"Stop it," ordered Soultar as he flipped one of the switches on the computer the cables ran into. Chryses flattened her ears and glanced away from her master, but her irritation was still clear. "I don't like it when you stare at me like that," his silver eyes moved slowly over the screen, "And you did well without me, everything's working."

The sphinx shook her head,

"Am I blind to the reason you visit the elf? Or are you numb to the truth? She will never be yours unless you take her to be," still concentrating on his work, Golem waved a hand in dismissal,

"I am a monster, Chryses - Not a barbarian," came his simple reply.

"Then you are a fool. You should take what you desire from the girl, then no longer will you be distracted from what you have spent your whole life creating," she padded across the room, flicking her golden tail behind her. Soultar laughed.

"You know nothing of the human heart, my friend," the sphinx looked back over her shoulder, amusement lighting her eyes.

"Nor do you."

A heavy silence consumed the pair. This was only a simple truth, one he had never accepted and probably never would. The magic he used had changed him so completely, he wasn't sure if any of the feelings he ever felt were original to the human race or not. It was very possible that what he thought was love – what burned at him– was nothing but lust. But he would never be certain.

"I do not wish to speak of this, there is work to be done," his voice was now small and thoughtful, his eyes downcast and watching the old Doctors pocket watch. Things would be easier if that man was here, to guide him. Like a father he had fed him his knowledge and nurtured his mind with the many wonders of the world. Soultar corrected himself. No, it would not be easier if the Doctor was here, he was far too...good. Far too kind. Far too perfect. Everything Golem was not and never would be.

A satisfied smirk slipped across Chryses's face. The sphinx knew she was right in everything that she said.

"Yes, time is a slippery thing, escaping our grasp every time we loosen our hold. We must press on."

"The immortals are ready," his cold fingers curled around the watch, shoving it into his pocket after a haunting glance. "All we need now," he turned to Chryses, "...Is Hellboy."

"And how do you propose we capture the red demon?" A grin split Soultar's face.

"We invite him."

Taya was left to sleep for longer than either of them had imagined. It was late in the morning when she awoke but it was not a gentle arousal, the thudding at the door ripping her from her surprisingly calm dreams. Abe was already up and standing by the bed, giving her an extremely worried look. Both of them found it difficult to speak as the weight of what was about to happen seemed to suffocate them.

"It's alright," she managed after the door was pounded again, this time more urgently. She stumbled to her feet and holding her head high, she opened it. The ominous sound of guns being pointed at her filled the air. She did not flinch at this though; only cast her eyes over every agent holding one of the weapons, a silent challenge clouding her eyes. Go on, I dare you, they said. Satisfied that the men were more afraid of her than she was of them, she brought her attention to Manning, noting Hellboy and Johann standing a few feet away. They looked almost ashamed.

"Cuff her," was all the bald man said.

"I assure you, that isn't necessary," she told him, growling a warning at the agent who approached her with the bonds. She could quite clearly see that Manning was about to protest, but Kraus spoke up to defend her,

"Leave her, she iz right. And she vill cooperate," at these words her hands clenched into fists, only relaxing again when she felt Abe's presence beside her. His stance was strong, but she senses the nervousness coming off him in waves. "I am sorry Taya, but zere iz nozhing me and Hellboy...or Abe can do for you right now," explained the ghost, sadly.

"She had a reason for what she did!" Exclaimed Blue, taking a protective step forwards. She realised that though he may not have been the best of fighters, Abe was no coward. For a moment she though he was just going to blurt it out, there and then but he looked back to her over his shoulder, blinking, "And I'm sure she'll explain it to you, if you treat her like the human being she is," Taya wanted to correct him there – she wasn't a human being and probably deserved whatever they decided to do to her, even if that meant being put down like a ravenous dog. Of course her animal side, that was already trying to persuade her to let it go, would never agree with being killed without putting up a fight.

"Good!" Yelled Manning, turning red in the face, "Tell us why the hell she's going around ripping up my best agents!" Taya laughed at this, earning furious looks from all of the people in the room.

"God, you have some pretty shit best agents," she said. Manning actuarially looked like he was going to give the order to fire, but calmed himself as quickly as he could.

"Until your feeling a little more cooperative, I think, for the safety of everyone here, you'll have to spend a few days in a cell," he sounded self satisfied and was very nearly grinning, "Until this mess is cleaned up...or until I decide it's about time to clear you out of here." Abe was again about to leap to her defence but she took his arm gently, standing on her tiptoes so she could whisper something into where she thought his ears should be,

"I'll be ok Blue...Don't worry," she kissed him lightly on the cheek. At any other time, Hellboy would have given an exclamation of 'About time!!!'

Abe looked down at her, a feeling of dread nesting in his stomach. He couldn't bring himself to say anything back, somehow knowing she was wrong in some unknown way. Her green eyes were telling him something, something that wasn't good at all. His racing mind could hardly linger on the warm kiss she had just planted on him, the confusion on his face evident. In fact, he was so confused, he wasn't sure what he was confused about. And before he knew it, he was standing just outside her room and watching her being escorted by a team of armed agents down the corridor and out of sight. The loneliness creped in suddenly and even though he could feel Hellboy and Johann staring at him, he felt like there was no one else on the planet, no one to soothe his pain. Please, don't let this happen again, he begged to anything that might hear him, might pity him, you can't take her away...you can't leave me alone...again.

Finally he turned to the two that still had their eyes transfixed on him. Hellboy shook his head,

"I tried, honestly Abe I-"

"I know," said Blue as calmly as his shaking voice would allow, "I don't blame you Red, but you have to help me get her out...please," Hellboy nodded,

"Anything buddy, but I wanna know what's going on...and so will Manning. You say she had a reason for what she did and I believe you. Taya isn't a cold blooded killer. As for as I can tell anyway..." Johann gave a grunt of agreement. Abe was now trapped between a rock and a hard place. The only way he was going to get Taya out of this without a fight was to tell Manning...and everyone else about what had happened and almost happened again between her and Nuke. There was also the fact it was quite difficult to believe – these agents have been put through so many psychological test to detect anything...worrying, the evidence would be stacked up against her. But he wouldn't stop until she was free.

"Come on," he said, "I'll tell you and Manning at the same time, I wouldn't like to repeat it..." So Blue marched off, determined to do something right and keep the one that he loved close to him. He just hoped she'd understand that he had to do what he was about to do. He knew this was a long shot at best, but he needed to make things ok.

But nothing ever goes to plan, not at the BPRD.

It had been hours and Taya was sat in the same curled up position at the door, her hair falling over her face and her long arms hugging her knees. She had decided that thinking was something she should avoid at all costs when she was alone, mainly because of the voice that snuck its way into her head. Instead she found herself counting the seconds away, or humming songs to herself. A small knock at the door drew her away from these activities. Slowly she scrambled up, peering through the tiny window of her cell. Blue stared back at her, his dark eyes full of concern.

"Hello Abe," she sighed, trying to smile. From the other side her words were muffled, almost inaudible, making him press closer to the door.

"They won't let me in," he explained sadly. She lent her forehead against the glass of the window at his words. She just wanted to be closer to him, to be near him so the monster would leave her alone. She tried to imagine that the door was not there and that she was encased in his arms as he defended her from...herself. The feel of him against her soothed her, the way he played with her hair; she needed that, the soft lovingness of his voice not being enough on this occasion. And if this door did not separate her from him, she knew she would give him everything.

"Manning hasn't made a decision yet...but I don't think it's going well, Taya," he continued, the palm of his hand laid flat against the wood of the door. Her eyes shot back to him.

"What do you mean?" she questioned.

"I mean, he doesn't want you here anymore but is refusing to let you go...because of what you did. I explained it all Taya," he swallowed, waiting for a response but got none, "I had to, but he's still debating cretin aspects of the situation. He thinks you're unstable, a time bomb waiting to explode."

Taya felt herself tremble and painful tears tried to escape her eyes. Fighting them back, she swallowed a sob. She was a time bomb waiting to explode and she knew it. She couldn't deny that, not even to herself. The thing inside her was getting stronger with every painful though she had, promising to eradicate them if she would only let it out. And how tempting it was to let it rome free, tear down the door and run. How easy it would be.

"It will be ok..." she whispered, more to herself than to Abe, but she could hear the falseness of her words. It sounded pathetic even to her own ears. Blue didn't know what to tell her to make her feel better because he knew nothing could. She was a free spirit, being locked in a cage was breaking her heart. His sensitive palms probed her mind, even through the wood of the door. She wasn't in the high security level cells and silently he thanked Manning for that. If she was, he would never have a chance to get this close. He found she had thrown up barricades around her thoughts, like something was trying to invade them. He was pretty sure they were not meant for him, so he pressed on gently. He passed the guard, every careful of his approach into her subconscious, ready to pull back if he thought he stumbled upon anything he shouldn't. Yet all she seemed to be focused on was the moment before Nuke disturbed them in the dance, and what she had tried to say to him.

"Abe I want you to-" She kept repeating the thought, over and over, churning it around in her brain. He moved his head to one side as he tried to focus, to find an ending to the sentence but nothing came.

"You want me to what?" he finally asked, giving in to his curiosity. At first she looked slightly angry, her brow creasing in a frown. But soon her features softened leaving her shaking her head. Finally she spoke, her cyan eyes cutting through his own,

"Actually, then I was going to ask you to read my mind, there was something I needed to tell you," she stopped suddenly looking away, "But it doesn't matter now." His fingers that lay on the door curled into a fist.

"It does," he insisted, pure truth and devotion radiating off him with those simple words. She turned her back to him, leaning it against the door and sliding down until her rear made contact with the cold marble floor. She banged her head off the wood a few times, before gathering enough words to speak.

"If I tell you now," she said plainly, "It will only hurt you later," Yes, that night she wanted to tell him how she felt, but was now convinced it was only her drunk side that had come to that decision. The creature in her mind hated the idea of her opening up to Abe, and it was the one that pointed out he would only be hurt by what she tells him. Because in the last five minutes she had come up with a plan. She wasn't going to be at the BPRD much longer. It tore her apart that she had to leave, but what other options did she have? Stay in a cell for God knows how long? Or be let out and mistrusted by everyone? Her human side didn't care of course, as long as Abe was still fighting for her but the animal had already persuaded her. All ready took over her mind.

Abe didn't like the fact that he could no longer see Taya, but he could almost hear her brain try to figure out what to tell him. He was desperate to know, yet now that he had already invaded her mind once, too ashamed to ask. The reason behind the apparent infliction of pain on him later was completely puzzling him. He remained silent though, cursing himself for being too afraid to speak up. But he didn't need to.

"I wanted to say...that...you are the kindest man I have ever met, that I think that I might love you," she paused, "A little...I mean, I don't know what kind of love yet, but I know that I do." Silence swarmed them but Blue was having trouble containing his happiness, practically beaming at what she had told him. He didn't care that she didn't know what kind of love she loved him with – all that mattered is that she did. Abe laughed,

"I already knew that," he said honestly, "I read your mind..." Taya didn't reply for a very long time. Climbing up once again, she looked him directly in the eye,

"That's cheating," she stated, mock seriousness in her now notably cheerier voice. Abe gave her an innocent look, like it was not his fault in the slightest. She laughed at this gesture, thinking of how tired he looked. "You should get some rest," she told him with a smile. The Fish-Man shook his head,

"Not yet," he said, now feeling a little down hearted, "I need to ask you some questions...For Manning. I assure you it's only for the best and I wouldn't be doing it otherwise..." he trailed off, hating himself for putting her though just a little bit more torture. The woman pursed her lips as if to say something, but no words came out. She looked at him, looked away, then looked back again. Silently she agreed to this request, but her mood growing darker now. In the depths of his heart hall he wanted to do was talk to her about what she had just told him, but his logic was screaming at him to get her out. Fast.

He wanted to get this over with quickly, so he cut to the point,

"Have you shown any signs of transformation before?" Taya scoffed,

"You think I'd be so scared if I had?" she laughed, "No, the nearest I've ever come to savage-wild-cat-thing, was when I was teething and I bit my father," her eyes sparkled with the memory, her thin lips curving upward slightly, "I miss him. He was great." She didn't sound sad, so Abe let himself ask her,

"Who were your parents? I don't believe you have ever spoken of them," He blinked.

"Will this help me get out?"

"It might, if you tell me what abilities your mother and father had I might be able to-"

"They didn't have any," she said clearly, peering upwards as if she was looking for the thought itself, "My mum died having me-her body couldn't cope with giving birth to a freak. My dad was a doctor. He was distraught when he lost mum, blaming himself for not being good enough at what he did. But, like everything in life, he got over it. He raised me on his own, marvelled at the fact I was inhuman. I loved him. He loved me. Just like a daughter and father should," Blue was very nearly shocked by the plainness of her tone and the fact her parents had both just been human.

"I remember," she continued, "That he used to leave me alone a lot, but I could look after myself and he knew it. It was just after Christmas about eleven years ago that I 'Lost' him though," she paced her cell now, a shaking hand running through her hair every now and again. She wasn't thinking about what she was saying, only about the animal that was pounding at its cage, telling her to let it out. It sensed her longing for revenge..."I don't know what happened to him. I was sat on the roof and it was snowing, waiting for him to come home. I did this all the time, but on this occasion I was left waiting. At one point I saw a figure moving through the haze and in my excitement I slid and fell from the roof. I did this a lot too, usually landing on my feet but this time...this time I just fell. I heard footsteps crunching through the snow behind me as I lay in pain, staring up at the swirling snowflakes that started to very slowly burry me. I thought it was dad, but the arms that plucked me from the ground were rough and unsure, the hands of someone who didn't know how to handle children. I winced," she stopped moving in the cell, placing a hand on the lower area of her back, "I had broken my tail," laughing at her own words, she continued to move.

"That's what the scar is?" he questioned.

"Yes. I was only nine. I cried like crazy when this man unlocked the door to my house with a key and threw me down on the couch. He didn't really do it roughly; he just didn't know what to do with me. His porcelain skin reminded me of the dolls I used to get from my grandma. I hated them, but kept them anyway. He rummaged through the house, leaving my crying alone. I thought he was going to leave me at one point – in fact he did. He marched out of the door with papers from my dad's study in his arms, but then came back after he had left them somewhere. He stood at the door to the living room for a long time, watching me. Then he approached, lifting me up. I wriggled a lot, but he hushed me, 'Daddy sent me,' he said, showing me my dad's watch as proof. 'You'll come with me now? Well go and see him' And I nodded. The only thing I remember after that was him injecting me with something that made me sleep...then I woke up in an orphanage...tailless. The bastard lied. I never saw dad again, or the doll man," Taya watched the blank wall, now halting once again, the distance from her and Abe was only a few meters but he knew she was very far away indeed.

"I forget his name sometimes," she said softly, then sat down where she stood, a defeated expression on her face, "Elric Hawkins. Dad." She laughed. "Sorry, off topic I know..."

"I don't mind," he told her warmly, "But I do have to carry on. I'm sorry," Taya shook her head,

"Don't be. I'm the one that should be sorry..." she shook slightly, now the creature had resorted to creating stabbing and ripping sensations in her stomach as it tried to break free.

"Why?" asked Abe, unknown to the pain she was in.

"You'll find out soon enough," she hissed with clenched teeth under her breath. Then, she said a little louder, so Blue could hear, "Just remember what I told you tonight, ok?" Tears that Abe couldn't see spilled down her cheeks as she realised she was losing all control over herself. It would come soon...and it would not leave without one hell of a fight. Blue's heart quickened at her words, sensing that something was terribly wrong.

"I'll never forget," He promised.

A/N: Hey people ^^ This chapter was more of a question answerer and a background filler...much like a lot of the chapters lately, but now I'm happy to say there will be no more of these and we can just get on with it! *happy dance* I know this one isn't all to existing...but I've had writers block ): I think I may have cured it now though lol. Hearts to the amazing reviewers ^^