A/N: A little on the short side, mostly just a background story about the beginning of Grell and Undertaker's friendship. Thanks as always for your continued support I'm so happy people are enjoying the story!

University Year 2

William ran a hand through his hair, which fell defiantly back onto his forehead. He rubbed his eyes under his glasses. They were irritated from the fringe of hair that always hung in front of them but he just couldn't seem to keep it out of his way. He returned to his studies. The library would only be open another half hour and, as top of his class, his professors had high expectations of him. He reread the same line three times before he looked up to figure out what was distracting him.

Across the dim room he saw long legs crossed, belonging to a slender body sitting on a desk. His eyebrow twitched when he recognized the heeled boots usually hidden under the redhead's dress pants, and his companion, some freak who wasn't even a student. "Honestly," he muttered, closing his book. How was he supposed to focus while those two sniggered like schoolgirls?

Neither of them paid him any attention. He didn't even know that much about them, just that the one with the red hair had a reputation for being disliked not only for his enviable grades but also his conceited personality. The other one had long grey hair but the disposition of someone not much older than them, and as far as William knew, wasn't a student. He saw them together every now and then. The man in the black cloak seemed to be his ostentatious classmate's only friend. Outcasts stuck together, he supposed.

"Excuse me," he said, pushing his glasses up the bridge of his nose.

They carried on, and he cleared his throat loudly to say, "Excuse me, gentlemen. This is a library and I would appreciate you taking your disrespectful conduct outside."

Finally, silence fell. The two men looked at each other then back to William. He allowed himself a moment of pride for having settled the matter without the librarian. It wasn't a great surprise, as he had a natural air of authority.

"This is a library," parroted the grey haired one, and fell over laughing. It was hysterical to the point of being mad.

The red head came over to lean across William's desk. In contrast to his friend's high pitched laughter, his eyes were hard and serious. He tilted his head as he leaned quite close to William. "Think you can give me orders, hm? Do you know who I am?"

"I do not," William said, keeping his voice level. Showing weakness would do him no favors.

A hand lashed out and before he could react both him and his chair were flat on the ground. He wheezed and put a hand to his chest. It felt as though every breath of air he'd ever drawn had just been knocked out of his body. Two figures swam into view above him, and the redhead smiled almost girlishly. "You do now," he said, and blew him a kiss before stepping over him to leave.

Present Day

William closed the file on his desk. He had finally found a way to keep the hair out of his eyes with some product and a comb but his glasses still never quite stayed where they were supposed to. He stood up and stretched before going out into the main room, which was almost too quiet. Things had mostly gone back to normal since Alois passed nearly a month earlier, but it didn't seem real. It was just easier to pretend everything was okay until you believed it yourself rather than acknowledge the pain.

Grell's office door stood open as well. A quick peak inside told him it was empty. He leaned in the doorway and stared at the vacant desk. His feelings toward Grell had always been black and white since he hired him; he wouldn't have hired him if he didn't know he could separate his personal feelings from his professional ones. There had been no personal ones to speak of. The Grell of present was a shell of the one he knew in university.

That was the trouble, though, wasn't it? He set his jaw, teeth clenched in frustration. They had both been overcompensating for their own doubts and insecurities in university. Grell wore an armor of anger and intimidation while William had lurked in a bubble of isolation and silence. Now Grell was exactly who he was without fear, and dared anyone to have a go at him. William hadn't changed. He was still in his bubble, alone, and a part of him resented Grell for being able to conquer his demons when he couldn't himself.

"Mr. Speeeeaaars?"

He turned to see the Undertaker smiling, stretching the scar running the length of his face in a grotesque manner. Ugh, he hadn't missed the man. Throughout school he'd never known his name (he still didn't, only what he went by) but when he started working at the orphanage he discovered this man was a fixture of the underworld.

"I assume you aren't here to adopt."

"Oh no, I like my children nice and cold. I was just popping by to check on Grell."

William stiffened. "Dr. Sutcliff is fine, and you should call on him at his residence. We don't allow personal business to be taken up at work."

"Very well then. I'll just be leaving these."

He glided past William into the office and sat a bouquet of dead roses on Grell's desk, seemingly housed in an urn. William raised an eyebrow. Was that supposed to be a kind gesture? Furthermore, what business did this old creep have bringing Grell flowers?

"I'll show myself out," Undertaker said when William made to escort him to the door.

William watched him go and retreated into his office. Suddenly, he didn't want to be looking at Grell's desk.

University Year 1

Grell ran along the sidewalk, holding his coat over his head. Hell with rain, this was a monsoon! His makeup was going to be a mess. This was what he got for wanting to go for a walk to clear his head. University was more of a challenge than even he had expected and fresh air had done him wonders until the heavens opened up and took a right good piss on him.

He stopped and looked around. This wasn't the way back to school...great. Just great! He was lost. He dropped his arms to his sides and gave a dramatic sigh of defeat, allowing the rain to pelt his body and beloved hair. His coat was too soaked to offer much protection now anyway.

"This doesn't look like a good side of town for a lady to be wandering at night," he fretted, looking around. He rubbed his arms and shivered. He was going to have a nasty cold tomorrow, he just knew it.

Well, it wasn't getting any earlier. He ducked under an awning and looked up and down the street but he didn't recognize anything. He slid down the wall of the building onto the sidewalk and dropped his head back. There was no chance he'd find his way back to school until he had some daylight. He closed his eyes and wrapped his arms around himself. It was cold, and he was so sleepy. Maybe he could just rest until the sunlight in his eyes woke him up.

There was no sunlight when he awoke. In fact, it seemed even darker than before. He was in a dusty room lit only by a couple candles, and it smelt of death and cookies. He coughed and sat up. I should have known better than to sleep in a strange place, he chided himself. Leave it to the shady types in this part of town to take advantage of a lady stranded in the rain.

"Good morning my pretty."

He turned to see a tall man emerging from the next room with a plate of biscuits. Most of his face was obscured by hair and he wore a sweeping black robe but somehow his smile made him seem welcoming. Grell stood up and discovered he had been laying on a coffin. Ew.

"Where am I?"

"Same place you were when ya went to sleep, this is Undertaker's."

Grell took a biscuit when the plate was held out to him. "Why am I in here?"

"I couldn't just leave you out there in the cold. Not to mention, you living ones make this place smell funny."

"Right..."

They looked at each other in awkward silence. Or at least Grell felt like he was being looked at, as he couldn't see the man's eyes. Coffins lined the walls and the man before him was as mysterious as they came, but for some reason Grell didn't feel threatened. He took another biscuit and sat back down. The silver haired man had a scarred face and long, black nails. He was a fashion nightmare but Grell couldn't bring himself to judge the person who had given him a warm place to sleep.

"I'm Grell," he finally said.

"Nice to meetcha, my lady. I'm the Undertaker."

Grell stared in surprise for a minute before smiling. He always had to correct people for calling him sir! He didn't have much by way of friends but, sitting there on a coffin sharing warm biscuits with a stranger, he couldn't help but think he had ended up outside this particular shop for a reason. "Nice to meet you."