Hello Everyone! and Happy New Year to you all, so here is chapter 5 and my first update of 2010! Wow I can't believe how quick 2009 went lol. But I hope you've all had a good night and you all enjoy this chapter which I think has been quite widely anticipated...so here it is!

Please review! and Enjoy!

Waking up to a loud knocking at the door, Abe had looked on wearily as he pushed himself up to the surface of the tank, feeling a warm temperature against his damp features. Pulling a towel over and drying himself off, Abe then heard Hellboy –apparently at the front door- and seemingly angry with whoever was there, Abe wondering if it was Agent Manning again, the idea making him sigh.

'Look we told them for the last time, we ain't interested, besides, for one its eleven o'clock in the morning, and you've just woke Liz up when she's feeling sick.'

'Please Agent Hellboy, I am avare zat you have quit, and Agent Manning has refused to come to you, but zis could be quite dangerous.'

'Johann, you saw us quit. We don't get ordered around by the FBI anymore.'

'Listen to me, zere is an entity within Connecticut zat had been seen by a local school, Agent Manning heard of a sudden security breach and a building has now been made inaccessible.'

Sighing heavily, Hellboy knew that from the mentioning of "school" and "entity," there could be a serious problem.

'What's going on?' Liz asked coming down the hallway with a pale expression across her features.

'Johann wants us to go and see to an entity that's been reportedly seen at a school, but your ill and in no state to be fighting, Abe's not gonna want to go, and there is one other little problem of the fact we quit. Somehow I don't think me and Manning are gonna last long either.'

'What are the FBI doing about this?' Liz then continued to ask Johann who turned his glass head towards her direction.

'Zey are sending out some of zere men, it vas reported to zem from ze police. Though as far as I am avare zey have so far been unsuccessful in getting in...ve are just hoping zat zere are no students in zere.'

'Red...' Liz began, looking to her boyfriend, 'I know what we've said about the FBI...but it's a school...I just...'

'You think we should go?' he finished for her, folding his arms with a slight from.

'There could be kids in there HB, what if it starts an attack? I mean what if it was ours...?' she suggested resting Hellboy's fine hand against her stomach where a slight bump was present.

Hellboy knew what Liz mean, she didn't want to help the FBI anymore than he did, but where vulnerable people were concerned that genuinely needed help, it was hard to ignore it...So finally giving in, Hellboy returned his gaze from Liz's to Johann and nodded in agreement. 'Alright, I'm in, but we're gonna need Abe...it's just not gonna be easy to convince him.'

'Would you like me to speak to him?' Liz offered, Red shaking his head,

'No babe, I'll handle Abe, you go and rest...'

'I'm coming with you,' Liz began stepping towards him, though his expression was unchanged,

'Liz you're feeling ill and your pregnant, you're not going to fight any ugly brutes today, and I'll keep you posted with what's going on while I'm there. I'll need something to stop me killing Manning at any rate,' he grinned, leaving Liz stood in the entranceway with Johann, looking frustrated.

Walking down to Abe's room, where the merman was just about to emerge, Hellboy greeted him lightly, 'morning Abe, ya might wanna get your jacket cause we're needed. The things we get ourselves into...I swear becoming a Father's gonna turn me soft,' he remarked with a groan, 'I need to work out more just to get rid of that idea,' he added, Abe sensing what was happening before Hellboy began to explain it. Abe had a strong ability when it came to understanding other people's emotions and thoughts...a strength that had built significantly over the years. Though now as Hellboy talked about the impending mission, Abe moved back into the room and sat down.

'I don't think that I can do it Red...' he said shaking his head slightly,

'Come on Abe, I mean, yeah I don't want to do this as much as you don't, but I guess Liz got me with it...not that I know how considering we're all adamant that we quit.'

'As much as we don't wish to help the FBI, we also don't want the innocent to get hurt because of it,' Abe remarked reflectively,

'Yeah, now that's the Brother Blue I know,' Red said with a grin, which soon fell.

'What good are our abilities if we can't save those we care about though…?' Abe asked despondently

'Abe, I need you to snap out of this,' Hellboy replied,

'I promised myself I'd never go on another mission because I don't believe that I can do it...not anymore...I'm sorry Red.'

Looking down for a moment, Hellboy finally nodded, standing up and clapping his best friends shoulder lightly. 'If that's what ya want...then I ain't gonna force you buddy. Though as much as you blame yourself, you did save the Princess by yourself the first time, I just finished the guy off. It was no one's fault what happened, Nuada would have got the crown piece, even if ya hadn't given it to him, and somehow I think the Princess knew what she had to do all along, as hard as it is to understand. But I'll see ya later Blue.' Watching Hellboy go to the door, Abe felt the sympathy Hellboy had shown him, though as he went to speak, Abe found it hard in trying to find the right words.

'Red...'

'Yeah?'

'...Good luck,' he said finally, Hellboy smiling slightly before walking out and leaving Abe, who put his face in his hands. He felt so much guilt in refusing to go with Hellboy, yet he didn't have enough faith in himself to believe he could do it. Since their arrival home, Abe knew that Hellboy and Liz believed he could still find happiness, though it may take time, but he didn't understand how it were possible...

~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~

'Iz Agent Sapien not coming?'

'No, it's just me, so this had better be good Johann,' he responded, following the ectoplasmic form out, not seeing Liz stood by the dining room. Once alone after the door had closed and she heard the loud engine of the truck fading out as it got farther away from their new home, the pyrokinetic went down to Abe's room. Knocking on the door before entering, she heard Abe's voice, though it sounded quiet as she went in, still looking a little ill from earlier that morning.

'Hey,' she greeted calmly, Abe looking somewhat surprised to see her there.

'Liz, are you not going with Hellboy?'

'On the mission...? I intended to, but in my "condition" neither Johann nor Red thought it was a good idea. Though with you staying it means that HB will be on his own.' Even though she didn't readily express it, Abe could feel the concern that she emitted having left Hellboy to fight an unknown entity without any support from his best friend or Liz.

'Liz I-'

'Abe...no one is going to force you into this, do you not think I don't understand from all the times I didn't want to face the bureau? But Red...he really misses his best friend sometimes. None of us wanted this really; I guess coming back here should have made it obvious that we'd have the bureau coming to us again. Though Agent Manning's clearly finding it hard to admit that they're already struggling without us, but you know Abe...if you need HB or me, we're here for you, just like you've been there for us both when we needed it.'

'Thankyou Liz,' Abe remarked gratefully, raising a hand slightly as he continued to feel Liz's strong emotions. 'You're very worried about him...aren't you?' Bowing her head slightly, Liz nodded before looking into Abe's eyes.

'I know Red can take care of himself...he's reckless at times...but he knows what he's doing.'

'Did you want to go with him?' Abe asked carefully, Liz looking into Abe's eyes without a trace of disagreement crossing her features.

'I have to...he may think I'm little help in my condition...but I can't stay here wondering what's going on when he's gone alone.'

Seeing her stand up and leave the room before Abe could speak, he was aware of the emotional stress Liz was likely to be undergoing, with the thought that things weren't going to be as peaceful as they had dreamed after all. Yet thinking about the situation at hand, it was then that Abe also walked from the room and up to the hallway to meet Liz, who was pulling on a leather jacket whilst walking swiftly to the door when Abe caught up to her, putting his hand on the door hand before she did.

'Abe?'

'Red wouldn't forgive me if I let you go on your own,' he remarked, amending for his reasons, Liz smiling at him

'Thankyou...'

~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~

Having arrived at the school in Connecticut, Hellboy had been told to remain in the van whilst the area was secured. 'Yeah...great, just hurry it up, I ain't spending all day here,' he responded in irritation, about to light up a cigar when the agent added over the intercom that it was a non smoking area. 'How did he know I was just-?' he began muttering to himself before shaking his head and forgetting it. Hellboy often found it easier not to question the FBI, their methods of work being of little interest to him. Yet as the door finally began to lower, Hellboy stood up, breathing a sigh as he met a team of FBI agents awaiting him, though his eyes met with Manning's initially who was watching with a frown etched across his features. 'Well Hellboy I'm surprised that you actually...'

'Save it Manning, just tell me what's in there so I can go and do your job for you, and let me just say that the only reason I'm here is cause Johann asked us too, considering kids are involved.'

'Well as long as you know while you're here you work under my rules and my rules only,' Manning stated simply.

'I see your still the over enthusiastic guy I used to work with,' Hellboy responded rolling his eyes before jerking his head to the other Agents.

'What are they doing then?'

'They're the team that will be joining you inside...'

'I ain't going in with them, I'm working alone, besides you ain't holding me responsible for the injury or deaths of any more Agents, it's never been my job to watch them, and that isn't gonna change anytime soon.' Watching as Manning clearly contemplated this, knowing it would just be easier to let Hellboy go in by himself, he was also wary of any consequences, especially the biggest possible risk of him being seen in public.

Though the arrival of another car disrupted this thought as it pulled up by the other FBI cars, Abe and Liz getting out and approaching them. 'Liz,' Hellboy said in surprise, a smile coming across his features when he saw Abe stood beside her.

'We thought you might want a bit of help,' Liz smiled, Manning sighing heavily.

'I give up...' he remarked, finding it too hard to decipher Hellboy, Abe or Liz's intentions, and instead giving them their orders as they were handed the belts they hadn't seen in so long with their old locators attached.

'Okay you three, in and out, get the job done and don't get seen by anyone got it?'

'Yeah, discreet right?' Hellboy grinned,

'...yeah,' Manning responded wondering whether this was a good idea or not, 'just ensure your locators are synced up at all times,' he went on airily, the three of them flicking it and revealing the various colours that represented them, red, blue and yellow... 'alright, let's get them in there,' Manning instructed, two agents going to the back doors where the FBI were stationed, out of sight of any students, when Johann approached Abe.

'Good luck Agent Sapien, don't doubt yourself, I know zis haz been very difficult, but things do begin to vork out.' Nodding to his former boss, Abe breathed in deeply, knowing that Johann had lost a love too, yet the idea of things "working out" didn't seem all too real to him as they walked towards the back doors of the building...Though little did the team know as they went in, two worlds were about to collide...

Hearing the doors close behind them as they entered the ground floor, the three of them were met with a ruined entranceway, the flooring being ripped up with considerable damage being done to the rest of the interior. 'So what do you two reckon? Shall we split up or go together?'

'Well it's not going to hide from us...we have our locators...let's just split up and find this creep,' Liz commented, Hellboy nodding, and the three of them agreeing to take different floors, Liz working with the ground floor in case she felt the need to get out, Hellboy looking at the first floor, leaving Abe with the second. Walking up the staircase after leaving Liz and Red behind him, Abe continued up to the highest floor of the building that was readily accessible, a voice coming across the locators. 'Anything Brother Blue?'

'Nothing as of yet, though the damage has been quite extensive...whatever has done this must have considerable strength...'

'It clearly hasn't met my stone fist then has it?' Hellboy responded 'changing channels...' Once silence resumed in the atmosphere, Abe began to look around the rooms when he realised the windows were seemingly sealed shut, finding this with some of the doors too as he asked Liz if the front entrance was too sealed closed.

'Yeah it is...' she replied frowning over the locator. 'Do you think it's much of a coincidence?'

'I'm not sure,' he responded when lifting his hand he felt something down the end of the corridor...an aura...So silently going through the building, Abe had walked towards the only room where the door appeared to be slightly parted, feeling that he had been there before, in the sense that he recognised the building...though with it he felt a dark presence run through his senses and the aura which he had followed.

Carefully approaching the door, he looked through the crack with caution, jumping back in alarm as an object hit the door throwing it open backwards and hanging off its hinges. Looking at it with his mouth slightly agape, Abe held his hand over the vivid blue locator, ready to send a word of warning and a call for help, when he heard a sound...a whimper that quickly silenced. Looking in to see a seemingly shapeless figure looming in the room it began to move towards the back where the sound had emitted from...So acting on instinct as Abe removed the gun from his belt, despite vowing never to use it again, he raised it in the air and pulled the trigger. As the shot rang in the air Abe moved behind the broken door, seeing the creature go through and down the stairway at a considerable speed, and shriek running through the corridors which muted as the entity got farther down towards the lower floors. Steadying his breathing after taking a moment to pause, Abe then went against the one rule he never believed he would dare to break for fear of the reaction...But right now something drew him into the room, following the now strong aura that surrounded him.

Walking carefully to the back of the room, once certain it was safe for that moment, Abe moved the desk that had been thrown against a wall to find a young lady having barely missed getting trapped under the weight, shaking fearfully, and about to look up when Abe heard a loud bang outside, and moved swiftly in front of her. Leaving the girl unable to see him fully, Abe waited in place, raising a hand and sensing no danger when he heard Hellboy cursing from downstairs and realising that he had too found the entity. Relaxing his tensed posture in the realisation that they were still safe, Abe finally looked to see the young lady he had just saved from harm. With a closed hand clutched against her chest, she looked into his blue orbed eyes with fear shining there, his head tilting slightly in curiosity upon noting her unusual eye colour...amethyst, though kneeling to her level Abe felt the emotions from her, and understood how scared she was, it bringing out something in Abe as he offered her a sympathetic expression.

'It's alright, please don't be afraid...'

'Who-Who are you?' she started in a soft but frightened voice,

'My name is Abraham Sapien…' he returned in a gentle voice

'Abraham…?'

'Yes...' he nodded, seeing her take in his appearance for a moment, as she continued to watch him when he asked her 'What happened here?' the girl seeming to think whether she considered it safe, though after a moment she began to speak.

'I was in here...and I heard something...all the windows and doors closed and locked...I tried to get out but there was nothing. Then when I finally returned to this room, I heard doors opening but before I could move I saw that...that creature there in the corridor and I panicked...so I hid, hoping I would be safe...' Yet as she began to ask what the creature had been a loud screech sounded, followed by a voice over Abe's locator.

'Blue I need you to find out what the hell this thing is,'

'I'll be there in a moment Red,' Abe responded, 'but it must have some original form if it is a shape-shifter as I believe it to be...'

'In English?' Hellboy replied rather impatiently,

'I'll be there in a minute,' he repeated in assurance, before turning back to the girl.

'Come with me,'

'But I-'

'It's okay...I'll get you out safely. I promise. But you must come with me now before it has a chance to return...'

Looking into his eyes, she hesitated, unsure whether she believed she could trust him. 'Please...trust me...' he offered, seeing her eyes shine with some glimmer of hope as she nodded finally...weakly, Abe then helped her up, feeling how she still trembled slightly.

'If I can somehow free the jam on the locks, you will be able to get out at the front entrance...'

'But they were locked...'

'We may be able to find a way to open it,' he responded, keeping her behind him as they made their way out into the corridor and down the stairs at a quick yet cautious pace, the entity suddenly flying past, surrounding them and shrieking in a high pitch, the young lady hiding behind Abe, the merman lowering her behind him as he raised his gun before re-holstering it. 'As I thought...it has no solid form...' he uttered in concern, taking her out of the way of the creature when it threw itself through the flooring.

Reaching the ground floor and seeing Hellboy go head first into one of the side rooms after breaking the door, it seemingly broke the hold on the other doors and windows with it, Abe seeing the opportunity to get her out safely. 'You must go! Hurry!' Abe told Belle, taking her hand and leading her to the front door when she turned to him.

'Wait...'

'There's no time, if any FBI agents see you, you won't be able to leave so freely...'

'How is it you can trust me?' she asked, Abe looking into her eyes for a moment, considering her unexpected question, when he heard Liz calling to him and simply saying,

'You're safe now...' before seeing her out and closing the door abruptly to stop anyone from seeing in and hearing numerous calls to the girl. Though as he thought of her, realising he didn't even discover her name, Abe was distracted by Liz and HB emerging.

'Well it's gone,' Red announced, wiping some dust and dirt off his coat,

'The entity?'

'Yeah it just vanished. Don't even know what it was...'

'Well it's a rarity that we ever go without knowing,' Abe said thoughtfully, only just taking note of how breathless he seemed, and reaching up to his neck where his apparatus was.

'You okay buddy?'

'I'm fine...just...trying to understand how I managed it...' he said admittedly, Hellboy and Liz exchanging understanding glances as they made their way towards the back entrance again, Hellboy watching his best friend ensuring that he was alright. Though in Abe's mind, he knew meeting this young lady was more than simple timing, yet with so many questions unanswered, he couldn't help but wonder just what had really brought them back...

So yes Abe and Belle have finally met, but they don't know much of who each other are...yet! Of course it will not be their last meeting as you will soon see in the next couple of chapters, though I think Belle has certainly left an impression on him, but what was that entity? and why would it target Belle? All will be revealed during the fanfic, but for now please review, and I shall update soon...I also hope you all had a good Christmas!

I hope you all do have a lovely new year :)

Goodnight!

~x-xMasqueradeAngelx-x