"

I shrugged. "I don't remember a lot from my childhood. Maybe just bits and pieces, but just enough to know the people important to me…" I trailed off as I thought about the dream I had earlier, so vivid as if it were a memory. "Or maybe not. Who knows?" I added nonchalantly.

He steepled his hands, regarding me curiously. "So, is it similar to possession?"

I tilted my head. "Not exactly. More like co-habitation. So long as I sustain it, then I can use its powers."

"Could it leave at any time? Does it sustain itself by eating your soul? Can you talk to it?"

I gave him a bland look. For a reaper, he was sure interested, but knowing his obsession for research and knowledge, I suppose I couldn't blame him. "Well, first of all, I'm sure it could, but since we're accustomed to each other, it may come with major repercussions. Second, like I said, I replenish my demon through the souls I take using my weapon. And lastly, I can contact it, but usually only during emergencies. We do have a strong connection, but usually we only talk when I need to borrow more power or I need to settle a dispute with it." Seeing his confused frown, I added, "For example, if I'm about to do something that it disagrees with, it'd give me a signal of sorts. It's kind of like having a voice in my head."

He smirked. "Voices, eh?"

I nodded.

"Well, now. How interesting, but what if I wanted to talk to it?~"

"Hmm, well, the demon would have to come out, but as of right now, it's not really in the mood, so, I can't really do much about it."

He giggled. "How interesting, this symbiotic relationship of yours~" He used my fork to steal the last "chip" on my plate, watching the flicker of emotions from annoyed to disgust show on my face.

"You know that's my fork, right?"

"Mm-hmm~"

"With my saliva on it?"

"Yes?~"

I rolled my eyes. "That's disgusting."

"Hihi~ A little bit of bacteria won't hurt anyone~"

I curled my lip at his response but bit back a retort. No point arguing with the coot.

"But you still haven't answered my second question. Even if it did feed on the souls you kill, it wouldn't stop it from feeding on your soul, now would it? Therefore lending to your fear of 'Rachel' ceasing to exist and 'Ruth' being left over~"

My eyebrows knit, relaying the info in my head. "Perhaps, but so far, the arrangement has proven satisfactory for us both. If it ever becomes a problem, then I'll find a way to deal with it." My eyes dropped to the table. As much as I could fake bravado all I want, I still wasn't completely sure what I'd do if I ever got to that point.

"What if I helped you get rid of it?"

I looked up to see one solitary double-irised eye staring at me. My breath caught in my throat. Chancing a quick glance around us, I confirmed that no one was paying attention, at least not obviously, and turned back to see that he was still staring me down. Was he actually serious?

I felt a tug on my mind. Ooh, my demon did not like that. Not one bit.

"I can help free you from it, you know? You wouldn't need to worry about your life shortening."

I watched him warily. "Although I appreciate the concern, I'd rather take care of it myself. Besides, this symbiotic relationship of ours actually is meant to last indefinitely. I may end up living as long as a demon can so long as the demon inhabits my body."

He chuckled smoothly, his scarred eye narrowing a bit. With a deep, soothing tone, he replied, "The offer still stands, m'dear."

Then, as if nothing happened, the hair was swept back in place and his usual mad grin spread like wildfire. "Now that that's been dealt with, off to the bakery with you!~ From my experience, they sell the best pastries~ A shy family business but rapidly growing if they can meet consumer demands!"

I deadpanned as he grabbed my hand and pulled me out of my seat. "You mean yours?"

He looked back and grinned, nodding enthusiastically. "Why, not just me, love~ After all, you're joining me, as well!" With a merry giggle, we made our way out of the bar and to our next stop. The bakery.