Everything was a bit…off since I woke up.

It all started when I woke up in Red's bed… without him. I was covered with one of his comforters and being stared at by a cat when I slowly opened my eyes, but it seemed like HB had left already. I slowly sat up, smiling to myself at the slight pull of my sore muscles that started at my lower back, happy that it happened, but now starting to have second thoughts without him here with me. I looked at the clock and saw the time, my eyes widening when I saw that it was seven thirty in the morning. Red would never get up that early without there being a dire end of the world mission on the line, and I'm a light sleeper by nature, so I would have heard the alarm. I shook my head and got up, found my pants and my white shirt, and walked to the door, my shirt hanging half open, and walked into the hallway to see HB and Liz standing a bit down the hall. I thought it was just them having a conversation until Liz jumped up and kissed him.

My heart stopped beating, instead feeling like I had been stabbed. I watched as his tail swished a bit and his hands settled on her waist.

I couldn't hold back the tears that sprang to my eyes. I had been used. I had been used and now I was going to be tossed aside and only be used again when he was angry or too drunk for Liz to handle. It was going to be the same all over again as down in the Snake Kingdom! I covered my face and started to run down the hallway, past the two of them, when I felt a large hand grab my wrist and stop me.

"Scout?" Asked the soft voice. I nearly sobbed at how concerned he sounded, I tried to pull away from him.

"Let me go!" I cried, not caring that he could see my tears, the pain and betrayal in my eyes when I looked at him. "Go back to kissing Liz… I know that's what you want to do anyway!" I yelled. He was so shocked that he let go of my wrist, and I ran. I ran through the halls until I ran into Abe.

"John? Whatever is the mat-" He stopped his question when I shoved his hand onto my fore head and showed him everything. Abe had always been the one person I could trust, the one that I leaned on when I needed advise or just needed a good friend to be around. I wept as I showed him, closing my eyes and having deep, wrenching sobs shake my entire body as he felt the anger, the hurt, the raw ache of my betrayal. I was soon swept up into a comforting hug, his hand rubbing my back as I cried on him. "I'm sure there's another reason for Red to behave like this besides that he was toying with your emotions John. He may be the son of Satan, but even he is not that cruel." He explained. He walked me back into the study and just stood with me, his arms comforting and slowly the hurt started to ebb away. Suddenly the door flew open, at first HB's face held shock, and then it was as angry as I'd ever seen it.

"Get your webbed hands offa him Blue." He snarled. His eyes were almost a light brown color he was so angry.

"Hellboy, if you would allow me to explain the situation…" Abe started as he moved away from me. I grit my teeth, suddenly pissed that he would try and alienate me, to keep me so solitary that I would have to turn only to him. I stepped in front of Abe, my own teeth bared.

"He didn't do anything HB. He was hugging me. I wanted him to hug me. I am not your property. You can't tell me who I can and can't hug or talk to. I mean, heck, you seemed to be pretty cozy with Liz! What, did you need a kiss to help your bruised ego because you fucked a guy?!" I yelled at him, even going so far as to poke his chest with my finger. Hell, I'd stood up and said no to twelve, ten, sometime even thirteen foot snakes… Why should this fire toasted ass be any different?

Oh yeah, he still had my heart in the palm of his hand.

I saw his tail whip angrily from side to side, and just as he opened his mouth to say something, the alarm started to go off. He glared at Blue, then turned and left. I looked at Abe for anything and he just shook his head.

"He said we'll talk more after the mission…and also that if he ever saw me touching you first thing after you two were together again he would rip my gills off and feed them to me." He said and blinked. "Goodness, so much violence for a hug… I never even knew that people were suppose to be so possessive after sexual intercourse… Why, Liz and I are not nearly so protective unless one is under attack, and we have been together for almost two years."

"You…what?" I asked, my shock apparent at the fact that he and Liz were together. "Then why did she kiss HB?"

"Well, possibly because that has been a new routine for them. She kisses his nose and he kisses her chin. It surprised and hurt me at first, because it looks strangely like they were kissing on their lips, but when I looked closer I saw it for what it really was. She also explained it to me." He explained.

Oh God… What had I done?

~HB POV~

That two faced, water breathin', expired egg eatin' fish! I growled to myself as I loaded my gun. I shoved an extra round in my inside coat pocket and promised myself that if I didn't use all of them on this thing I'd shoot Blue.

I walked to the break room and met up with Liz. "HB? What's the matter?" She asked and placed a hand on my arm. I explained everything to her, and by the time I was done, she looked almost as pissed as me. "Tell Myers to stay away from my Abe HB."

What?!

"I'm sorry Sparky… WHAT did you say? You need ta tell that fish face ta keep his hands offa my Scout!" I growled at her.

"He's not a fish face! He's an icthio-sapien! Not to mention great in bed." She said on a purr… I had to fight not to puke.

"Ugh, barf Sparky, just plain barf. Myers is waaay better." I said with a smirk, then I frowned, thinking we sounded like a couple of hormonal high school girls comparing how good their lay was last night.

"Bet not!" She huffed… then started laughing. "Oh my God HB… What are we doing? We sound like high schoolers!"

I couldn't help but smirk. "It's scary how much we think alike."

"That's why we would never work."

I nodded. "That… and the fact that since we got John back I found out I loved him."

"Oh HB that's great! Have you told him yet?"

"Umm… No…"

"Oh! And he saw…well, he thought he saw… Oh Red you blockhead!" She shouted at me. I bowed my head, knowing she was right. I should have told him last night.

"Are you two gonna get in the damn dump truck or not?" Clay yelled to the two of us. We quickly climbed in and I saw Scout sitting next to Abe with Clay on his other side, forcing Liz and I to sit on the opposite side. I slowly ran my tail softly over his hand as I passed him.

"John… Scout we need to talk…" I started.

"Not now HB… please." He said, blushing up to the top of his scalp. I couldn't take it. I stood and used my tail to tug him up and into my chest.

"Yeah, now kid." I growled softly, quickly tilting up his head and covering his lips with mine. He whimpered softly and I couldn't help but deepen the kiss, my tongue slipping past his lips, and time seemed to stop. My tail wrapped around him, the tip laying on his shoulder and pressing him closer to my chest. His arms wrapped around my neck and I couldn't stop the purr that slipped out of my throat. I heard someone clear their throat and pulled back slowly. "We really need to talk about somethin' Scout…" I whispered to him as the truck stopped.

"It'll have to be later Red. We've got an issue down in a basement." Clay said and climbed out. I sighed and walked over and outside, then looked at the old house and groaned.

"Why is it always the creepy houses?" I grumbled and checked my gun barrel. I looked at John, who stood right beside me, and placed my hand on his shoulder. "Look, John… I've got something really important I need to tell you…" He looked up at me and tilted his head.

"What's up HB?" He asked me, his voice slightly husky from our kiss. I shivered a bit and thought the earth moved beneath my feet. I took a deep breath.

"Well, there's something I need ta tell ya… I probably shoulda said it last night, but I was a bit busy…" I said and chuckled lightly. "See, ever since that night… I, well… I found out somethin'. I figured it out after that first night you spent in my bed though." I felt the ground move a little more. "Scout… John… I-" Just as I was fixing to tell him my feelings for him, the ground got a huge bubble and burst open with a shower of gravel and a huge body…

Of a snake man…

That just grabbed my John!

"Scout!" I yelled as he was dragged down the hole and into the dark. Not again! I'm not losing him again! I shouted to myself as I leapt down the hole to get my Scout. However, I didn't take the jagged rock into account when I jumped. I felt them cutting into my skin and I hit the hard rock floor more then fifty feet down. I pushed myself up and looked to see the snake had slung John over his shoulder and I snarled. I would NOT lose him again to some dumb ass snake!

Ha ha ha! Cliffie galore! Well, surprisingly, Andi thinks this is one of her worse chapters… weird huh???

Oh good grief, I said it MAY not be one of my best… there was a bit too much OOC in my mind… but I couldn't bring myself to re-write it.

Please review and let her know she's crazy for saying this!

Love,

Dana & Andi