The duel of testerone lasted for what felt like ages until Eddie finally got the upper hand. He practically tore Billy to shreds, but it got to the point where Lillian couldn't handle watching it anymore, even if she was secretly rooting for the winning hand. She staggered over to the pair, grabbing Eddie by the shoulders before he could make the next blow.

"Eddie, enough..."

She could see the furious look on his face - how he saw nothing but red - and it partially scared her. He truly wanted to kill Billy, and while she understood the reason why, she did not want that for him. He spent all these months trying to prove he was not a murderer. Why would he throw that all away now?

It was as if she was pulling a complete stranger off of her ex-boyfriend.

Eddie climbed off of a dazed and bloodied Billy, but it wasn't until the loser of the fight, looking mad as hell, got up when Lillian felt the need to further step in. He looked ready to strike again. "Billy, don't!" She stood between the both of them, hands in the air, palms outstretched to him.

Maybe now he would listen to her. She put her hands up slowly towards him, as if he was a wild horse she was trying to calm down.

"Billy, your sister... she's in a coma. She tried to stop the asshole that's been behind all of this. Behind you hurting, behind the gates opening, behind all those deaths up there." She inhaled, stepped forward, and gently grabbed him by the shoulders. Amazingly, he didn't move. "Billy... you can help us make this right. Max needs you."

His expression was hard to read, but she thought that in the dimness of the cave, he might have had tears glistening in his eyes. Try as he might, he didn't truly hate his adopted sister.

"She fought to try and stop the gates from opening. I'm sure there's something you know... or something you can do that might help stop these monsters from destroying this world."

Please, Billy. Say something...

Hoping to God that Eddie wouldn't get angry about this, she took his bloody cheek into her hand and brushed her thumb over a dropping tear. Feigning compassion seemed to work (she was a good actress when she needed to be), and Billy closed his eyes before he took her hand with a weak grip.

"You're wasting your time. This place runs a lot deeper than you would think." He stepped away from her, releasing her hand with a certain reluctance that only she noticed.

"Billy, please... Isn't it worth a try? Just tell me what to do."

Finally, his face gave surrender. "If you find the heart, kill it." She saw his eyes shift to the sword Eddie was recollecting. They stayed there for a moment, as if indicating its importance.

"The heart of what?"

"The caves... You'll know it when you see it."

"Someone finally came around," she heard Eddie mutter poisonously from behind her. "Your service is very much appreciated." There was a sharp sarcasm in his voice.

"I'm doing this for her," Billy growled stubbornly. "And Max..."

Lillian gave him a smile and dropped her hand. "Thank you." She began to walk away, though she wondered if Billy would return to his home or just stay in the caves. As they finally came out of the caves, Lillian looked at the sword. She had been curious about it the entire time she saw him carrying it. "Where did you get that from?"

As he explained his experience to her, Lillian almost found it hard to believe, but with the dark blood on his shirt and on his sword, it was hard to agree with Billy. Eddie was not a coward. He had matured a lot during these several months.

In fact, he was probably the bravest person she knew.

They got back up to the gift shop unscathed. They were past due for some rest before they hunted for whatever heart the caves had. Perhaps there was something up there that might provide some information.

It was still nighttime outside, so going anywhere was completely out of the question. Lillian turned to face him. She took the bottom of her sweater between her teeth, tearing it off to clean up his face. His mouth was bleeding from the knuckle sandwich that he took earlier. She brushed it over his mouth carefully, smiling apologetically as he winced.

"I never said this, but the way you kicked his ass... It was kinda hot."

"You think so?" Eddie said with a grin. "You should have seen how I took on that spider. Not to toot my own horn, but... I was pretty impressive."

"Mm, I bet..." It was still hard for her to picture Eddie slaying a giant, eight-legged freak.

He looked down at her now exposed abdomen. He must have still been going through some sort of adrenaline rush, because he was already dropping to his knees in front of her, planting kisses on her stomach. She placed her hands on his head, stroking his hair.

"I thought I lost you again," she murmured painfully.

"Not a chance," he looked up at her, his hands caressing her hips and sliding around her back. She stiffened with excitement. "You can't get rid of me that easily."

She gripped the roots of his hair, biting her bottom lip. Then, she gasped as he nibbled at her waist. It wasn't at all a hard bite, but playful and flirtatious. She leaned against the counter behind her, her heart racing as she watched him unbutton her jeans. What had gotten into him? Not that she was complaining, but he was a lot more aggressive than she was used to, ready to claim what was his.

The dragon was very much alive in him right now.

After pulling off her shoes, she kissed him fiercely, letting him tear off the remains of her shirt. Good thing it was never hers to begin with - the fabric was completely shredded up the middle. Good thing she packed extra clothes.

As his hands moved to her spine again, Lillian gasped. There was a pain in the small of her back, and she remembered then that when Billy had previously pushed her into the wall of the cave, her back scraped a sharp edge of the rock and left a scratch. Eddie responded by pulling his hand away, and she saw the blood on his fingers. There wasn't a lot, but it was enough for him to show concern.

"I'm fine," she murmured, and truly, she was. At this point, she was more aroused by Eddie's advances than she was worried about her minor injury. Talk about running on sheer adrenaline.

Eddie asked no questions. He shifted her body to turn her around, and she appeased him, letting him look at the gash. It was somewhat alarming when she felt something warm and wet against the laceration. As he kissed it, her body tensed up, and she inhaled shakily. She subconsciously jutted out her backside towards him, still stirred by the attention. His mouth trailed up her spine, one kiss planted after another on the continent of her skin. Lillian could feel herself practically evaporating from the heat, and with all pain forgotten, she shivered in anticipation.

"Take me," she breathed, unable to wait any longer. She was almost immediately pushed forward to bend over the counter, her bare breasts pressing into a black binder that was labeled Operation Red Mist in hand-written letters. She mindlessly scooted it away, to where it was discarded to the floor.

He shimmied off her pants, all too keen on fulfilling her wish. She soon felt him pressing against her, and she pressed back against him eagerly. Damn, it felt so good to feel it against her again. She needed him inside of her.

Suddenly, Eddie pulled away, and he spun her around, leaving her short of her ecstasy. Before she could prepare for it, he pushed her back to lean against the table, sinking down between her legs. The bottom half of his face disappeared, and an uncontrollable jolt terrorized her body. She moaned, but he did not stop, his tongue and mouth doing things to her he had never done before.

In a blissful daze, she stared at the ceiling. Since when did he get so bold? Was it just because he missed her so much? Or did he feel the need to prove himself since the confrontation with Billy?

Her thoughts were disrupted as heat filled her groin, and she looked down at him in awe. He was thoroughly enjoying himself, like he was drinking the very nectar of the gods. Lillian's hips twisted in delight, bucking back and forth with the quickening of his tongue.

"Oh, my God... Eddie..."

Lillian took in another gasp, overwhelmed by the wave of lust that swept over her. It was too much, and yet, she wanted more. Her legs parted further out, driving up the level of pleasure from ten to twenty. Her fingers found his wavy locks, pulling him against her. As her orgasm claimed her completely, and her back arched up from the countertop. She trembled, but she didn't fail to notice the blaze of lust in his eyes. He grabbed her by the waist and pulled himself up, abruptly pushing himself into her with earnest. It was so different from what she was used to with Eddie, but she loved how it made her feel.

He thrust hard into her, his forehead coming to rest on hers. Each push took her higher and higher, filling her with an even more paramount pleasure than what she felt before. His hands caressed her breasts, kneading them and pinching her nipples, sending shivers down her spine. She was on fire.

She wrapped her legs around him, moaning softly, taken back to the first night they shared like this in his trailer. Things were so simple back then, when they were just exploring the start line of their relationship. Now, after all this time apart, they were unable to keep their hands off each other, but Lillian was convinced it was more than just their obsession with each other that was causing it.

For only a brief moment, her eyes cast to the binder on the floor. Just as quickly as she had glanced to it, she threw her head back with a wail of pleasure.