(Disclaimer: I do not own The Bad Guys; just Lilith and my other OC's.)

(Authors Note: Hello everyone! Thanks for taking the time to read this latest chapter. Enjoy!)

Chapter 9

"So, now that we've finished dinner, are you still curious to know why I moved all the way from Buffalo to LA," Lilith asked as she began dishing up two bowls of raspberry gelato, to which Snake gave a nod:

"If you don't mind telling me, yes. Although, I don't want you to feel pressured into doing so."

She gave him a reassuring look and lightly shook her head, "I don't feel pressured. It's just not a pleasant memory to dig up; however, since we're an 'official' couple now, you deserve to know more about my past as I do with yours."

"Fair enough. Whatever questions you want to know, I'll do my best to answer them."

"I appreciate it. Thank you, Hubert."

"Of course, Lilith."

With a smile, she handed him his gelato and placed the empty container beside the sink before sitting beside him, "As I mentioned earlier, I moved to LA because I wanted to put as much distance between myself and my past as possible. More specifically, I wanted to put as much distance between myself and my ex-husband as possible."

"You were married," he asked, surprised at her confession, to which she nodded:

"Yes. I apologize for not mentioning it sooner, but I didn't feel the need to bring it up as my marriage wasn't exactly a happy one, nor did it end on a civil note. That, and I was afraid you'd see me as 'spoiled goods' because I wasn't pure or untouched," she frowned and cast her eyes downward before feeling his tail gently cup her cheek, prompting her to face him once more.

"Lilith, I don't see you as spoiled goods, nor do I care if you've had previous relationships before ours: to me you're still the same woman I fell for and am still falling for. Honestly, I would've been more shocked to hear if you hadn't been in a relationship before now," he added with a wink, bringing a smile to her face, to which she then wrapped her arms around him in a loving embrace:

"Thank you, Hubert."

"Of course," he returned the affectionate gesture and wrapped his coils around her, while also nuzzling her cheek.

XXXXX

-Later-

"Wait, your ex is a cop," Snake asked, surprised, to which Lilith nodded as they currently stood side by side at the kitchen sink, washing dishes.

"Yes; however, he wasn't one of the 'good cops' society wants us to trust with our safety and well-being. Rather, he's one of the bad cops most parents warn their children about before sending them out into the world."

"Well, you don't have to worry about any bad cops here as Chief Luggins is a stickler for law and order. She wouldn't tolerate any sort of corruption on the force."

"That's good to hear. Unfortunately, Adam and his ilk are the opposite of your police officers: they only care about abusing their power and using their 'cop privileges' to do whatever the hell they want because the law doesn't apply to them in their minds."

"Your ex sounds like a horses ass," he stated with a frown, to which she nodded in agreement:

"He is. I wish I would have seen him for what he really was before we got married, but I was young and stupid back then, and didn't see the warning signs until it was too late."

Sensing there was more to her story, he asked, "Do you want to talk about it?"

*sigh* "Maybe some other time. If it's alright, I'd like to hear more about you."

"Oh? Anything in particular you want to know?"

"Yea. How did you first get into thieving? I mean, I know you and your friends are no longer criminals, but I'm curious to know how it all started for you."

"Heh, well that's kind of a long story. I guess I've always had a knack for cracking safes and picking locks. Growing up, I was outcast from the other kids, so naturally, I filled the role as a bad guy because that's what society saw me as. I remember my first official crime was robbing a candy store when I was around 5 or 6 years old," he noted with a faint smirk lining his face, while Lilith continued to listen with interest:

"Back then, I was small enough to squeeze through the mail slot, so getting inside was a breeze. Once in, I cracked open the register and stole all the cash before stuffing as much candy as I could carry inside my pillowcase, to which I then unlocked the back door and escaped under the cover of darkness. Of course, after getting a taste of crime, I started plotting my next heist, which then led to another one and another, and so on."

"Do you ever wish you hadn't robbed that shop and started your criminal career," she curiously asked, to which he pondered her question for a moment before answering with a slight shake of his head and a smile:

"No. Had I not started down that path, I never would have gone on to become what I am today, nor would I have met my friends and had the life I have now. That, and I probably wouldn't have met you," he added, prompting her to warmly smile as his tail lovingly wrapped around her wrist.

"Then I'm glad things turned out the way they did."

"Same here."

XXXXX

It was roughly 10:20 PM when the gang heard the distinct sound of the lift ascending, signaling that Snake was home, to which the four ex-criminals sat around the kitchen table with wide grins lining their faces. Having paused their game of blackjack for the moment, they were instantly met with the telling signs of lovestruck fever as their reptilian comrade slithered inside, smelling like women's perfume and sporting an array of lipstick smudges along his face.

"Well, well, I'm going to assume that your date went smoothly," Wolf noted as his best friend approached and sat down at the table.

"It did. In fact, Lilith and I are now an official couple," he answered with a smile before he was suddenly grabbed and pulled into a bear hug by Shark, to which ALL of his friends joined in:

"Woohoo! I knew you could do it!"

"Congratulations, hermano!"

"Way to go, Mr. Grumpy Pants."

"We're happy for you, buddy."

"Heh, thanks guys," he genuinely smiled and wrapped his coils around them, returning their heartfelt hug as he greatly appreciated their approval and support.

"So, when are you gonna bring your chica over to hang out," Piranha questioned, to which he gave a slight smirk:

"I was thinking I'd bring her over next Thursday so that would give us some time to prepare for her arrival. You know, plan what to fix for dinner and purchase necessary ingredients." He then glanced over at Wolf, "You should invite Diane over to join us. I bet she and Lilith would get along nicely."

"Good idea. I'll call her tomorrow and see what her schedule is like for next week."

"Sounds good."