(Thanks to jamesss, AlexTheMortal, angie2282, and Zro-Kemuri 9t6 for your reviews! I know I said I would do more on Tally's kidnapping, but this chapter got longer than I expected. Therefore Tally will be next chapter, and then i will start the seperate missions. Woo!)

"Hey, why do you look so down?" Jake asked, looking down to Zeke, who was silent and staring down at the floor. As a demon, Jake towered over Zeke by almost four foot. "It isn't me, is it? If needs be, I use a hologram to look human."

"No... it's not you." Zeke said quietly, and was silent again, following Jake. Jake stopped and turned to Zeke.

"Well, something's up." Jake said, his eyes narrowing. "If it's something bad, something which will throw the mission away, then I want you gone, all right? Are you going to screw up this mission for whatever the hell is bothering you?"

Zeke glared up a Jake, not scared of the red eyes. "I do not need to tell you anything, okay? Let me be, will you? Tell me what needs to be done, and I'll do it."

"Right. That is not the attitude I want from you." Jake said. "You now serve under me, and you follow my order, whatever it may be, to the letter. My order to you now is to let whatever it is go, otherwise you will not only cause your own death, but most likely ours as well. We may technically be called 'demons' but that doesn't make our health any different. We can still be killed by normal means. Would you want that on your mind Zeke?"

"What's there to live for, anyway?" Zeke said.

Jake suddenly swiped his hand across Zeke's face, knocking him to the floor. Zeke stared wide-eyed at Jake in surprise, his cheek now starting to bleed. "I do not want to hear that from any of my soldiers. You sort the problem out now, okay?"

"It's not something that can be sorted out." Zeke said, getting up and touching his cheek gingerly.

"Yes it can."

Zeke turned to see Tanzi standing there, next to an unfamiliar man. Her hands were on her hips, and her lips were pursed.

"Tanzi?"

"Yeah me. What is this, Zeke, I don't understand." Tanzi said walking over to Zeke and touched his arm. Zeke pulled his arm away, as if shocked by electricity.

Tanzi raised her eyebrow, and looked to Jake. "Commander Millagan, is it possible for you to leave us, for a moment?"

"Of course." Jake said. "Just make him come to our dome, okay?"

"Yes sir."

Jake nodded, and quickly left, leaving Zeke, Tanzi and the man alone.

"What was that Zeke?" Tanzi asked. "Where is the guy who flirted with me back on Crystal Lake? The person who I got along with well. Because it isn't you."

Zeke inspected his fingernails. "He is locked away in my heart." Zeke turned and started to walk away, when Tanzi let off a sharp bark of laughter.

"Really? Is that it then Zeke? Are you really... jealous?" Tanzi called out, and Zeke stopped stiffly.

"Of course not." Zeke said, not looking at her still.

Tanzi walked forward, grabbed his shoulder, and spun him around. "Zeke... it's all right. Yes, I'm married. I see now it was a mistake to tell you, seeing what you have become. But at least give me the chance to introduce my husband."

The man nodded. "Hi. My name is Fred Point, ex-conductor, formerly dead, and currently husband of Tanzi."

Tanzi smiled at him, before looking back to Zeke. "Remember, I told you about him back when we met. In our conversations?"

"I remember." Zeke said, staring at Fred with hatred.

Fred suddenly slapped his palm to his head. "Oh crap. Hey, Tanzi, would you be a sweetheart and get my ring? I left it on the cabinet."

Tanzi laughed. "You'd forget your head if it wasn't screwed on. Sure." Tanzi glanced at Fred and Zeke nervously, before walking off.

Fred waited until the footsteps died down, before leaning against the wall. "Well, this is an awkward situation, isn't it? Zeke Kurosagi, right?"

Zeke nodded stiffly.

"Zeke... Zeke..." Fred shook his head. "Tanzi doesn't hate you. She didn't choose me over you."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean what I say. Just think about it, will you? Tanzi was killed back at Crystal Lake. She went to hell, where she eventually found me after a few years. Not a nice place, I have to say. The chairs are so hard... anyway, Tanzi could only guess what happened, since at that time William had left the mantle of Death, and the Death we know now took over again." Fred sat down cross-legged on the floor, leaning his back against the wall. "All Tanzi knew, all she could guess was that you were killed by Freddy as well. She remembered her last moments were seeing you curl into a ball. Tanzi guessed you gave up, and she was miserable.

"But she's a determined woman, I'll give you that. Tanzi was determined to move on, and not wallow in misery. I had already confessed my love to her beforehand. Actually, it was kinda cliché, like those things you see in those romantic movies. I was dying, and my exact dying words were, and I take out the dying stutters: I know that I've only known you for a year, but I love you." Fred said, shaking his head, smiling sadly and wiping his eyes. "You see, Zeke, Tanzi saved me from my misery when all my friends died. Commander Milligan was one as well. I was one of the people he sacrificed his life for.

"But because I confessed my love to her, she realized that she could be with me when she died. When she thought you also died. She waited for two years, waiting for your spirit to come walking to the gates of hell. Maybe she thought you killed yourself, or you were pulled down to the worse part of hell. Whatever she thought, she was certain you were dead."

"What is the point of telling me this?" Zeke asked.

Fred stood up with a sigh. "The point is, Zeke, is that I may be Tanzi's husband, but she still loves you. She loves you as a friend and she said you were like a brother she never had."

Zeke smiled slightly, before covering his eyes with his hands, breathing hard.

Fred put his hand on his shoulder. "In fact, she even said to me that if she didn't marry me, she would have married you should you appear. She loved you, Zeke, and as I said, she still does. So get out of this stupid hole your in, wake up and hear the music. Just because Tanzi is married to me doesn't me she doesn't love you. Think about it Zeke, and feel better, okay? In fact... in the likely scenario that I will die in the missions to come, if I'm chosen for them, of course..." Fred shut his eyes. "I would love for you to take care of her. If I die, you are the person I'd want to protect her, to make her happy once again. Who knows, maybe she'll get over me and marry you as well. I wouldn't ask for anything else."

Zeke let his hand drop, revealing wet cheeks. "Wow... just... wow. Fred, thanks. You've really shed a light on me. I can't believe I was so stupid." Zeke shook his head. "I let myself once again fall into misery."

"It's all good." Fred said. "Just remember what I said, all right. In times of need, when you are on the brink of anguish, just remember: Tanzi's waiting for you back here." At that, Fred saluted with two figures, and strode away in the direction Tanzi went.

Zeke smiled, and shook his head. "Crying? At my age... god I'm such a Baka (Idiot)..."