Chapter 8

A/N: It's been a long time since I updated, I know, but I won't bore you with the details as to why it took that long. One of the reasons was that I had a terrible case of writer's block when it came to this story. But Christmas vacation has helped me clear some of that out of the way and I have a new chapter for you guys. Sorry that it took such a crazily long time. I hope you guys didn't give up on me!

It turned out that Blackheart had a very good head for numbers and was needed to run a computer at a computer business. He would be one of the accountants there. It took him a little while to get the hang of the system, but it wasn't bad. And he didn't have to interact with very many people.

Dawn was at her obstetrics appointment while he was at work. Assuring him that there was no need for him to go, she'd walked the short distance down the road to the doctor's office. The obstetrician had a private practice, so it was a small building. There were plenty of other women there, some with problems and others, like her, with large bellies. Dawn quietly picked up a magazine after she signed in.

I wonder why Daemon seems to be so protective of me, she thought, he hasn't left my side in a long time. And it's odd, but I feel like he knows more about me than he lets on. It's almost like he knew I'd be here. It's almost like he's from another world....

There were a lot of things that made him seem like a paranormal being. He seemed to know what she needed before she said. He seemed to possess an otherworldly strength...and those eyes....

She hated to admit it, but he had the most beautiful eyes she'd ever seen. She loved his eyes. They were so icy, but they were...like winter skies. Their friendship had rapidly grown over the months and she was beginning to trust him.

She thought of the kiss that they'd shared last night. Without protest, she'd laid down on the couch and wouldn't go to sleep in his bed. He'd reluctantly gone to his own room. That morning, she'd fried eggs and bacon for both of them and they'd eaten in awkward silence. Once the kitchen was cleaned up and dishes washed, they'd gone their separate ways.

Would they ever be close like that? Would he be willing to take on a pregnant woman, then her child? Would he actually be willing to help her?

"Dawn?" the nurse called.

She closed her magazine and got up. A few seconds later, the doctor had rubbed the slick stuff on her belly and was running the ultrasound machine.

"Well, the baby looks pretty good," she said, "two arms, two legs, no problems that I can see. Would you like to know the gender now? You haven't ever asked what it was."

"Yeah," Dawn gave in, "tell me."

"It's a girl."

Dawn smiled. Images of little pink tennis shoes were running through her mind. She could only hope that this baby ended up looking like her.

"Thanks."

She came out of the office feeling as though a weight had been lifted off her chest. She only hoped that nothing would go wrong during the delivery. She was already fairly close; another couple of months would bring the answer.

After walking back to the apartment, Dawn straightened a few things up and dusted a little bit. She stretched out onto the couch and flipped on the TV. For a long time, she didn't see anything that interested her. Then, she came across some old movie. She started to watch it, but she fell asleep.

Blackheart came home while she was still out. Something about her made him smile, but he couldn't figure out what it was. Maybe it was that big belly--even though Dawn was definitely not a lightweight, the round curve of the belly was starting to dwarf the rest of her figure. It was going to be a big baby. Her curls softly framed her oval-shaped face. He brought a blanket and covered her up. Then, he sat down beside her and channel-surfed, letting his mind wander.

His new job had been much less taxing on his patience and the pay was three times as much as it had been at the coffee shop. Unless something really went wrong, he, Dawn, and the baby should have a pretty good life together.

A load of nervousness filled his stomach. Blackheart realized he had no clue how to take care of a baby. Dawn was fairly easy--everything she needed, she could either get herself or ask for. Hopefully, Dawn would know what she was doing.

He wondered exactly how long they were going to be together. He wasn't objecting to it, but what did mortal couples do, exactly? He had so many questions. And further, how long could he keep the secret from Dawn that he wasn't exactly born human? Blackheart knew he was going to have to tell her sooner or later, but she'd never believe him. The truth was beginning to sound pretty bizarre even to him.

Dawn's head tilted over and landed on his shoulder. Instinctively, he moved closer to her. Very lightly, he kissed her forehead. Having her this close felt good.

After about a half-hour, she stirred awake. Her face was still pale from sleep as her presence slowly reentered her body. She stretched, then rubbed her eyes.

"How was work?" she asked, her voice still deep and husky from sleep.

"Better than working for Yorke," he said, putting the remote control down, "I might actually like this job."

Dawn gave him a half-smile.

"Doctor says that the baby's going to be a girl," she said, placing one hand over her belly, "I just hope she looks like me. I have no idea what I'm going to name her."

Her stomach rumbled and she got up and went to the kitchen.

"I didn't think I was that bad for a pregnant lady, but apparently, I am," she said, examining the nearly-empty refrigerator. Blackheart just laughed.

A few minutes later, they were sitting at the table with Chinese food. Dawn broke her cookie open first.

"It says 'You will get everything you ever hoped for'," she read aloud.

Ironically enough, his said the same thing.

"Did you know that the Chinese introduced fortune cookies to the public as American food? Everybody thinks fortune cookies are Chinese, but they're not," Dawn told him.

"No wonder they're all so thin," Blackheart said, shaking his head, "chopsticks are a pain."

Dawn giggled.

"I was in a Chinese place with my friends once and there was this little boy learning how to use chopsticks. He picked up this little meatball-looking thing and held it up to show his mom. Well, he squeezed a little too hard and that thing went zinging across the room and landed in some old guy's drink. We were all laughing so hard we couldn't eat anything else for fear of choking to death. It was hilarious."

He wished that he did have a memory to share with Dawn, but most of them were so bizarre that she'd never believe him. He knew that Dawn was beginning to wonder about his past.

"What about you? You never mention stuff that happened to you," Dawn said, gathering up the empty cartons.

"There's not much to tell," Blackheart said reluctantly, "you'd be better off not knowing my past."

She paused to give him a very serious look.

"Trust me," he said.

Dawn tossed the cartons into the garbage and the table was clear.

"Come on," she said, "I've told you almost everything."

He didn't know how to say it. Finally, his mind began knitting together a very carefully edited version of things.

"Well, I wasn't born into the most conventional family," he said, "my mother was never in the picture. I didn't know her. My father was rich and had a lot of power. He liked to gamble, though, and make outrageous deals with people. I thought he was a retard for it. I told him one of these days he was going to make a serious mistake. Well, I got tired of waiting around. He had a special...ah...inheritance put away for me, but I was tired of waiting on it. I went after the contract, needless to say there was a lot that came with it. Whoever had the contract had the most power. It would have made me...richer than my dad. Well, my dad sent one of his...bodyguards after me and we got into a huge fight. I got knocked on my butt, needless to say, and I lost everything. My father and I never got along very well in the first place. The next thing I knew, I woke up in the desert and ended up here. After I first saw you, I'd just walked into town."

"They left you in the desert? That's horrible," Dawn frowned, "what kind of a father does that?"

Blackheart wanted to laugh, but resisted.

"I probably deserved worse than that," he said, "every mess I've ever gotten myself into was because I got greedy."

Dawn shrugged.

"Well, we're all human. We've all done really dumb things. But, think about it. If you didn't end up in the middle of nowhere, you and I might never have met."

Sometimes I think it would have been better for you that we hadn't, he thought.

There was genuine trust in Dawn's eyes, something he rarely ever saw unless she was looking at Squishie. He was just beginning to wonder where the little rat was when she started jumping on both of them.

"You jealous little thing," Dawn scolded her playfully, "cut that out!"

"Whuff," Squishie huffed, walking away.

"So, was there ever a time that you and your dad got along?" Dawn asked.

He shook his head.

"Not particularly," he said, "he knows where I am, but he doesn't have much to do with me other than that. He said I'd have to try and make it on my own for a while before I get everything I lost back."

Dawn was silent.

"So, when you get back to your big and rich lifestyle, are you going to leave me?"

It was a loaded question. Six months ago, he could have truthfully said he would. But now, he was unsure. The uncertainty was not a good feeling.

"No," he said finally, "I'm not going to leave you."

He had no idea how he was going to be a Prince of Hell and be with Dawn. The innocence of the baby would surely be compromised. And the horrors of Hell would surely take their toll on Dawn. Suddenly, the title he had once held didn't seem very attractive.

It wasn't much, he realized as Dawn's arms tightened around him, but it was home. This little apartment with Dawn and Squishie and her baby was something he'd come by himself. He and Dawn were becoming a team. She had been shy about kissing him the first time, but now, her lips boldly claimed his. Heat rose up in his abdomen. He felt gooseflesh rise up on Dawn's arms where he touched her. The intensity of the feeling was almost too much.

Breathing heavily, they pulled away from each other.

"I hope you're staying," Dawn choked out, "because I love you."

Blackheart suddenly felt as though the room was spinning. He found himself unable to get up from the chair he'd been sitting in. A strange feeling spread through him, one that nearly brought him to tears.

He couldn't ever recall someone telling him that they loved him. To his knowledge, demons could not feel love. Love was reserved for humans, angels, and God.

Though he did not know what love was, the soul he'd been given did. It was in that moment that he realized that he loved her, too. They didn't know each other terribly well, but they'd both come through some very hard things together. It was a bond that had come over time.

He opened his mouth to say something, but Dawn placed a finger against his lips.

"Shhh," she whispered, "don't say it unless you really, really mean it."

She went into the bathroom and closed the door. Moments later, he could hear the tub running and the radio playing. It was Dawn's favorite evening ritual.

He sat at the table with his head in his hands. A puff of smoke startled him and none other than Mephisto appeared.

"What do you want?" Blackheart snapped. Mephisto was grinning from ear to ear.

"I came to tell you that I'm actually surprised you got this far," he said, "and you're not dead yet. I'm surprised a woman like Dawn would fall in love with a monster like you. And to think you actually snatched her away from Johnny Blaze."

"It wasn't like that," Blackheart said defensively, "she and I were only friends until a little while ago."

Mephisto laughed again.

"So, are you ready to come back yet? Get that soul out of you? I imagine it's been a right pain, making you feel so much."

Neither of them noticed Dawn standing in the doorway of the bathroom with her robe on.

"I can't," Blackheart said, "Dawn needs me...and...I need her."

Mephisto had to hang onto a nearby chair to keep from falling. His laughter filled the room.

"You forget, Hellboy, you've got a job to do. Sooner or later, Dawn's going to die and you're going to have to come back. You'll have what, fifty, sixty years? Maybe seventy if you're lucky? It's going to be a lot harder to let her go when the time comes."

"I'll take my chances," Blackheart said, his voice flat with anger, "in the meantime, get out."

It was then that Mephisto spotted Dawn in the doorway.

"You must be the father I've heard so much about," she said, trying to hide the shakiness in her voice.

He tilted his head to acknowledge her existence.

"You could bring her with you, you know," he told Blackheart, "we could use a Siren down there."

Blackheart stepped in front of Dawn.

"No. She's staying here and so am I."

Instead of coming up with a coy reply, Mephisto simply disappeared.

Dawn was shaking, but she was shaking with anger.

"What the Hell was that all about?"

Blackheart laughed bitterly.

"I think you just answered your own question."

"Why didn't you tell me?!" Dawn snapped.

"Would you have believed me?" he asked, his own defenses rising.

"Probably not."

"Okay, then."

Dawn sagged down into a nearby chair.

"So, if you're the son of the Devil himself, what do you want with a mortal woman and her dog and an unborn child?" Dawn demanded.

"I was put up here to learn how to be human," Blackheart said weakly, "I didn't count on meeting you. It just happened. And...I'd much rather stay up here with you. Maybe it's the soul that my Dad stuck in me, but I've decided I don't want to go back."

Dawn's expression was softening, but her eyes were still hard.

"So, if you're such a demonic being, why were you so careful with me? Aren't you supposed to be Mr. Temptation?"

Blackheart suddenly felt more frustration than he ever thought was possible.

"You helped me. I wanted to help you in return," he said irritably, "which meant nothing bad was to happen to you. You're making this more complicated than it needs to be."

Dawn turned away from him, arms crossed over her chest. He felt guilty for upsetting her. He wrapped his arms around her shoulders, wishing he could erase the last five minutes from her memory.

"Did you mean it when you said you wouldn't go back because you wanted to stay with me?" she asked.

He could hear the tears in her voice though they hadn't surfaced yet.

"Yes, I did," he said firmly, "and I will."

She wrapped her arms around him. He felt her tears, hot and wet, on his neck.

"Shhh," he whispered, "it's going to be okay."

For the first time he could ever remember, he prayed that they would be and he could have sworn someone up there heard him.