"Is this Natasha or you?"

“Both, actually. That was one of the problems . . . probably one of the reasons we were able to go our separate ways. We were a lot a like, and it irritated the crap out of both of us. But she meant a lot to me, and she . . . she changed me quite a bit. Are you okay?"

Red noticed that Jane was trying really hard not to cry.

"Yeah . . . no. I don't . . . do you still love her?"

Red stroked Jane's face.

"Yes, and I always will. But not in the way that you think . . . at least not anymore. She's dropped by a number of times. Things always start out well and end up with us yelling at each other or getting into a fight. It's funny. You're worried about me and her hooking up again, aren't you? To be perfectly honest, I'm more worried about YOU wanting to run off with her."

"ME?!? Why would . . ."

“Because she's strong . . . gorgeous . . . and she can give you a better life than I can."

For a moment, Jane was a bit offended.

"I'm not looking for someone baby me . . . like that anyway," she grumbled, turning over. But Red was not to be discouraged. She scooted forward and spooned the young woman.

“I want you to stay," Red said slowly, “but someday, you WILL be tempted to want to return to the surface full time. Everyone does.

And someone like Nat can make that extra-appealing. Something you're going to have to do is decide what you really want to do with your life."

Jane sighed.

"Do I have to decide right now?"

Red kissed her on the side of the neck, making Jane's whole body feel much warmer.

"Nope. As far as I'm concerned, take your time."

There was another kiss.

"I believe that some things should take a long . . . (kiss) . . . long... (kiss) . . . time."

And it was a long, long time before either woman would get any sleep.

Gelok was less than pleased with the recent turn of events. His hellspawn's movements in the city were under careful scrutiny by those annoying street dwellers, their carefully orchestrated attack on their enemy's lair had been thwarted by a veritable unknown, and those Strays had come far too close last night to his base of operations.

He walked the halls of business complex that served as the hellspawn's base of operations, passing the human servants and swill that operated the software company that served as the hellspawn's front. They were rich humans, that was for sure, but Gelok doubted they understood the price that would someday be paid for their collusion. But it seemed that Gelok might have to pay a price as well, and even sooner. The Dark One was unhappy.

‘The Dark One,' Gelok thought with some bitterness. He and his demon tribe had been great warriors for millennia on end, but even he himself involuntarily trembled when in It's presence. He and his warriors called it the Dark One because it had no name of its own.

It and its kin had existed in a time before names . . . in a time before there were even words to describe them. They would be given many names by those unfortunate few who would learn of them in the years gone by, but the essence of them had remained unchanged throughout the duration of time . . . they were chaos. For reasons no one quite seemed to know, they had gone disappeared until this one had returned, and it was on a mission. Gelok didn't understand ... he didn't want to. He just obeyed, and hoped to be in its "good" graces when the time came.

Gelok opened a door and began a long slow descent into the bowels of the building. There was no lock on the door . . . there was no need.