Chapter 3:

This story does jump from past to present at times, although I try to indicate when these time jumps occur. Please note that this section is taking place in the past during the early stages of the relationship between Grell and Michael.

"Grell," Michael's voice whispered in her ear, "Wake up, beautiful. I want to say goodbye before I leave."

"Leave?" Grell mumbled as she forced her lazy eyelids to open slightly, "But why?" Even without her glasses, Michael was standing close enough to see that he was already dressed.

"I have to go home before I head to the office," he explained, "Plus, I still have to get your surprise ready."

She giggled. "I think you just like surprises."

"I like to give special treatment to very special ladies," he replied as he gently stroked her cheek, "I've reset your alarm. Make sure you're not late today."

"Oh, when am I ever late?" she asked in response.

He laughed softly and kissed her on the forehead before leaving. Lying in bed, she listened as he made her way through her apartment and out the front door, but she found she no longer felt as if she could go back to sleep. The excitement of this new relationship, of this new love, gave her energy beyond anything she had ever experienced. She wanted to run, jump, and dance as she announced the fact she, Grell Sutcliff, had actually found someone that loved her.

Not feeling like simply lying around, she got up and started to get ready, but she was hardly prepared for the sight that greeted her when she looked into the mirror. Her eyes were sparkling like crushed diamonds a soft blush highlighted her cheeks more beautifully than any makeup could have managed. She had never looked prettier than she had in that moment, and she had Michael to thank for her appearance. Carefully, she combed her hair and dressed and took ever more time than usual. After all, today was special and she wanted to look her best.

Despite an early start, she made it to the office barely on time, but she cheerfully called out a hello to everyone she saw. Even though she didn't have many of what one would call friends, her smile seemed contagious that morning as many returned the expression as she practically skipped through the office.

She stopped in her tracks, however, the moment her eyes fell upon her desk. It was completely bare as it had been stripped of all of her personal belongings. If not for the stain of red nail polish, she might have thought she had simply gotten turned around somehow and was looking down at the wrong workstation.

"Sutcliff," William called out from the doorway to his office.

Normally she would have paused in this moment to engage William in conversation or harmless, expected flirting, but the current state of her desk had left her confused and a little concerned. "Will, dear," she began, as she walked over to him, "where's all of my stuff? You know I don't like people going through all of my belongings?"

"You've been transferred, Sutcliff," William answered, "effective immediately. Your belongings have already been relocated to your new office."

"Transferred? But, why?" As she spoke, Michael stepped out from behind William and looked directly at her, but there was no smile this time. It suddenly began to dawn on her that this was Michael's surprise.

"Enough. It's out of my hands," William said, and Grell could have sworn he almost sounded as if he regretted this situation. "Mr. Summer will show you to your new office." With those words, William walked away as if he had more important things to do at the moment.

Michael didn't smile as he stared down at her. "Follow me, Sutcliff," he said coldly. Turning, he made his way down the hall and towards the elevator, and she followed without saying a word. She had plenty of words going through her mind, however, although most would have not been very ladylike to say aloud. Silently, they stepped into the elevator and Michael punched the number for Upper Management's floor. As the doors shut, however, Grell immediately turned towards him.

"What's going on, Michael?" she asked, "You transferred me? To Upper Management? You know how I feel about paperwork." There was an annoyed whine to her voice, but she didn't care. He had to know to know how she felt. "I liked Dispatch, and I was good at collections. I'll miss Ronnie and Will…"

Michael's hand suddenly shot forward as he slammed the button to stop the elevator. Even though he had his face turned away so that she couldn't see his expression, she could feel the anger rolling off of him in waves, and this confused her. After all, she was the one who had suddenly been uprooted at work, so she had every right to be upset.

"That's what this is all about," Michael growled, "About him."

"Him? Michael, what are you talking about?"

"Do I have to spell out? William T. Spears!" he spat out the name as if it left a foul taste in his mouth before spinning around to face her. His face had grown red and his eyes bulged slightly. "It's no secret how you've always chased after him," he continued, "It's even in your files. That's the reason you're mad, isn't it? Because I took away from your dear William?"

"No!" she yelled, "I just wasn't expecting to be transferred! I know you like your surprises, but this was too much!"

"Sure," he grumbled.

"It's the truth," she insisted, "It's sweet that you're trying to help me with a better job position, but I liked where I was."

"Tell me," he began, "You say this has nothing to do with Spears, but aren't you still in love with him?"

She paused briefly as she considered the question as she wanted to be honest. "I care for Will," she said, "and I always will. He's the first one I fell in love with after all, and that's not something that I can just forget."

"That's what I thought," Michael stated.

"But I love you," she insisted.

He looked at her for several minutes. "Yet if Spears was to promise you his undying love, you'd leave me in a second."

"Darling, he's not going to do that," Grell assured, "He's had over a century. I…I hate saying it out loud, but Will never loved me. I don't think he could love me. He's not going to change, but even if he did…"

"If he did?" prompted Michael.

"I'd have to tell him he's too late," she said, "Someone else has my heart. I know what everyone says about me, dear, but you know the rumors aren't all true. I am faithful and I take affairs of the heart very seriously."

"I don't know," he stated, "You did get upset when I was just helping you with a promotion."

"I'm sorry," she apologized humbly.

"I don't even know why I'm trying so hard," he continued as if she hadn't spoken, "Here I go out of my way to create a position that's perfect for you. You're to be in charge of collecting records that don't need to be reviewed because of particular circumstances. All you have to do is reap with practically no paperwork, and you'll operate all over the world. I put myself on the line for you with this, but you didn't even give me a chance to explain."

"I'm really sorry," she reiterated, "I didn't know. What you did is terribly sweet. It's probably the sweetest thing anyone has ever done for me. I was just surprised. I do appreciate it, Michael. Honestly, I do. I'm sorry I jumped to conclusions." She knew she was rambling but felt helpless to stop.

He pushed the button to start the elevator once more. "I was afraid this might blow up in my face," he said under his breath.

"I'll do my best," she offered, "It won't blow up on you."

"Act professionally if you can," he instructed as they reached their floor, "You're only refer to me as Mr. Summer and never so much as hint we've met outside the office. I'm really sticking my neck out for you, so the least you can do is to be on your best behavior."

"Yes, Mr. Summer," she replied humbly as the door slid open in an attempt to show him that at least her acting skills were up to par for this challenge.

Quietly they walked down a new hall, and Grell got her first look at Upper Management's floor. She had been judged by them in the past, but that was always in the judicial building. She had never been here before, but she tried not to make it too obvious that she was examining her surroundings and they walked down the hall and to a closed door. The nameplate upon this door announced it as belonging to her, but somehow it felt so wrong and foreign to her. Michael opened the door and they both walked inside a simple, yet handsome office. It was slightly bigger than William's and a huge window along the far wall boasted a magnificent view, but she take no join in any of these things. The tight expression still affixed to Michael's face destroyed any happiness she might have felt.

He shut the door behind them. "Your things were packed up and put in the box there," he explained, pointing to a box on the desk, "As you can see if you have much more room, but please keep superfluous decorations to a minimum. I'll leave so you can get settled. You have no assignments until this afternoon to give you some time to adjust."

"Thank you," she said, quietly, "for everything."

"Your lunch will be at noon. The cafeteria is down the hall and to the right, and you'll find we have an impressive assortment of food. It's doubtful you'll have to bring in anything to eat. I don't usually have my lunch at that time, but if I happen to be there you are not to approach me, nor should you attempt to sit with me. Do you understand?"

"Yes, of course," she said, "Michael, I really am sorry. I know I don't deserve all this."

With the same odd expression still firmly in place, he didn't respond directly to her as he turned and opened the door. "I just hope this wasn't a mistake," he said in a soft tone just before shutting the door behind him.

Grell stood in silence in the center of the room as she stared at the closed door and thought about how things had gone so wrong so quickly. She hadn't meant to upset Michael, but the surprise of the transfer had rattled her. Seeing how much he was risking by giving her a special position, she only wished that he would accept her apology. Why was that she always seemed to be her own worst enemy when it came to relationships?

Not allowing herself to cry, she made her way over to the box to unpack. She had never realized before just how few things she actually kept on her desk, but now it seemed so minimal. As she looked at each item, however, she couldn't help but wonder if any would fall under the category of 'superfluous.' Perhaps this calendar was a bit too silly and the tiny crystal heart too foolish. Never before had she questioned her tastes so thoroughly, although she knew she was in direct contrast to most people. In the end, she stored most of her stuff in an unused drawer after placing a single picture on the corner of her desk. It was one of her and Ronald looking happy and content. She had tried so hard to get William in that picture as well, but he had refused. Maybe it was for the best considering how worried Michael was over her feelings towards William, although there was no reason to worry. William had made that perfectly clear with the cold and dismissive way he had spoken to her earlier.

With her single task out of the way, she glanced up at the clock and saw that she still had quite a long time to wait until lunch. She supposed she could slip back down to dispatch just to say hello to Ronald and tell him what had happened, but she didn't think that would be a good idea. After all, Michael might come back in the meantime, and he might assume that she had snuck down to see William. For now, it would be best to sit and wait even though patience wasn't her strongest virtue.

She only hoped that Michael was coming back.

((x))

All conversations seemed to halt when Grell stepped into the cafeteria. It was impressive as they only had a small break room down on Dispatch, but here the food was actually prepared to their specifications. As her stomach was still nervous and upset, she had chosen only a small salad and water, but now she was beginning to wonder if she could even manage to digest that. She could feel the weight of their collective gaze upon her shoulders as she slowly walked through the room until she found a small, empty table at the back. For the first time, she found herself wishing she wasn't so noticeable. Typically, she feared being invisible and unseen, which would have meant she would have made her grandest entrance in an unfamiliar situation like this one, but today she was simply too mentally exhausted to put on an act for anyone. Her shoulders uncharacteristically slumped, she took a seat at the empty table and the conversations slowly picked up once again. She couldn't help but wonder how many were talking about her.

Mechanically she ate without tasting the food as she scanned the room, and she couldn't help but wonder if this was all a mistake. Someone like Ronald would have no problem here. He would have already made his way over to the one group of ladies setting at a round table to introduce himself. Even though she would have normally entered the room with more flair and exuberance, she still never would have quite fit in. She never truly did.

To her surprise, Michael entered the room, and she couldn't help but feel a little relieved. He had said that he didn't typically have lunch at that time but perhaps he had come to speak to her. Maybe, he had ever accepted her apology. As she watched, however, she saw him glance her way and realized that she wasn't supposed to pay him any special attention. Quickly, she dropped her eyes and pretended to be completely engrossed in the contents of her salad. Hopefully, it hadn't been too obvious she had been staring. After several minutes, she hesitantly raised her eyes only to see that Michael had left.

Sighing softly to herself, she gave up on her efforts of eating and quietly crossed the room to discard her barely touched meal. Still feeling that she was being watched, she went back to her empty office and shut the door. There were still no assignments waiting on her.

With nothing to do except worry, she sat down at her desk and laid her head on the smooth, wooden surface feeling utterly alone and useless.

((x))

Never before had a clock moved so slowly, and Grell could feel her restlessness rising with each passing second. She didn't like sitting around doing nothing, but she had no idea of what she could do right now. She had walked around her office multiple times and had taken in the view from her window, but she felt bored and uncomfortable. While she hated being told precisely what to do and how to act, she did like at least some idea or direction. Right now, it appeared that it would be time to leave for home soon and she had done absolutely nothing all day.

A knock upon her door interrupted her thoughts, and she scurried to her desk so that she could at least appear to be doing something. "Come in," she said.

The door opened and Michael stepped inside. As he shut the door behind him, a sheepish smile spread across his handsome face. "I got caught up in meetings," he explained, raking back his hair slightly. Those wavy strands just didn't want to stay in place.

Her stress evaporated immediately when she saw that he wasn't upset. "That's okay, dear," she said, "I was just so worried you were still mad at me."

"Mad? Why would I be mad at you?"

"Because of…this morning," she explained, hesitantly. She was partially afraid that bringing it up again would only upset Michael once more,

"That?" Michael asked, waving his hand as if shooing away an insect, "Don't worry about that. You just didn't understand what was going on. Besides…" His voice trailed off as he walked over to her and knelt before her as if proposing. "I got a little crazy when I thought there was some chance I might lose you to Spears or anyone else. Don't you understand, my beautiful scarlet rose? I love you so much, and I'm afraid I can get a little jealous."

She smiled. "You're not going to lose me," she replied, "I've already told you, my handsome prince, I'm faithful and deadly serious when it comes to affairs of the heart. There's no reason to be jealous."

"I know that," he whispered, kissing her softly, "I was just worried that someone might try and steal my precious ruby from me. Now, we need to go up to the roof."

"The roof? Why?"

"You've never created long range portals before," he explained, "It can be a bit tricky because it's harder to judge your destination when you're not as familiar with an area, but there are methods that help. Let me show you how because tomorrow you'll be starting your first assignments."

"Lead the way!" she exclaimed cheerfully. As they stepped into the hallway, however, she made sure to fall behind him so she was the picture of the respectful subordinate and not a woman in love.

((x))

She arrived home late that night, and her body was very tired. Creating the long range portals turned out to be more difficult and draining than she would have imagined, but Michael said she had caught on rather quickly. Since there was no way she could be familiar with all the places she would have to go, there were general areas, called safe spots, that she was to aim for before looking for a particular target. The only danger, Michael explained, was that these individuals were more likely to be targeted by demons since they were already considered damned, but Grell had no real issue with demons. Stretching her tired muscles, she slowly undressed as she put on a pair of red and black silk pajamas.

Just as she was making her way to the kitchen for a snack, someone knocked at the door. She was a little annoyed since she was hungry after not eating lunch, but she carefully called out that she would be right there as she hurried to the door. To her surprise, Ronald was standing on her doorstep.

"Ronnie!" she gasped before jumping forward to hug the younger reaper, "Oh, I can't tell you how much I missed you today, darling! Come in!"

Ronald hugged her back and followed her inside. "I missed you too," he said, "What happened? I asked Mr. Spears where you were and he said you had been transferred. He seemed pretty miffed about it too."

"I doubt that," Grell replied sadly, "He couldn't seem to get rid of me fast enough. He didn't even say goodbye."

"That's because we were really short-handed today," explained Ronald, his duel colored eyes growing wide, "There was a huge factory explosion and everyone had to go into the field – even William. Plus, I heard him talking about how you could have told him beforehand."

"But I didn't even know until this morning," Grell countered, "I had no idea until I get to the office and find my desk has been cleaned off." She giggled lightly. "Michael does like his surprises."

"So it was your bigwig boyfriend," Ronald guessed, "How is it going between you two?"

"Wonderfully!" she exclaimed, "He's just so sweet, and he even created this position for me that has almost no paperwork. To be honest, I think he did it just to keep me away from Will. He's a bit jealous."

Ronald's smile slipped slightly. "Jealousy isn't usually a good thing," he said.

"It's just because he really cares for me," Grell explained, "Oh, Ronnie, no one has ever shown me this much love!"

"I just worry about my senior," offered Ronald.

"You keep telling me you're worried," Grell said, frowning just a bit, "Don't you trust me, Ronnie, or have you heard something on Michael?"

"I haven't heard anything about Michael," Ronald answered, "It's just…Look, I don't know how to say this. I don't want to get you mad or anything."

"Just say it!"

Ronald sighed. "You told me that Michael wanted to keep him dating you a secret because Upper Management isn't really supposed to date anyone working in a lower department. Well, that's the first time I've ever heard that. I knew a bird dating someone from Upper Management, and they didn't keep it a secret. That just concerned me a little." He ran his hand through his bi-colored hair as he spoke, and it was obvious he was nervous.

The fear that Michael saw her as an embarrassment or something he had to keep a secret welled up inside her. "What are you saying, Ronnie?" she began in a quiet tone, "It's not a rule but that Michael is ashamed to say he's dating me?" Her voice continually rose as she spoke. "Have you ever thought that maybe it's an unspoken rule and Michael's just worried about his career? He's worked hard to get to where he is, and he doesn't want to risk it. Even so, he is dating me, and he's good to me. He knows about my unfair and slanderous reputation, but he still loves me! Shouldn't I be grateful? He even went out of his way to make a special position just for me! He's already done so much!" By the time she finished, she was shaking slightly and tears were welling up in her eyes.

"I didn't mean to upset you," Ronald said, "I'm…I'm just worried. I care for you too. You've been there for me so many times, and I just don't want to see you hurt." He shook his head. "Sorry. I guess I should be going."

"That's probably best," Grell replied as she tried to hold back her tears.

With a hesitant smile, Ronald nodded towards her before letting himself out. Once alone, all of the tears that she had been holding in all day suddenly broke through, and she slid down the wall to sit on the cold floor to cry. Why did it seem that she was never allowed to be happy?