Dull throbbing pain throughout Komodo's body brought her from the nightmare she had delved into. She moaned softly in discomfort as she shifted her aching body, not opening her eyes.

"Komodo!"

The woman opened one eye a slit to find Beelzebumon's face hovering over her. She closed it again. Both eyes fluttered open after a few moments. "Wha...?"

"Yer okay."

"I...I hurt..."

"Where?!" the tone in his voice was of alarm and concern.

"Everywhere..."

"He hurt ya?!"

"No," She drew in a wheezing breath before continuing. "I just hurt."

Nicholas' voice suddenly joined in. "I think it's just from fatigue. She wore herself out bein' scared to death from that guy. Her body has to recuperate."

Komodo sighed quietly. I spent so much time upset I hurt myself. She blinked in surprise when she felt pressure against her scalp and her hair move. She brought her eyes up to see that Beelzebumon was stroking her head.

"I'm sorry, Komodo. I should'a been payin' more attention. I should'a seen that bastard-"

"It's not your fault. It's mine."

Nicholas came in to view, standing on the outer side of the coffee table. "No one is to blame except for that Kaz guy. And he got what he deserved."

Komodo's eyes grew wide. "Wh-what did you guys do to him?"

Both males stared at her in surprise.

"Ya sound like yer concerned." A look of slight disgust flitted across the Viral's face as he spoke.

"I-I..."

Nicholas shook his head. "You're just too sweet."

"And to answer yer question. I beat the shit outta 'im. And I think somethin' else got 'im."

"Huh?"

"We heard him scream when he managed to get away from Bee. He was out where we couldn't see him."

Komodo's eyes burned from the tears forming behind them. "I...I...why does everyone I come in contact get hurt? Or they hurt me...I'm a monster."

This statement brought a sudden laughing fit from the Viral. "No ya ain't. Yer lookin' at one!"

Nicholas moved around the coffee table so that he was near to Komodo. "Darlin' you're not a monster. Bad things tend to happen to good people. Kaz was the monster. He got what he deserved."

"All that ever seems to happen is just bad..."

"I'm rather offended." Beelzebumon said, blowing hard through his nose.

"As am I! Are you saying meeting us was bad?"

"No! No, not at all!" Komodo cried, horrified that they had interpreted it that way. She covered her face with her hands.

"You just need to rest, now. Okay? All the excitement from earlier has gotten you worked up again. Bee's here to take care of you, I gotta get back to my kids. They're probably wondering where I am."

Komodo lowered her hands down to her chin. "Do you really have to leave?"

"I do. But I'll come by tomorrow to visit if it's okay with Bee. Since I don't think he'll take you to the bar for awhile."

Beelzebumon nodded solemnly. "Got that right. I don't care a bit if ya come by, Nic."

"Awesome. Will most certainly be back tomorrow to see how you are doing, dear."

"Thank you, Nicholas."

"Oh, reminds me. I'll have to have you over to my house so you can meet my kids sometime."

"Don't do it, 'is little 'ellions are just that."

Nicholas broke into a jovial laughter. "He's just sayin' that because they tried to play tea-time with him last time he was over."

"Little 'ellions."

Komodo smiled slightly behind her fingers as the thought of the grumpy Digimon sitting at a small table being served tea by a small girl.

Nicholas made his way to the front door. "You take it easy now." he said as he opened the door.

"I will."

He gave a final wave before departing.

With Nicholas' absence, the living room fell into silence.

"Ya hungry or anythin'?"

Komodo shook her head slowly. "No. Everything aches...I don't have an appetite."

"Need some pain meds? A bath maybe?"

The word 'bath' made Komodo shudder visibly, past events flitting behind her eyes. "No bath." she said in a pleading tone.

Beelzebumon gave her a quizzical look but did not speak, instead he hurried to the bathroom.

Having the room to herself, Komodo let her thoughts stray back to the events with Kaz. Her brows furrowed as she attempted to recollect what had happened. Kaz had hold of me, with that awful gun to my head. Strange noise...Bee moving so quickly. That was so frightening. I'd never seen him do that before. Then, nothing. Just the dark and pain. She examined her wrists, still resting on her legs. The outer portion of her wrists bore indentations from the zip-tie that had bound her. She was brought from her thoughts as Beelzebumon set a small cylinder bottle on the table.

"'Ere's the pills. I'll get ya a drink." He quickly disappeared into the kitchen.

Komodo readily accepted the glass of water held out to her on the Digimon's return.

"Need anythin' else?" Beelzebumon asked after Komodo had swallowed two of the pills.

She shook her head. "No. Thank you. I'm fine."

He gave a slight nod and sat down on the other end of the couch.

Muscles in Komdo's body twitched at random intervals, sending new sparks of pain with each movement. The young woman tried her best to ignore the pain, waiting for the medication to numb her.

"Ya okay?"

"Hm?"

"Ya look like ya keep hurtin', way yer face scrunches up. Ya sure yer doin' okay?"

"Yes. The medicine hasn't kicked in yet."

"Oh. Well, just lemme know if I can do anythin' fer ya."

"I will."

Komodo figured she would fall asleep once the medication kicked in, but instead she found herself curled in the corner of the couch watching Beelzebumon play one of his video games. With the pain gone, she felt less fatigued and more alert. The events of the night still played inside her mind.

After a short while, something clicked inside Komodo's mind and she bolted upright. "Oh, no!"

"What, what?"

"I-I remember a gunshot..."

"Gunshot?"

"Yes, or did I just imagine it?"

"Oh, er." Beelzebumon pinched his lips shut and trained his gaze on the television, shifting his body away from the young woman.

Komodo noted his actions, a strange sense of dread in the pit of her stomach. "Bee, you didn't...?"

"Didn't wha?"

"Didn't shoot him, did you?"

"Eh? Psh, I told ya I just beat the shit outta 'im."

"Then why do I remember a gunshot?"

The Viral shrugged his shoulders in a more exaggerated manner than Komodo thought was necessary, as if he were shrugging off her questioning.

"Beelzebumon, please..."

"Ooookay. If ya really must know. Yer correct, there was a gunshot."

"Was it from Kaz? Did he hit either of you? Nic seemed all right."

Beelzebumon waved his hand in a nonchalant manner. "Naw. 'E didn't hit anybody. I freaked 'im out when I took ya from 'im, is all."

"Are you certain?"

"Yeh."

Komodo was unconvinced, but questioned him no further. She instead settled herself down again in the corner of the couch.

The next morning found Komodo stiff from sleeping in the corner of the couch. She carefully stretched out her legs enough to sit up, groaning softly as she did so.

"'Ey, kiddoe. How ya feelin'?"

She turned her head to see the Viral sitting on the couch, positioned closer to her than he normally would be. "Sore, mostly."

"Not in pain or anythin'?"

"I am a little."

"Better than last night, good."

Komodo blinked slowly as a realization came to her. She turned her eyes towards the table to find it bearing items it normally did not. Upon closer inspection, she found them to be the sheets and other items that had resided within the box Beelzebumon had been so protective of before.

Beelzebumon was smoothing out one of the larger pieces of paper. "Last night got me thinkin'...so I brought out 'is stuff."

"'His'?"

"Mhm. What happened last night, brought back some harsh realizations."

Komodo felt her stomach lurch in a sickening manner. iThat maybe I'm not helpful to keep around? If what happened caused him to do this.../i

"I can't protect those I care 'bout. I couldn't prevent 'is death. And last night...I nearly lost ya, too."

Komodo blinked, taken aback. "But you still saved me."

"I wouldn't been able ta if it weren't fer that distraction. Komodo, 'e coulda-" He stopped mid-sentence and scrunched his eyes shut.

The young woman watched the Viral's body start to shake. Is he really that upset? I thought...I figured it was not something he would have... Unsure of what to do to comfort him, she merely watched silently, wringing the hem of her shirt in her hands.

After a few moments, Beelzebumon inhaled a shuddering breath and opened his eyes. The metal-tipped claws of one hand reached out slowly to the note-cards before him; one of which he rested the tips upon.

Komodo remained silent, trying to figure out what the Digimon was attempting to explain by his actions.

"I didn't tell ya before. I dunna if I figure I will now, whose these belong ta."

"You don't have to if it will hurt you." Komodo said softly, an ache tugging at her heart-strings.

"They're from someone who I couldn't protect. Someone close ta me. I swore it would never happen again."

"I'm really sorry...I just make problems where ever I go..."

Beelzebumon's head jerked up and his red-wine eyes bore into Komodo's dark brown ones. She found herself unable to tear her gaze away.

"Don't even apologize fer what happened last night, don't even."

"Bu-"

The Viral pointed a claw at her warningly, cutting her off. "I said stop it. It wasn't yer fault, it was that bastard's."

Komodo looked away guiltily, dropping her gaze towards the coffee table.

"Ya can't blame yerself fer it, kiddoe."

"But I do..." she whispered. "I don't know why you guys saved me..."

"'Cause we care."

"Care about what? I'm not worth caring about. I just cause problems. You could have been hurt-"

Beelzebumon reached out a hand to clasp it over Komodo's.

The young woman was taken aback to see the Viral's normally hardened eyes soft with sympathy.

"Don't fret none 'bout me. I know how ya feel. But ya gotta believe me. Nic and I do care 'bout ya. Why ya think I haven't sent ya off somewhere by now?"

"I-I...I just thought you couldn't find somewhere and felt sorry for me, so you didn't make me leave."

A light tinge of pink flushed across Beelzebumon's cheeks. "Can I confess somethin'?"

Komodo tilted her head slightly.

"I stopped really lookin' fer a place fer ya after the first week." he said sheepishly.

The young woman's eyes grew wide. "Wha-wait...why?"

"I've not had any company fer a few years. Not since...I lost 'im. Havin' ya around was...like a breath of fresh air. Somethin' I had really needed ta get me outta the rut I kept myself in."

A painful burning lump had begun forming in Komodo's throat, leaving her unable to speak. Instead a tear trickled down her cheek.

"Don't cry." Beelzebumon begged in a surprisingly soft voice. He moved closer, putting his free arm about her shoulders, keeping his other hand over hers.

What little air had been swimming in the young woman's lungs left her in one shaky breath. She fought quickly to take in new air through her nostrils to stave off the strange rush of emotions that bubbled through her blood.

The Viral pulled back, removing his arm from around her. "I didn't hurt ya, did I?"

"N-no, just...surprised me." It was taking all of Komodo's willpower to keep her voice from shaking as she responded.

"Sorry 'bout that."

"It's all right."

Silence blanketed the pair after a few short moments. Komodo was lost in her thoughts, trying to come up with reasons why Beelzebumon would be telling her the truth and not tricking her. Each positive reason was quickly quelled by a negative one. He and Nicolas really care about me. No...how could that be true? I'm just some kind of maid to Bee. And Nic is just a nice guy...they feel sorry for me. But Bee said so himself they do. All lies...everyone who ever said that hurt me in the end. A soft sigh escaped her lips.

"Somethin' wrong?"

"I-it's nothing..." she murmured, sorrow tinging her voice despite her best effort to keep it away.

The Viral gave Komodo's hand a gentle squeeze. "Yer a bad liar."

Komodo bit her lip, startled he had caught on so quickly.

"Ya still don't believe what I said?"

The young woman remained silent, unable to bring herself to answer the question. She fought back tears that stung at her eyes when the Digimon brought her face up to meet his free hand.

"I don't understand. Why don't ya believe me? Is all I've done fer ya not enough?"

"N-n...no one's ever meant it..."

"I do mean it."

"No...it's just a lie." She shivered when she saw a muscle in the Viral's face twitch, instinctively referring it to anger building.

"That attitude is really pissin' me off."

She shut her eyes. Her body had started to shake with fear. To see him angry again was not something she wanted. "I...I'm so-"

"Hush. I have a way I can prove ta ya."

"Wh-wha?"

"I'll tell ya...I'll tell ya 'bout what happened ta my Tamer."

"Your...?"

The Viral nodded slightly. A pained look creased his features. "It ain't easy. But I will if it will prove ta ya. I'd do anythin' ta prove that, Komodo." He took a deep breath and held it for a short time before letting it out slowly. When he brought his eyes to meet Komodo's, they were dull and hollow.

"Beelzebumon..."

"I've been alone since it happened. 'Cept fer Nic's company. Even that does nothin'. I've feared I'd cause somethin' terrible ta happen to the next person I was with. 'E was my Tamer. My Partner. My friend. I let him die."

Komodo placed a clenched hand against her chest but remained quiet. Sorrow and sympathy swelled inside her heart.

"'Is screams echo in my mind, every day. I can't make 'em stop. It's my fault. If I hadn't been involved with that damned Demon Lord, I'd still have my Tamer...but even that's a lie. I'd never met 'im if I hadn't. I was sent ta kill 'im in the first place, after all."

Komodo let out a small gasp of horror. "You...kill him?"

"'E had been snoopin' around Daemon's castle. Somethin' 'bout tryin' ta thwart 'is plans. Daemon was buildin' an army ta storm a nearby village. The kid was from there, even though 'e was a human."

"A village?"

"Yeh, we were in the Digital World, where I originate from. I went ta find the kid. I threatened the village until 'e came out ta fight with me. Heh..." Beelzebumon chuckled softly, seemingly amused at something. "'E was pretty reckless. But pretty brave. 'E stood up ta me. I was rather impressed. A puny human, scrawny as a stick with no abilities whatsoever was glarin' me down, challengin' me, a Mega Viral, one of Daemon's elite soldiers, a General. I let 'im live. It wasn't long after we became Partners. We left the Digital World right after, Daemon was not pleased I let the kid live and I was sick of bein' a pawn. Wanted my own freedom."

"He really stood up to you?"

"Yep. 'E was scared ta death, but 'e didn't want 'is village destroyed. 'E had come to live there fer a couple years ta be with the friends 'e had previously made."

"But what happened to the village? I thought this person was going to destroy it."

"Oh, it survived. Daemon became too preoccupied tryin' ta locate us. He had just been bored and wanted somethin' ta do, originally."

"Bo...bored?" Storm a village out of boredom? What kind of person is this Daemon?

"Daemon is not the nicest Digi-guy. 'E revels in others' misery. Causin' destruction is just fun. With peace bein' brought about by the Sovereign and their Guardian, there wasn't much ta do."

"So they weren't going to stop Daemon?"

"I suppose they might've if someone had warned 'em. The kid was goin' ta when I went ta kill 'im."

"So..."

"What happened next?"

Komodo nodded slightly.

"Things were quiet fer a year or two. But eventually Daemon found us. We were livin' in a town a ways from 'ere."

"So that's why you live here now?"

"Mhm...I managed ta live. I left there. It was too painful ta stay with the memories. But a good thing did come of it."

"What might that have been? Meeting Nic?"

Beelzebumon shook his head, a surprisingly warm smile lifting the corner of his lips as he spoke: "Nah...ya bumpin' inta me."

Komodo felt her face become warm with embarrassment and she averted her gaze. iMe?/i

"M'kay. All the mushy stuff aside, ya hungry or anythin'?"

"Wha-I-um..." Komodo still felt too flustered to manage her thoughts properly.

Beelzebumon gave her hand a quick pat before getting to his feet. "I'll get us somethin', then."

Did he really...? She shook her head. No! I must stop myself from believing him. He's just going to hurt me later if I do. They all do. I'm just staying here since he saved me and my unwillingness to sleep outside in the cold another winter.

The young woman fidgeted in her seat while she waited for Beelzebumon to return from the kitchen. Her body whined its disapproval of her actions after a few moments. She sighed and rubbed on her wrists.

"Ya okay?"

She looked up to see the Viral in the doorway of the kitchen, a spatula in hand. "I'm...yes, I'm okay."

He gave her a skeptical look. "Yer a bad liar. But I ain't gonna bother ya 'bout it."

Komodo hung her head after he disappeared. "Am I really that obvious?" she murmured to herself.