"Mr. Spears," the doctor turned to him, "You have to leave, this is a sterile environment and we must operate,"

William sneered, "By operating do you mean to abort my child? I am not blind, I can see clearly what you're doing,"

The doctor grimaced somewhat, "It was an order from the top,"

"I can see that, since this is not done by Ms. Sutcliffe's demand," William noted, "If it was on her own she wouldn't be tied down and struggling,"

He shut the door behind him as he entered the room fully, "It's alright Grell, you don't have to keep struggling or lying anymore. It's time we come clean,"

"William..." Grell urged him to unlock her binds, "Please, stop them. Get me outta this!"

"Mr. Spears, what are you talking about?" one of the male nurses demanded as William began untying Grell's binds, the hateful glare in his eyes keeping the medical staff at bay.

"Weren't you listening?" William glared at the medical staff through his glasses, "The child inside of Grell is mine. She found out shortly before she was attacked and was on the way to my home when she was attacked a few days later. We were going to discuss the child in secrecy since illegitimacy is unacceptable. We were hoping to keep it a secret until we legitimized our union to a legal extent and we could bring the child to light,"

William picked Grell up from the medical chair, "So we came up with a plan, that Grell wouldn't let anyone know. But when she was attacked it all changed, and she still refused to tell the truth to protect my reputation. I deeply apologize, but it is time I take responsibility for her condition,"

"That still doesn't explain why the hormonal readings are inconclusive!" the doctor sneered, "Now tie her back in!"

"Didn't you poor excuse for a medical staff ever consider that Grell was not always a female? Certainly its in her charts. Has it ever occurred to you her original DNA is still deep inside her and unused to the natural cycles of being a woman? And pregnancy nonetheless? That her body is STILL changing and thus any hormonal screenings regarding pregnancy would be inconclusive?" William told them, "If not, then run the tests. I'm certain you'll be shocked at what you find. In the mean time, I am taking Grell home and making a call to my superiors. I will press your removal from this hospital if you do not run the tests,"

"William?" Grell asked softly as he closed the carriage door, her body wrapped in fur against the chill, "W-What did you mean by that?"

She hadn't said a word in the hospital, she didn't want to bring this matter about where the physicians could hear. Her child was safe for now; Undertaker's child was safe because William lied. She was both shocked and grateful; shocked that William had lied and grateful that he had saved her and her unborn child before it was too late. Now he was taking her to his home to rest and relax...What was his motive? William was a workaholic, he had no real social life or need for other people. Why was he bringing her into his home so willing? She could simply assume that because she was his worker he was in charge of keeping her well; or perhaps he took a personal responsibility for what had happened to her. But lying? And so passionately as if it were true? This was unlike the William T. Spears she knew.

"Mean by what, Grell?" he looked up from the book he had brought along (as if to distract himself almost desperately.)

"You lied to save me and you're taking me into your home," Grell told him the obviously, "Why?"

William sighed and set the book aside, pushing his glasses up, "Do you want me to speak honestly?"

"You always are brutally honest towards me, you know I can take it," Grell told him.

William cleared his throat, "I know you had an affair with the mortician,"

Grell's heart skipped a beat.

"Y-You did?"

"Yes, remember when Gregory brought up the Thorns at the Labyrinth?" Grell nodded, "I had gone to your house that day but I did not leave the pills, I had dropped them when I went looking for you and could not find them. That's aside the point though; I went looking for you, as I said, and I did find you. You were at the springs with the mortician. At first I considered that you two had just ran into each other, and being as promiscuous as you are you didn't mind if he saw your naked body. But then you two embraced like lovers and consummated your liaison like lovers. It was your own personal business, so I didn't speak of it."

"But when they were going to abort a pure-bred shinigami I had to speak up and take charge. That child is the first reaper to be born in over twenty years, I wasn't going to let it go to waste. The tests I requested will prove that the child is a pure reaper and since there is no way to decode our DNA they will never know who the father is. Our species will slowly increase,"

Grell shifted uncomfortably, "I know you, William...There's a price, isn't there. There's a price for what I've done. I know you! You would've let them kill my baby because it was illegitimately conceived! What are you going to do to my baby when its born? Take it away from me? Banish it? Kill it?"

William was silent for a moment, "Grell, I want you-"

He reached over and cupped her cheek (the seats' distance not being too far from each other,) "-to divorce your current husband, renounce your ring, and come live with me,"

"Divorce Undertaker?" Grell was once again shocked.

"We can do it in secret, with my lawyer. I saved his son in the war, he owes me for that," William assured her, "After the certificate is verified I want you to live with me,"

"Why me?" Grell asked, still in shock of what William was asking.

"Isn't it obvious, Grell?" William moved closer, kissing her brow, "I'm a man, and I am very lonely. I would like you to live with me to keep me company. I am not going to punish you and I will not-"

He placed a hand on her stomach (through the clothe,) "-take your baby away or do anything monstrous to it,"

Grell paused, staring down at her stomach (which William was still touching) as she thought this over. This arrangement was pretty fair. For the child at least it was fair; William was one of the wealthiest shinigami in Europe, was highly thought of by his superiors, and was apparently able to get her out of punishment. Inside her heart though she knew this wasn't fair to her husband; where was he anyhow? Had they even searched for his body?

"And Undertaker?" Grell asked softly, placing her hand over William's.

"If he is found," William assured her, "I'll let him know what's happened and arrange visits so he may see you and his child,"