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.

A/N: Thank you all so very much for your support and patience. Life kinda caught up with me and kept me away from my laptop. I can't say that things have calmed down, but I think I'll have more time for writing. If not, my apologies in advance. Then, once again, I'll be thanking you for your patience and support. ;) Your continued reading means the world to me!

Her heart was pounding so hard that Torie briefly wondered if she was about to have a heart attack. Adrenaline pumped through her body, causing a slight buzz in her ears. The odd sound threw off her equilibrium and, coupled with the shock of the sudden appearance of her boyfriend, Torie took a step back and felt her back press up against a wall. Grateful for the solid mass behind her, Torie slumped slightly, so that she didn't have to support her own weight anymore. But when the wall behind her began to shift slightly, Torie jumped away in terror, only to smile in shaky disbelief when she saw who it was.

"Abe!" Torie cried as she spun around and threw herself into the very perplexed merman's arms. As someone who valued his personal space, Abe was always thrown by the concept of hugging, despite the warm feeling it always gave him.

As he awkwardly hugged Torie back, Abe whispered, "Shh… The instructions were explicit that Hellboy come alone. I'm just here to keep you safe while Hellboy rounds 'em up. I'll then swoop in and secure them, then help with their transport to the authorities." Then he gently pushed her away and held her away at arm's length. Abe looked her up and down as he took silent inventory. When Torie's brow quirked up in curiosity, he explained, "I'm just making sure that you're alright. You look weary and a little thin, nothing that a good meal and a full night's sleep couldn't help. Is there anything I'm missing?"

Shaking her head in the negative, Torie looked down at her ankle. It was red and raw… and possibly infected. But all things considered, she was in pretty good shape. "No. Thanks though. Nothing a cheeseburger and some allergy medicine to knock me out can't help. But speaking of which, doesn't Sam need your help?"

"Not from the looks of it," Abe replied dryly, pointing behind Torie.

She turned just as Hellboy drew back his fist before making contact with the jaw of her captor. The resulting crack echoed through the air as Torie watched, her closed fists pressing against her mouth, as her kidnapper collapsed at Hellboy's feet.

Taking a tentative step forward, Torie watched as Hellboy squatted down and slowly removed the ski mask. When he saw who it was behind the knit material, his eyes went wide and a hand arced up to his forehead, the heel of his palm pushing a headache away from his brow.

"Aw crap!"

Hellboy launched upwards and took a step back before spinning around. Torie could tell that he was ready to begin frantic pacing. Not knowing what was upsetting him – and not caring for the moment – Torie desperately needed to feel his arms around her. So she put herself in his path and placed a tentative hand on his arm, which instantly calmed Hellboy.

"Hi."

The word was softly spoken, but it roared in Hellboy's ears. She was safe. Torie was safe.

But more than that, she wasn't hurt. Oh, Torie had a little bit of a limp and her pallor was one of exhaustion mixed with terror, but she was upright. She was walking. She was talking.

And soon she was crushed into a hug that threatened to steal all the air from her lungs, if not break her bones.

"Sam," Torie said, her voice raspy from lack of air, "We can continue this later, but there are four more men downstairs."

Closing his eyes, Hellboy had to force himself to not drag his girlfriend out of the building and back to his apartment. He had a job to do and now that Torie was found to be safe, he needed to keep the rest of the population out of harm's way. But gads, at that moment it sucked knowing he was so close to Torie and yet so far away from the reunion he had been dreaming of. "They aren't men," Hellboy said as he reluctantly broke the embrace, but kept an arm around her waist, before pointing to the ground.

Lying before them was not a man at all, but rather a Spriggan. Although Torie didn't know it yet. All she saw was a… creature with wrinkled features and skeletal limbs that was rapidly shrinking in size. No longer was he the large person that had held her elbow with such force, but rather a diminutive being that suddenly seemed so less scary and imposing that Torie had to wonder if it was the same… person.

"He's a Spriggan," Hellboy said quietly, obviously confused. His arm around Torie's waist tightened protectively.

"A what?" Torie's brow furrowed in confusion. She felt as if she was suddenly listening to a different language. When Torie took a step forward, Hellboy's arm around her waist gently restrained her from moving any further.

Sighing heavily, Hellboy shook his head and slowly let go of Torie, making his way towards the stairs that led to the basement. "Abe can explain. I'm going to go down and take care of things before they hear us or wonder what's taking you so long. Now stay here! No matter what, do not follow me." He put a particular emphasis on the last four words. "I don't know how it's going to end down there and I don't want you to get hurt. Also, I don't want you to see anything more than you already have."

Torie nodded her head in agreement as she tightly smiled her acknowledgment… although she couldn't maintain eye contact with her boyfriend. She didn't want him to see the tears that she was rapidly blinking back.

This was all her fault. She knew he would be returning in just a few moments, but they had guns. And even though Hellboy had a really big one himself, he was outnumbered. No matter how resilient Hellboy was, this could get ugly.

Making a split second decision, Torie chased after her boyfriend. "Hey!" When he turned, his brow furrowed in aggravation that Torie shouted and his index finger against his lips, Torie whispered, "Be careful."

The look of fear in Torie's eyes caused Hellboy to feel his heart lurch sideways as he gestured for Torie to move back. Walking away from her at that moment was one of the most difficult things he had ever done. But as much as he wanted to stay, Hellboy knew that he needed to move away quickly so that they would have time together soon. "Always."

Abe's arm wrapped around her shoulder in an attempt to be comforting, but his awkwardness was nearly palpable. However, his words were heartfelt, "He'll back before you know it. And stop worrying about him – the big red ape has gone into worse situations than this. In fact, I think he could handle them with one arm tied behind his back and a blindfold on," Abe joked, knowing his attempt at humor was falling on deaf ears.

Torie silently nodded her head. Abe chose to ignore the white line her lips formed that matched the pallor of Torie's skin. He just silently lead her away from the stairs and toward the prone figure out cold on the floor.

"So tell me about 'them'."

Abe rolled his shoulders before bestowing a comforting smile on Torie. He understood why Hellboy was confused. If indeed they were all Spriggans, they were far from home. Taking a look at the unconscious form, Abe instantly concurred with his best friend.

Taking a deep breath, Abe tried to formulate the most concise and non-technical explanation as possible. "Spriggans hail from Cornwall, so their association with an African totem is highly unusual. They're a member of the fairy family, but are somewhat more… malevolent. They can destroy crops by calling storms or chasing clouds away to scorch fields or creating wind gusts that pull plants from the ground. They steal babies from cribs and leave a child of their own in its place after ransacking the home." He then squatted down and secured the Spriggan so they could transport it back to the proper authorities.

"So wait," Torie interrupted, "They aren't found worldwide? Just in England?"

Shrugging his shoulders slightly, Abe spread his hands helplessly. Usually a font of information, the fact that he was caught off-guard left him very distressed. "Well, so I thought. As you can see, they can change size. From small to large and back down to small. They can get even bigger than what you saw. In fact, some have even thought that they are the ghosts of the old giants of Cornwall who roamed the land in the time before time, but since they have solid mass, obviously that's just a legend." Abe's voice petered out, at a loss for words.

"They said something about a temple," Torie said quietly, her brow furrowed in thought. It was obvious to Abe that she was trying to piece ideas together in her head and coming up short.

"Well, they tend to live in remote places, like old abandoned castles… A secluded temple would not be unheard of. Basically, anywhere where there's treasure. These guys are kinda like the bodyguards of the fairy realm. Maybe also judge, jury and executioner, too. They have their own idea of justice, as you very well know, and will do anything to save what they feel is threatened."

The unasked question of what Torie – and her parents – did to upset the Spriggans hung in the air between them.

"They must have gone rogue," Abe said, as if the answer was as simple as that. But in truth, he was befuddled and found the whole situation very distressing… both feelings were very foreign to him, which only added to his inner turmoil.

Torie's brow furrowed. "Rogue?" What the hell was Abe talking about?

But before Abe could answer, a deep baritone rolled through the room. "Yeah, Spriggan are pesky little creatures, but they are way out of their normal range. Something must have happened."

Torie's head snapped around at the sound of Hellboy's deep voice. There he was, filling the space between the legs of the gate, looking every inch the conquering hero. Her heart swelled with pride and she blinked back tears that were threatening to appear.

But Hellboy seemed oblivious to Torie. Instead, he only had eyes for his best friend. "Abe? There's four of 'em down there, just waiting for you. Knocked out and waiting to be cuffed. Don't be gentle." A brow arched, smugness washing over his features.

With a quick nod of his head, Abe made a beeline for the stairs. "Right, Red. Be right back."

Hellboy's teeth were blinding white as his lips curved into a shit-eating grin. "No rush."

Torie swallowed hard as she took in every inch of Hellboy. Not a scratch on him. He was wearing his standard uniform of a skintight black shirt and black leather pants, along with a worn leather duster. Torie stared at him as if she had never seen him before, but unlike their initial meeting in the park many moons ago, this time there was nothing but awe that caused her jaw to go slack.

His crimson skin glowed beautifully in the low light; Torie knew it was rather cliché, but it was as if his skin was lit from within. The circular stumps of his horns were no longer smooth, a sure-fire indication that Hellboy hadn't been keeping up with his grinder. His hair was disheveled – there was no distinction between his inky black sideburns, which now looked wide enough to land a 747 on, and his 'soul patch' under his bottom lip because several days growth peppered his skin… and hair, normally pulled back in a samurai 'do, hung in messy ponytail. But his eyes, golden and warm, were fixed on Torie.

The weight of her gaze was a little unnerving. Namely because there was a naked emotion on her face that he couldn't quite place. "Heya dollface," he said, suddenly unsure of himself.

Bobbing her chin in acknowledgment, Torie wet her lips in anticipation. She felt a sudden burst of energy race through her body. "Hey yourself." She started to rock back and forth on her heels.

Deciding that the space between them was unacceptable, Hellboy closed the distance between them before crushing Torie into a bear hug, pressing her cheek against his chest. "Thank God, you're okay," he whispered into her hair. "I don't know what I would have done if you weren't."

Titling her head up so she could look at his face, she hesitated a moment before asking, "Mad?" She hated that the one word question came out as a whisper; Torie had been hoping to sound a little saucy. But once she was in his arms, Torie's legs felt a little weak. She had blatantly disregarded his directions and now Torie was concerned that Hellboy would be disappointed in her.

Confusion marred his features. "About what?" Torie was safe and nearly sound – what on earth would cause him to be mad?

She shoulders rose in an attempt at a careless shrug, but it came out as a shudder when a sob stole out of her throat. "The fact that I fucked up your game plan of keeping me safe." Dammit, no crying. Stop being such a girl and just enjoy the feeling of his arms around you. Don't fuck up this reunion. Stop crying, you idiot!

"Naw. I get the need to get some fresh air – been there myself. Just glad that I get this reunion with you. You have no idea how happy I am to see you."

"If you're half as happy as I am to see you, I think I can imagine. I really know how to find trouble, don't I?"

Hellboy didn't answer. Instead, he steered Torie across the room, giggling along with her, until her back was against a wall. She reached behind her to confirm that it was indeed a solid structure just as Hellboy's lips captured hers in a slow soft kiss. Her arms wrapped around his neck and her pelvis rocked forward. The few bits of sleeps she was able to snatch always resulted in a dream similar to the reality she was experiencing. In fact, Torie managed to bite her lip mid-kiss to prove to herself that what she was experiencing was indeed real and not another fantasy.

Torie rose on her tiptoes, causing Hellboy to smile against her lips, as he tried to break the kiss. When the kiss finally ended, Hellboy quickly wrapped his arms around Torie, crushing her into a bear hug once again. Laying her cheek against his massive chest, Torie sighed contentedly, relishing the warmth and solidness of her boyfriend, as well as the knowledge that her would-be assassins were finally captured. She closed her eyes in bliss.

"I don't think I could love you more right now," she murmured sleepily.

To say he was shocked was an understatement as Hellboy broke the embrace and held Torie at arm's length. His head cocked to the side and his tail swished through the air with lightening speed. "Wha –? What did you just say?" The words, spoken in such awe, should have told Torie just how much it meant to her boyfriend to hear her say what she did.

Instead, she only heard shock. Which translated to disgust and recoil.

Torie felt her cheeks burn, giving Hellboy a run for his money in who had redder skin at that moment. Oh geez, he doesn't feel the same way. What the fuck did I just do? "I, uh… I said that I love you. You know, for saving me and whatnot." When Hellboy kept silent, Torie drew an invisible line with the muttered, "Crap. I think I just fucked up."

But Hellboy was too stunned and too elated to force his lips to formulate the same words, so he wrapped an arm around Torie's shoulder and led her out into the night air. "C'mon. Let's get out of here. I think we both deserve a big meal to go with the discussion we need to have."