Anytime after the end of "Deny Thy Father..." and before "The Fire..."

"No. Absolutely not."

Big black puppy eyes turned upon hard, unrelenting greens. "I've seen you worse than that even before you had it. Please."

"No, Day!" The warrioress clenched her jaw. Precursors, is he stubborn.

The clairvoyant dropped his shoulders. "Nel, I understand your reservations – "

"Day," she said quietly, so quietly he stopped talking in shock. "You've seen me at that point. When I learned to control it, I promised myself I would never...let it out."

"Exactly. You can control it. Which is why I want..." Deimin sighed, jaw set like his mind. "I want to see that control."

Jakuelynn shook her head, gripping her hair in both hands, heart in turmoil. "Day...if I can't control it this one time..." She took a deep breath, steadying herself. "There could be bloody lumps of you all over this room when it retreats back into me and I...won't...remember...doing it. Do you get me? D'you understand?"

Deimin didn't try and argue. He stepped up to the warrioress and placed both hands on her biceps, his fingers wrapped around them. He raised his eyes, locking them with his girlfriend's, conveying his pleas and persuasion through them.

She was the first to break contact, looking away, sighing.

"Fine. Okay. But first – "

She kissed him, suddenly, unexpectedly, one sweet, fiery lip-lock that sent the usual tremors through his body. Breaking away and backing off to the opposite side of the room as if repulsed by him, she looked at him sorrowfully.

"If what I think is going to happen happens, Day, I love you."

"I love you too, Nelly," he said softly, a bad feeling pooling in his gut as his girlfriend took a deep breath, screwed up her eyes and with an inadvertent roar, unleashed her Dark side, adding a few more inches to her height than necessary. Growls laced with breathing, the creature in front of Deimin swung its – her – head around, looking for prey, body coiled in an anger shown on her face, purple lightning crackling from her.

Eventually her coal-black eyes locked on Deimin, and she shifted towards him, charging him, the growl in her breathing getting louder as she got closer to him.

Fuck! The clairvoyant thought, instinctively shooting a protective hand out and looking away, anticipating an attack.

He was surprised when he neither heard nor felt one. In fact, he heard the creature skid to a halt and a series of sounds which sounded like...sniffing. The growls in its – her – breathing had lowered to simple purring, like a waiting car.

Sniffing? Purring?

Slowly, he opened his eyes and turned his head, not wishing to make sudden movements. The Dark creature in front of him was not, as expected, tearing him limb from limb. In fact, she had stopped dead before his outstretched hand and was indeed sniffing it with curiosity akin to that of a crocadog, rumbling purrs coming from her body. Her entirely-black eyes moved in various directions, inspecting the hand with interest.

Just as slowly as he moved his head, Deimin moved his hand down, heart beating quickly, breath burning in his lungs. There was a reason why he had chosen his weaker hand for protection. He exhaled and inhaled again, filling his lungs, watching the creature in front of him, waiting for her reaction.

She bent her knees and lowered her head so he was resting his hand on her forehead.

"Nel..." he breathed, moving his hand over her forehead and across her mane of hair. It didn't feel any different than when she was herself, apart from being a little thicker, which he was surprised about. Whilst he had his hand there, the creature ducked, picked him up and threw him on the bed.

He looked at her.

"Nel, I'm not having sex with you when you're Dark. You might actually kill me."

The creature in front of him shook her head in a manner that said I don't want sex. Like a dog, she crawled onto the bed on all fours, hovering over the now-defensive clairvoyant. Manipulating her weight and position, she laid down beside him, nudged his arm out and curled up, tucked under his arm, purring happily. Deimin smiled and resumed stroking her ash-grey hair.

They remained like that for some hours, day turning to night, until Deimin heard footsteps approaching. He turned his head towards the door to see Jak staring at the couple, an unreadable look on his face.

"Well, well, well," he said. "It seems that Nel's Dark side won't go for you."

"No..." Deimin faltered, looking back at his girlfriend, whose Dark side was beginning to retreat back into herself. She snuggled happily, tucking herself into his side more, her breathing regular.

Jak dropped his voice. "She asleep?"

"Nooo," Jakuelynn moaned as she did indeed awaken, blinking rapidly. "Not asleep...Hey...Day?"

"Yeah?"

"You're alive!" A widening of shocked eyes.

"One hundred per cent. I think your Dark side likes me,"

"Mmm." Jakuelynn ran her hands through her hair. "Gotta question, though."

"Shoot," Deimin replied, settling into the cushions.

She shook her head. "Why was my head in your armpit?"

Her boyfriend cleared his throat. "We were snuggling."

A confused look. "Snuggling?"

Deimin nodded.

"I never snuggle,"

"Except for when you're drunk..."

"Really?"

"Yeah. You get very...emotional and wanting physical contact when you're drunk,"

"Better make sure I don't drink again then."

"D'awww, but you're funny!"

Jakuelynn first gave him a look, then a probing kiss, laying back down and resting her head on his chest, one arm around his waist, drifting off to sleep as he too held her.