AN: I had a bit of fun writing this one. XD I hope you like it and see you Tuesday!

Cheers!

It took a few seconds to realize where she was, having forgotten that she went to Julie's. Blinking back some sleep she found herself laying on the couch tucked in with a thin blanket. On the couch across from her was Xander who looked still asleep. With a yawn she flipped the blankets back to find Alastor had put her in the usual satin pajama set. It seemed like such a small thing but she was always appreciative that he made sure she was comfortable.

Swinging her feet off the couch she quietly snuck into the kitchen to get a start on breakfast. Eggs and bacon were easy enough to make, if anyone wanted something else, they'd be on their own.

It wasn't long before Xander joined her, though he was still in what he was wearing yesterday. By the time she had finished cooking Julie had also joined them. No one seemed to know where Alastor had disappeared to, but the three sat down and ate, enjoying the lazy morning.

When dishes were cleaned up, Julie and Xander moved to the living room, Julie excitedly going on about a show she had recently gotten hooked on. Ellen smiled moving to the bathroom to change and then to the door to get her shoes on.

"Wait where are you goin?" Julie spun around the corner to watch as she pulled her shoes on.

"Your fridge is empty, you need groceries and since I brought three…or two hungry mouths to feed, it's only fair I refill the fridge."

Julie's shoulders dropped, an appreciative smile on her face. "You know you really don't have-"

Ellen raised a hand to stop her. "I don't need to, but I would like to."

"Alright, maybe you can take Xander with-"

"NO! No thank you. It is way too noisy out there. I can't imagine a grocery store. Way too many sounds."

The two girls laughed at Xander's outburst. "Well I guess that settles it then. I'll be back in a bit."

"And leave you to wander on your own?"

She knew Alastor had appeared behind from watching Julie's eyes move to peer over her shoulder.

"I will come with you my dear. No need to burden yourself with all the bags."

Ellen gave Julie a knowing smile before turning to face Alastor. "That would be lovely, thank you."

She gave Julie one last look, an accusatory finger pointed at her. "He is a teenager and you are the adult, nothing rated 'R'."

Julie stuck her tongue out at her. "Uh I am the cool aunt, and as long as it ain't a horror flick it's fair game."

The two giggled, Julie waving a goodbye before turning back to the living room. Ellen took a look at Alastor to find he was trying to figure out what Julie would be referring to and when he did he gave Ellen a shocked look.

"She isn't…"

Ellen grabbed his arm, directing him out and to her car laughing. "No, but if Xander ain't paying attention he may be stuck watching Magic Mike."

"Is that some sort of magician thing?"

Ellen threw her head back laughing, unable to stop a snort. At some point she was bent over crying, trying to catch her breath. "Oh you poor innocent man," she wheezed.

"I don't follow. Is it not a picture show for children?"

It wasn't until they were both in the car that she was finally able to calm down, wiping the tears from her eyes. She hadn't had a laugh that good in a long time. "All I'll say is it's a movie Angel would likely enjoy."

The look of horror on Alastor's face had Ellen giggling again as they made their way to the grocery store.

…

"These prices are outrageous," Alastor muttered under his breath as they made their way down the canned goods aisle.

Ellen smiled, grabbing a few cans of assorted soups and placing them in her basket. "Just inflation."

She squeezed past another shopper, giving them a small smile. Her smile faltered for a blink hearing what she could have sworn was a growl. Her eyes turned behind her to find Alastor glaring at the guy she had just passed. Alastor wrapped an arm around waist pulling her closer to him.

She was about to make a comment about it but decided against it. The guy probably mumbled something under his breath and Alastor clearly didn't like what was said. It wasn't the first time, probably wouldn't be the last.

She pulled from his grasp moving into the bakery corner looking for bread. The smile returned when the scent of fresh bread filled her nose. Her eyes scanned prices before finding the cheapest one. Some things were better the more you spent but she knew Julie didn't care about bread. She grabbed a loaf and put it in her basket before turning quickly to Alastor behind her. Only it wasn't Alastor, it was a larger bulkier man who was scanning the wraps. She spun so quickly she accidentally bumped into him.

"I am so sorry! I thought you were someone else!" A light flush passed her cheeks.

The man turned looking annoyed but the expression quickly changed when he found her.

He straightened up face looking more smug.

"It's all good. No harm done miss."

She took a step back muttering another apology, ignoring the way he eyed her up and down. She only managed a step and a half before she had backed into another body. Turning she found Alastor glaring daggers at the man.

She stepped past Alastor tugging at his hand. "Come on, let's go, " she whispered.

He turned but only took three paces before he spun back to the man.

"Apologies, I don't think I heard you correctly. Could you say that again."

Ellen stiffened knowing exactly the tone he had taken. He was one wrong word away from making an example of this guy. Whatever he had muttered under his breath wasn't worth it.

"Nothing man. I said nothing."

Ellen saw the threatening narrowing of Alastor's eyes. Geez what had gotten into him? He seemed more on edge than usual. Maybe it was all the noises, like Xander had said. It was not something she had ever thought about. Although Hell was pretty loud.

Alastor turned, moving to take the lead.

"Freak."

Ellen rolled her eyes as she watched the shelf that the man was standing next to just 'happen' to fall over making a mess. No one would have seen the black tendril that had slipped back into the shadows.

She turned to follow Alastor, her tone hushed and scolding. "Whatever he said you should have just let go Alastor."

"Oh it had nothing to do with words my dear." His arm snaked around hers keeping the two of them linked. "I didn't like how he looked at you. Completely lecherous," he uttered darkly.

A part of her wanted to ask, but considering how Alastor reacted she felt it was probably best to move on. So she led the rest of the way around the store quickly collecting whatever was left on her little mental shopping list. She did notice a few more growls escaped Alastor and plenty of daggered looks, which only pushed her to move quicker.

It wasn't until she was on her way to the checkout lines that she realized it was only men that Alastor seemed to have a problem with. A discussion for later, so she moved to a line that had a lady cashier, just to test her theory.

Like she thought there was no animosity, if anything he seemed nicer than normal. Keeping her thoughts to herself she packed up the groceries and made her way out, Alastor grabbing most of the bags and while normally she would have fought him about it she kept her mouth shut.

Once the car was packed Alastor snapped, all the bags having moved elsewhere.

"Okay what's got you out of sorts?" She turned on him, hands on her hips.

"I don't know what you're-"

"You were growling at every single guy we passed. There is no way they all looked at me wrong."

His brows furrowed confused before he turned away to think.

Had he really not noticed?

Instead of waiting for an answer she was fairly certain she wasn't going to get, she locked her car and started across the parking lot. There was another store she wanted to stop by and instead of having to park again she decided she'd just walk.

She had just passed a small alleyway when she was stopped by Alastor grabbing her wrist, pulling her closer to him into the shadows of the alleyway.

He leaned down, head right next to her ear, his breath warming the side of her neck. It caused a little shiver to run down her back. And we're back to being affectionate it seemed.

"I'm going to have to leave you for a bit. I have some personal matters I must attend to."

Or not?

His tone was low and almost a pained whimper. She turned a bit confused, wanting to know why the sudden change in mood. Her eyes scanned him head to toe trying to decipher the problem.

He looked like his usual self, well in human form at least. Still dressed in dark slacks, his shirt in his signature colour with a black vest accented with his tie. His face showed nothing of his thoughts, not unlike his normal sinner form, though the smile was not as wide. Whether that was because he was restraining due to emotions or because he was trying to keep it somewhat human she didn't know. He straightened up when she turned though his eyes wouldn't meet hers. That was enough for her to know there was something else going on.

She was probably overthinking again. He was likely just going to quickly slip away and be back before she was finished with what she was doing. Or at least find her again at Julie's, not that big of a deal.

"You'll be back soon though, right?" She wanted to know if she was going to wait for his return or if they would meet up later.

"A week's time."

That was a lot longer than she had guessed. Her brows knit together. What could possibly need a week to sort out? If they were still in Hell, sure he had lots of things that needed his attention, but here?

No matter how in depth she looked, she couldn't find anything out of the ordinary. A small pang of disappointment rang through her chest. It was only a week, not that long but she wished he would at least tell her what he was up to.

"Okay," she finally answered. "I'll get Xander and he and I can have a little bonding camp trip or something."

She froze, certain she was mistaken. Did Alastor just growl at her? Before she knew it, Alastor had pulled her to him, back pressed against his chest where it was now undeniable that he was growling, the reverberations vibrating up her back.

She tried turning to face him, but he held her secure, arms wrapped tightly around her waist, almost possessively.

"What was gotten into-"

Her question was cut short by a light gasp as Alastor's lips found the side of her neck, where he started a trail downward to her shoulder, a few a bit rougher than normal.

He had been acting out of sorts all day, more possessive, growling at everyone and now at the mention of Xander? He was even more affectionate than usual, his hands finding a way to keep in contact.

It was the sharp, shuttering inhale followed by a very restrained, quiet groan that finally clued her in to what was going on. It all made sense now.

"You're starting a rut."

He didn't stop the featherlight kisses down her neck. "Is that what this is?" He chuckled against her throat. "And here I thought your neck was just looking extra delectable today."

Well that sure explained everything including the week he wanted on his own, though she thought it a bit odd considering she knew how difficult it would be on his own.

A smile pulled to Ellen's face. It seemed he was also in a playful mood, a side of him she always enjoyed.

"You aren't actually going to be away for a week. You're better off staying," she pointed out.

The hum that passed his lips along her jawline sent pleasant vibrations through her. It was cut short when he suddenly stepped away, leaving a decent gap between the two. His sudden lack of heat sent a shiver across her skin.

"I can not stay."

She turned, her face giving away her disappointment. "What? Why? It's easier if I help you through it."

"I'm afraid this one will be the worst yet. I do not have access to my normal strategies and without a contract I have no means of keeping you from harm should this get particularly rough."

"From harm?! Alastor, it's not like I don't know what to expect, we've done this before and-"

-No. No this isn't the same. It's different."

"Then all the more reason we do this together." She took a step forward only to watch him take a step back, keeping the distance.

"Alastor…" Her eyes shot to his not hiding the hurt behind them. He had flipped so suddenly she couldn't understand why. Was he really worried about hurting her? She'd been through worse, a lot worse. They had their safe words, it would be okay.

He bowed, a telltale sign of his approaching departure.

"Don't you dare," she warned, eyes narrowing as anger started to rise into her chest. "We are not done here."

"Apologies my love, but if I stay much longer I fear I won't be able to leave, even if I wanted to."

"Then don't! This isn't like you, running away. You're hiding something and if you're going to just leave, at least have the gall to tell me."

The tears came unwilling, slipping down her cheeks, proof of the sudden turmoil that had erupted in her head. She couldn't help but feel the familiar pattern that seemed to be her dating life. Again she was facing a problem she couldn't fix, that wasn't her fault and it was all too easy to slip back into her old ways.

Another need she could not satisfy and despite all reason and rationale, she felt was going to lose him. He would leave, find someone else to fill those needs and realize she wasn't worth it. It happened every other time, why would this be any different? All because she couldn't, she wasn't-

She bit her lip in hopes of getting the tears to stop, her gaze cast downward, ashamed of where her thoughts had taken her. He wasn't like that, she tried reasoning with herself. He was constantly reminding her that she had promised to stay for eternity, he wasn't going to just cast her aside. Hell, he was just growling at a bunch of guys for just looking at her. She was being unreasonable, crazy, looking for things that weren't there.

Who did she think she was telling him how to handle his rut. She'd been through one and it was with him. He had done this countless times on his own, he obviously knew what he needed.

"Ellen…"

Her gaze shot up, breath hitching at how close his voice sounded. He had closed the gap between them now standing only inches apart. She didn't know how she hadn't noticed his shoes coming into view as she was staring at hers.

"I have nothing here to help keep control. Music and reading are not enough now that I've had a taste of you. I suppose flesh may help, but I'm not too confident in it. Demons happen to be a much better source of energy. And…"

Ellen waited for him to continue, she already knew what he was going to say. He had his power, though it was probably a bit limited seeing as he wasn't in Hell, but he still had a lot. Maybe he could draw on the souls he owned.

She waited a breath, then two and by the fourth he had turned away.

"And your power…" she prompted.

He hesitated, seemingly debating on whether or not he wanted to say. A deep sigh signaled his decision.

"It's but a fraction of what it used to be."

She tried suppressing her gasp, but it slipped before she could silence it.

"Because you're not in Hell?"

She figured there would be some sort of draw or weakened connection but to lose so much to the point he no longer felt in full control was crazy. She knew the kind of power he had, or at least got a hint of some of it. Whenever she needed it, she felt it, coursing through her like a charged battery, like a coiled snake ready to strike. She had fought countless sinners and even Vox. It was power unlike anything she had ever felt, hardy and plentiful.

He took a few steps back and she had to fight the urge to pull him back, reach out to reassure him, it would only make him feel worse.

"To break free of Lilith I had to…forfeit all the souls I owned."

It was only a few seconds that she paused before the weight of the words sunk in. He owned no souls. None? How was that even possible? She had seen, on a few occasions, the contracts he wrote. They were all air tight, almost unbreakable.

She took his hand, weaving her fingers in with his in hopes of showing her unwavering support. It would be difficult, but they'd find a way to fix it.

She gave him a warm smile before pulling him in, pressing her lips to his softly.

"Thank you," she murmured against him. She wasn't entirely sure what she was thanking him for but it felt like the right thing to say. It could've been because he finally opened up to her about it. Clearly he had intended on keeping it secret. Or maybe because she knew how much that really meant; giving up all the souls he owned. He did it to come find her.

The kiss quickly started getting heated, something Ellen already knew would happen considering the circumstances, but it still made her stomach flutter. Both parties were pouring all the unspoken words and emotions into it. The normally shy hands had worked their way up sides and down backs, exploring everything they could.

Ellen only pulled apart when her hip started vibrating. Her face flushed and slightly out of breath. As much as she was enjoying it, it was probably good they had pulled apart, now realizing they were necking rather heatedly in an alleyway.

"Blasted technology," Alastor grumbled.

Ellen pulled her phone out to find Julie's name across the screen. She looked at it for a few seconds before she turned back to Alastor. She could get back to Julie later, right now she wanted to ensure Alastor didn't just slip away without as much as a farewell for a week.

"We'll go north, out into crown land for the week. Just us and I'll help you through this."

"Ellen, you can't-"

She cut off his protest. "-We'll figure it out, we always do. Besides, we haven't done it like this before. Both human."

She bit back a laugh as she saw the blush creeping up his face, eyes wide for a moment before falling half lidded.

She was just about to tuck her phone away when it buzzed again, this time a text.

J: answer ur phone!

She didn't even have time to respond back before it was ringing again.

Ellen put it to her ear, eyes darting over to Alastor a bit concerned. At least she didn't need to put it on speakerphone, he would have no problem hearing Julie.

"Hey what's up? Is everything okay?"

She started moving and couldn't suppress a smile catching Alastor following through her peripheral vision. He was trying to stay as close to her as possible, something she had noticed the last time he was in heat.

"I mean I'm fine, I just don't know what's going on with Xander."

That stopped Ellen's movement quickly, causing Alastor to almost trip over her.

"Is he okay? What's going on?"

"He says he's feeling outta sorts. It was sudden, doesn't know where it came from."

"He's sick?"

"I'm not sick," was called from the background. It seemed Xander was listening in too.

"You'll likely feel better in your more natural form." Alastor suggested.

With her now still, she found Alastor was finding ways to keep some sort of physical contact, hand around her waist, or standing closer than normal.

There was a moment of silence before Julie's voice broke it. "Whoa. You look like shit, bud."

"This is even worse!"

Ellen shook her head trying to figure out what was going on. "Okay, explain what you see Julie."

"Well, the antlers are new. And he looks a bit flushed."

Ellen turned to Alastor confused. "Fever?," She silently asked. He shook his head in response before resting it on top of hers.

"Okay Xander, can you tell me how you're feeling?"

"Warm? And smells are more… sensitive? Stronger?"

Alastor failed to hold back a laugh. "Oh he's quite alright, you needn't worry." His head tipped down addressing Ellen. "It seems our plans have changed a bit my dear. You'll collect Xander for this little camping trip and I will find you later."

"I'm sorry, what's going on?"

Before Ellen could ask Alastor what he meant, he pulled her even tighter to his chest, leaving no space between them. He leaned down to whisper in her ear, tone light and amused. "Tis the season it seems." He took one quick breath in before kissing her neck and taking a step back, releasing her completely.

"I'll be cashing in that favour now my dear. While you're with Xander I do believe it would be most beneficial for you to explain what he is experiencing."

"And that would be…?"

"Oh!" He pushed his glasses back up his nose, his wicked. "He too seems to be in a bit of a rut."

Before another word could be uttered he slipped into shadow leaving Ellen staring at the spot he was once in, mouth agape in disbelief.

He was going to make her explain it? She wasn't experienced enough to be able to answer any questions he may have, she only did it once! And she did it as a human, not as a demon. How was she-

"So…we're good? Or…?"

"I'll be by in twenty minutes to collect Xander. Let him know we're going camping for a week."

"Can I come?"

Ellen pinched the bridge of her nose.

"Trust me Julie, ya don't want to tag along on this one."

"Okay but you're going to explain what this is right?

"Yeah sure I just…need a few minutes."

Ellen sighed, turning to head back to her car wondering how the hell she was supposed to handle two horny deers. It couldn't be that bad right? Just a…terribly…awkward family camping trip. Oh joy.