"You don't really need me for this, do you?"

It was Conrad; presumably exhausted, cold, but at least he wasn't shouting every obscenity he knew. I had just opened my mouth to speak when Hanna's left arm reached out and poked Conrad's arm, which was as far as he could reach. His voice was muffled, as his face was buried in my neck, although the vampire seemed to understand him well enough.

"Noo...Don't go Connie...I have to explain, anyway..."

I craned my head to allow Hanna to see half my face. My expression was worried, a strange twist to its usual solomn look. "No Hanna, get some rest."

"I'm fine now, really. Just listen, I really need to tell you guys...I just figured it out myself, actually..."

Hanna scratched his forehead in concentration, puffed out his cheeks, and furrowed his brow. I turned my head back - I didn't have to look back to know he was using his thinking face. Did that mean he was feeling better? No, he would probably need more time. Knowing Hanna, he just liked to talk about things, which was fine. I'd listen to anything Hanna said.

"When...When Claus was a baby, I was talking to my dad, Ruairi a lot. He - ah - killed people for a living. Still does, actually...But, anyway, I knew I could talk him into a Deal...Which are traps he uses to make people kill each other, but I thought I could bend the rules a little - I told him that if Claus were to die, that Ruairi should give Claus my entire soul, so that he could live on, even though he would techincally be half dead, which is really, really bad."

Conrad turned his head towards Hanna again, throwing the man a wary gaze. I had to remind myself that he was still somewhat new to the world of the paranormal, though he was clearly hesitant to bring up Claus in conversation. "I don't get it - he was a ghost...Wasn't he? And you're still here..."

"Claus...You saw how he became more human as I got sicker, right? Well, that's because we shared a soul. Being the bastard that he is, Ruairi didn't keep his half of the bargain, and instead of giving Claus my entire soul, he split it between the two of us. Since Claus had actually died, whereas I was still breathing, I took on the dominant half of the soul. I'm sure that's what happened. Sounds like something Ruairi would do..."

"Why? Why would your own father do that to you? Or to Claus?"

Silence. Had I said something wrong, or was Hanna deep in thought again? I fidgeted a little, hoping for the latter, cursing myself inwardly for even egging him on.

"I...Don't have a clue."

It hardly mattered anyway; we were at Worth's door. The doctor didn't seem too fond of ghosts, and I had no idea how he would respond to a conversation solely about them. Hanna slid down off my back, obviously wanting to parade his health in front of Worth, though I doubted he'd tell the doctor exactly what had taken place, which begged the question - Should I?

But when Hanna flung the door open and smashed it into the opposite wall, stillness gripped our small party. Worth was at his desk, along with a few other people, clearly playing a game of poker. It wasn't so much that we didn't approve of gambling, it was simply who was at the desk that made all three of us cringe in harmony.

Worth, Lamont, Casimiro, Finas, and a frail man with his back to the door. He threw his hand of cards down, swooped up all the money, and let out a thick, booming laugh, knocking over a few bottles of alcohol in his drunken celebration.

"Luck o' the Irish! I win again, Luce!"

"Ah, shut the hell up, Ruairi."

Everyone around the table, aside from Worth and Ruairi, looked from their cards to see us, though it was Finas that actually got around to announcing our arrival.

"Worth - it seems you have company..."

I had actually been slightly suprised when it came to my attention that Worth had not actually noticed when we entered the office. It wasn't as though we were hiding behind something, or had entered quietly. In fact, I had to restrain Hanna with both arms to keep him from charging at Ruairi, who was turning around to see where the ruckus was coming from.

Ruairi raised a brow at his son, and casually stuck his hands in his pockets. "Well fuck me sideways - Ya look terrible, Hanna."

"No thanks to you, dad."

The exchange between father and son wasn't exactly what one might call heartwarming, but in light of recent events, it was only to be expected. Especially since Hanna - and evidently Ruairi - weren't exactly the most well-adjusted people, but I wasn't one to judge. All I could do was make sure Hanna didn't kill anyone, and if need be, stop Ruairi from the same, as well.

"Dunno what'cher talkin' 'bout, Hanna. Maybe you should get yer head checked by my good ol' pal Worth..."

Worth looked up from the rim of the bottle he was in the middle of downing, and the group waited until he was finished drinking to speak up. "Don't be draggin' me into this, yeh drunk bastard."

"I'm not here for brain surgery this time, anyway - I came to make a Deal."

At that, Ruairi curled his fist and his jaw twitched. Casimiro got to his feet, obviously hoping to get in on the fight, judging by the grin splitting his face. Finas followed suit, hopefully to hold him back. Lamont took his stand next to me, clearly not comfortable with standing in the middle. To my suprise, Ruairi's face relaxed before stretching into a wide smile, though not as near as warm a smile he'd once shown Hanna in a dark parking lot, years ago.

"Anythin' fer you, kid."

"But first - why did you want Claus dead?"

I could nearly hear Hanna's heart beating, wondering if it had been Claus to set it in such motion, as I'd never heard it beat so loudly before, although I was always tuned in to it, in a way. Ruairi's eyes did a double-take, looking from my face, to Conrad's, and then back to Hanna's, as if one of our expressions might reveal the truth to him concerning Claus.

"Never wanted Claus dead..."

"Right - because when he died, you had no problem ruining his chance at life, and breaking my Deal."

Ruairi fell silent, and by that point, was no longer casual. He cast a hollow glare at his son, as if he knew what was to come. I observed, careful to keep close to Hanna, should he charge at his father again.

"I have enough to have you sentenced to death. Please. Give me a reason not to."

Ruairi was so wretched a man that he could not even come up with a positive and believable lie, even to save himself. My eyes caught movement to my left as Lamont stepped forward cautiously and laid his hand on one of Hanna's broad shoulders.

"Hanna - is killing him here really the best idea?"

"I'm not going to be the one to kill him. He broke my Deal - that's enough for me to get another Reaper to kill him." Hanna shot a half-hearted glare across the room at his father, although I could see pity from my angle. I knew Hanna wouldn't want to be there to see - or maybe he would. But was that really the best time to watch another loved one die? After having lost his only brother?

"Don't be a pussy, Hanna, I raised ya better than that, I think. Yer gonna do it, not some random-ass punk wit'a butcher's knife."

Hanna's glare softened notably. I stared at Ruairi, however our eyes didn't meet. He was giving up? Hanna had obviously been dreading that. As the son pulled out his magic marker, everyone seemed to tense, as if they feared that Hanna would actually go through with it, right in Worth's office. But I knew better. The rune Hanna was writing on his palm was one that I had seen before, one he had used on Veser once when the kid had become too annoying. An electric-lime-green lightening-like bolt of light wrapped itself around the room, until it circled back to Hanna, the man in the middle of the room. Only Ruairi that fell to the floor, unconscious, but alive.

Hanna betrayed his father's last wish, of course. I was not about to let him commit a murder. It took quite a while, but with some help from Worth, we were able to coax Lamont into taking us to a friend that would be willing to get the job done without any bloodshed, and Hanna could watch, if he wanted. I took it upon myself to carry the unconscious Irishman over my shoulder. We walked in silence for quite some time, until finally we reached an abandoned building. To my satisfaction, Hanna didn't even trip on something on the way there. Had Claus's sacrifice really made him better? I would have make him sleep when we finally got home, just for good measure.

With Lamont's advisement, everyone took a self-operated elevator to the very top of the old building, Lamont explaining that his friend actually owned gallows. Hanna seemed strangely quiet, and while everyone seemed to inquire about the company Lamont kept, I pulled my friend aside. I finally got a good look at him, his eyes were redder than his hair, and his face was pressed into an uncharacteristic grimace.

"No one's expecting you to do this, Hanna. We don't have to kill him."

Hanna shook his head, and I noted the remorse in his eyes as he spoke, "I don't want to kill him. But if I don't, someone else will, and I don't want him to..."

I got the message. From the memory and Hanna's tone of voice alone, I was able to draw my own conclusions about Ruairi. He clearly wasn't in a right state of mind, as he was when a young Hanna looked to him for comforting words. Perhaps years of alcohol or committing countless murders had driven the man to insanity, but one thing I was sure of: He wanted to die. Whether he really wanted Hanna to actually kill him or not might have been a good prompt to ruin Hanna's deal, but I couldn't be sure. And I wasn't going to seek confirmation.

When finally we reached the top of the building, Hanna held his head up high, and I kept my hand on his shoulder, just to let him know someone was there. Only leaving his side as I helped Lamont's friend tie the noose, as well as several other knots, while holding him upright. Lamont's friend, whose name happened to be Deimos, counted the seconds of Ruairi's trance on a watch. Three. Two. One - and surely enough, the Irishman lifted his head, and shivered in acknowledgment to the snow in his hair that he couldn't brush away. Deimos beckoned for me to step back, and I took my place next to Hanna.

Ruairi was facing our small crowd of eight, though he couldn't bring himself to look at any of us, his head bent, his eyes on the platform. He was a pitiful sight, his frail frame shivering in the cold, with his hands bound behind his back, unable to keep himself warm in his final moments. Deimos seemed to be reciting something, though it was in a language I couldn't comprehend. Hanna gripped the sleeve of my coat jacket, and I glanced down at the redhead, who was covering his mouth, as if to stop himself from letting out an agonized cry.

Deimos crossed the platform that would give under the victim's feet to a booth containing a system of levers. It was at that moment, in the last half-seconds of Ruairi's life that he looked up at us, his eyes taking in all of us before finally fixing on his son. It was as though he was finally sober, as though he was finally aware of what was going on around him. He smiled at Hanna and winked at him, as though silently wishing him luck. Hanna shut his eyes tight as Deimos jerked the lever, and I watched as the rope tugged, silencing the Irishman. I could just barely make out the top of his head as he drooped, unmoving in the chilled air. Hanna wrapped his arms around my waist, clearly unable to hold in the terrible sorrow of losing the last of his family in one day. In the breeze that carried the light snow, from the wind whistling through the air, I could almost will myself to hear Ruairi's reckless laugh - not the bark of an delirious fellow who'd won his poker game, but one of a devoted father. I only hope Hanna could hear it as well.

Sorry for the wait - I had some things to take care of.

I sort of ended it faster than I'd originally intended, but I think I made you guys wait a little too long...But never fear, I've got an epilouge to start on! One that'll hopefully answer most of your questions, though I'll leave you a few things to think about.

I wish I could have had more time with Ruairi, though...Maybe one day I can tack on some of his memories with baby Hanna.

Well - thanks for hanging around with me, I hope to see you for the epilouge and the new series I'm going to start soon. It's been a really fun ride, guys.