Obligatory Disclaimer: Dark Horse and Mr. Mignola own all, save for my own original characters. A special thank you to Guillermo del Toro for bringing this wonderful character to my attention.

When Torie woke up, groggy and not at all well rested, she was very disoriented. The alarm clock in the room was not where it should be, nor did it look like the one she was used to. But it was there, unlike in the hospital room, so Torie knew she was in a residence rather than an infirmary. It radiated the time, 8:03, in bright, blue numbers that were blinding in the darkness. And the room was dark, oh so very dark, instead of being filled with diffused sunlight through her yellow curtains of her apartment or the white blinds of the hospital room. The room was cool, but warm, humid air blew on her neck in regular intervals. The fabric of the bedding was not the t-shirt material that Torie loved to lay on or the itchy fabric of the hospital sheets she spent too much time upon. Instead, the material was rich and sumptuous – and Torie stretched as languidly as her body allowed, appreciating the sensation of the sheets against her skin.

"Mornin', Sunshine."

Torie rolled her head to the side and smiled at Hellboy. Her eyes were adjusting to the darkness and she could see the massive rise of his shoulders sloping down to his narrow waist in the darkness as he lay on his side, facing Torie. Reaching out to cup his cheek, Torie let her thumb rub designs in his sideburns. His warm, golden eyes closed in bliss. Torie sighed happily, thrilled to wake up in the bed of the… man – I so need to get over the stigma of using that word to describe him – she cared about. Her lips curved into a smile as her eyes drifted shut, too.

Then suddenly everything from yesterday came rushing back.

…The drama of having to leave the hospital in disguise because both the wig and trucker's hat were very used – and smelled like rotten eggs.

…The irritation of entering his apartment and seeing the suitcases for his trip by the front door, ready and waiting for when Hellboy left to find her would-be assassins.

…The exasperation of not being able to go outside on the balcony to get some fresh air, especially after an aide regaled her with tales of the beautiful weather.

All of it because Torie was supposedly dead.

Adding to all the stress was Torie's limited mobility and her frustration with needing help in doing even the simplest of tasks, such as going to the bathroom unassisted or getting food out of the bottom drawer of the refrigerator. Tasks that were humiliating to request assistance for when even a five-year-old could perform the undertakings without help of any kind. It was difficult for Torie to wrap her head around being so weak when she knew her body was young and healthy. By just thinking about it, frustration washed over Torie once again.

Rolling over onto her back, Torie stared at the ceiling and released a long sigh. "I'm still mad, you know," she pouted.

Propping himself up on his elbow, Hellboy rested his head on the open palm of his left hand. His fingers were just itching to reach out and touch Torie, but he balled his stone hand into a fist instead. Praying that she couldn't see it in the darkness of the room, Hellboy rolled his eyes as his tail twitched in exasperation. "I can tell." He hoped he didn't sound condescending or irritated, just playful. But his gently teasing tone was met by a wall of silence and as the minutes ticked by, Hellboy felt the need to force the conversation to continue. "You know, what's going on… this isn't my fault."

Torie became furious. She pushed herself upright, then grimaced from the effort. Pain shot up her leg and down her shoulder, meeting where her gallstone used to be. Between clenched teeth, she yelled, "OH! So it's MY fault!" The look in her eyes was pure venom. There was no mistaking her visible anger in the low light.

Wanting nothing more than to lay in bed for a few more hours and talk about nothing in particular, Hellboy groaned in frustration as he pushed himself upright also. His hands immediately slipped over his horn stumps and combed through his hair. This was so not going the way he had hoped. Dreamed of even, for the night's thoughts were still fresh in his mind. Dreams of them lying together in bed, naked and sweaty, basking in their mutual afterglow.

Even if it could happen, sure wouldn't be happening right now anyway…

Turning to face his bunkmate, he raised a brow and said, "Did I say that? No. What I said is that it wasn't my fault. It wasn't my idea to have you go underground. I would much rather you be able to go places and pretend that what happened to you wasn't a big deal. In fact, I think that this is the dumbest thing ever because what happens if I don't find them soon? Because if they are gonna be found, you know I'll find 'em before the Feds do. However, you being cloistered away until the day they are found is just pure insanity.

"But what I did suggest was that you stay with me. If I hadn't intervened, you would be in a safe house somewhere in the middle of South Dakota. And while there is nothing wrong with South Dakota, I thought the idea of still being in touch with people you know and who care about you would be more appealing that convalescing in the care of total strangers."

Torie bit her lip and looked at Hellboy out of the corner of her eye, wanting to have a saucy comeback but unable to think of one. Instead, she crossed her arms and worried her bottom lip between her teeth some more.

She was also very distracted by the fact that the sheet that had previously covered Hellboy up to his underarms was now pooled around his waist. And since he had rolled onto his left hip to talk to her, the sheet slipped off of his right one… and was threatening to slip further.

Torie had to look away when she realized that Hellboy had slept au natural.

Do not about that. Do not think about that. Stay mad. Stay focused.

Hellboy's sigh in the darkness was soft and full of worry. "Hey, listen… I'm gonna be leaving in a bit, gone possibly for a few weeks, and I don't want to go away with you being mad at me. What can I do to make this better?"

The hushed tone of his voice twisted her gut and caused Torie's breath to hitch. Dammit, why couldn't she stay mad at him? Because he's right, it's not his fault. He's just trying to take care of me. And also make the best of a bad situation. I need to do the same. "What can you do? Short of not going, promise me that you'll come back alive. I am terrified that I'll lose you. This… this is way scarier than anything I've ever been through. It might be old hat for you, but this is all new territory for me – and I don't like it one bit."

Sighing, it suddenly dawned on Hellboy what was bothering Torie. While she was upset that her life was now in the hands of strangers who felt it best that Torie figuratively die in the eyes of the world instead of literally live, it was the fact that Hellboy was going after the bad guys that upset Torie the most. Yes, she was going to have Monica around, but with him off looking for the bad guys, there was the feeling of abandonment that came with his impending departure. And if Hellboy had thought about it more, he would have understood that it was more important to spend time with Torie, rather than away, while she was recuperating.

Crap. Wish I had thought of that sooner. Gotta fix this.

But first, Hellboy had to soothe Torie's feelings before he could attempt to correct his faux pas. And to do that, he had to acknowledge her fears instead of ignoring them – but emotions weren't something Hellboy was good at dealing with. So he felt back on his old stand-bys… charm and humor. "Babe, I'm like a bad penny – I always turn up. Cats and their nine lives? They ain't got nuthin' on me."

Dropping her gaze down to the light blanket covering her legs, Torie began to play with a loose thread. Pressing her lips together so as to not sigh, it occurred to her that there was not a selfish bone in Hellboy's body. Everything he had done – and was about to embark upon – was all for Torie. There was no self-gain involved… unless one counted making Torie safe a selfish act on Hellboy's part.

Torie didn't.

A slight smile curved Torie's lips as she cast her gaze back onto Hellboy. "If you make me this one promise, and I'll keep harping on it until you agree rather than gloss over my request with jokes and bravado, I'll make you a promise." She then surged forward and kissed Hellboy soundly on the mouth.

Just as his arms were about to loosely encircle Torie's shoulders, she pulled away – her ghost of a smile manifesting in a full-blown grin. His own lips curved in an identical smile. Flopping back on the bed, Hellboy sighed happily and said, "Kiss me like that again and I'll promise you anything. But you know I'd do that anyway, kiss or not… However, yes, I promise to not only come back alive, but unhurt also. So there. So what's your promise?"

The eagerness in his voice made Torie laugh and although the effort of doing so hurt, she was glad that the large weight sitting on her chest had been lifted. She wasn't happy about the circumstances of her being in Hellboy's apartment, but she was glad to be with him. Laying down beside him, resting her head on his bicep, Torie said, "To not complain about things that are beyond our control. The police… the FBI… they were acting in my best interest. And if it wasn't for you, only God knows where I would have ended up. I've been anything but grateful when I should be more than appreciative for everything everyone has done. I mean, I really could be dead, ya know? So no more bitchin'." Torie arched a brow knowingly before continuing, "Oh, and I promise that I will also start to take my pain medication."

It sounded an awful lot like she was trying to convince herself of how she felt – or needed to be feeling – but Hellboy couldn't say he would be any better off than Torie was if the circumstances were reversed. Oh, he had been the target of many attempt on his life, but to play dead had to play on the psyche. But bravo to Torie for trying to keep her head on straight and make the best of a bad situation. However, it was the fact that she was willing to take the medicine her doctors had battled with her to take that shocked Hellboy. Using his free hand, he brushed away a loose strand of hair off Torie's cheek. "You'll take the meds? Really? Why the change of heart?"

Her voice was hesitant and she turned her face into the skin of Hellboy's arm. "I figure that if it'll make me better, heal faster, then it's only fair to you."

Hellboy's eyebrows shot up. "Me? How did I factor into the decision?"

He could feel the muscles of her cheek move as Torie smiled. "Hey, you're putting your life on the line for me. I figure that popping some pills was the least I could do for you in return. Besides, I feel like shit right now. Sleeping on your bed might be good for the back, but it doesn't do much for healing wounds. I would have thought you, of all people, would know that."

Groaning in mock exasperation, Hellboy tenderly pulled Torie closer, wanting to feel her body close to his, but afraid of hurting her. When she didn't resist, Hellboy lay silently, savoring the peaceful feeling that had settled on him like a blanket. But there was one question he had to ask.

"So… no longer mad?"

Pushing herself up so that she could look Hellboy square in the eyes, Torie gently shook her head in the negative. But it was several long moments before she answered, "Well, not at you. Never really was. You just happened to be handy. That wasn't fair of me."

Chucking Torie lightly on the chin with his large stone fist, Hellboy laughed, the sound rumbling from deep within his chest. "Hey, no worries. None of this is fair and as I said yesterday, I wouldn't be okay with all of this. You're doing better than I would be." His right hand then went behind Hellboy's neck to prop his head higher up.

Torie looked away, letting her gaze drift to her surroundings. All the furniture was decidedly masculine. And monochromatic. Dark wood tones. Sleek, but heavy lines. Faux leather upholstery covering the headboard, an oversized chair and the curtains. Several area rugs, thick with yarns of various hues of brown, populated the hardwood floor like as string of island countries. Framed maps and Asian artwork hung on walls painted deep cobalt.

It was all so very Hellboy…

…but not so very Torie.

Stop it! No pity pot! No negative thoughts. Not until after he's left, at least…

In an attempt to pull herself out of her pessimistic feelings, Torie felt it best to get the two of them into a new conversation entirely. Very away that Hellboy watched her chest rise and fall as she sighed, Torie started down a road that had been weighing heavily on her mind since the day before. "I… I have a huge favor to ask…"

Hellboy immediately said, "Absolutely. Just name it."

Heat rushed to Torie's cheeks and she broke eye contact with Hellboy. Her gaze drifted lower, inadvertently focusing on his bare chest. His very broad, well-muscled, very red, bare chest. Torie was certain her cheeks were as red as Hellboy's skin. "I… I haven't had a real bath – or shower for that matter – since the morning you came back into town. I know it's asking a lot, but… would you help me bathe? I can ask Monica to do it if it's too much to ask… but she hasn't seen me in anything less than a swimsuit since we were about ten… and I'm not sure I want her to see me undressed."

While the image of Monica bathing his naked girlfriend kind of turned Hellboy on, a sudden feeling of jealousy in the pit of his stomach completely surprised him. Long ago, Hellboy had trained himself to push down any feelings of hurt or anger so that he never got sucker-punched by his emotions. But there would be no sharing of his girlfriend, even if the scenario that appeared in his head really wasn't the case and the bathing was strictly for the sake of Torie's incapacitation…

After giving a slight shake of the head, Hellboy allowed himself to think about water, soap and Torie standing in his whirlpool bathtub, her back to him, modestly looking over her shoulder, waiting for him to help wash hard to reach spots. "You are asking a lot of me, know you. And only because I'm a good person am I agreeing to help you out in your time of need." The smile on his face nearly split Hellboy's head in two.

Torie mock punched Hellboy in the shoulder before rolling onto her backside and sitting next to him cross-legged. "Trying saying that without a smile next time, bub. Now, care to explain why you're sans pajama bottoms?"