It was pretty, but didn't look too special. “I don't see what the big . . ." Robbie picked up the Heaven's Eye and, deep in his soul, he heard it hum. He slowly put it back on the altar. "You take it," he told Lothar.

There was a moment of quiet content amongst the allies, and Natasha and Robbie both got some pats on the back.

“Let's get back home," Robbie said at last. "There's work to be done."

Red was sitting back in the cave that she and Jane were going to share. She couldn't believe that the Strays actually owned the land they now stood on. Anya's career was on the verge of exploding (in a good way) again. A supermodel apparently rising from the dead had gotten some peoples' attention. Talia was also talking about going back to work as a crisis counselor to help make some money, and Jane was currently interviewing for a cashier's job at the closest gas station to where the slaughterhouse was located.

She was looking around, trying to figure out how to make the cave more habitable and wondering if Jane might be more comfortable in the main building. But there was plenty of room for a bed and she knew she could build up the front and “What am I doing?" she muttered. She was playing house . . . she was becoming the woman who stayed at home while her mate went off to work.

She walked down the trail to the main building. She found Tarloh, Johan, Talia, Croc and Shield were laughing amongst themselves.

“You think that would work?" Tarloh was asking.

“What's going on?"

“Talia," the big man said, "thinks I should get a bouncing gig at a strip club. I could think of worse things," he chuckled.

“You're getting a job?" Red asked, her voice edged with incredulity.

"Yeah," Tarloh said, missing his partner's tone. "We were also talking about fixing up the road in here and maybe getting a communal car or two. Talia pointed out that it might help some soon -to-be-employed folk out a bit."

"What about patrolling?" Red said, trying to keep her cool.

"Don't worry," he said almost absently, turning back to the crowd.

"We'll set up a schedule."

Red turned and quietly left the building, standing on the edge of the woods and glancing at the sun low in the sky through the trees.

Her breathing was hard and fast. She was angry.

“What's up?" came a voice from behind her. Talia came up and tried to put an arm around her best friend but, for the first time that she could remember, Red quickly pulled away. "Red, what's the matter?"

“How can you even ask that?" Red hissed. "What the hell is with you people?!"

“What? You're not making sense."

Red shook her head. “Am I the only one who's still actually interested in protecting the public? You're all Looking past what the Strays are supposed to be about! Everyone is getting jobs and thinking about cars and what patrolling gets relegated to ‘We'll get around to it eventually'?

"Don't start with this again," Talia started. "You're not the only one".

"Yes," Red growled. “Apparently I am the only one. We haven't even stopped the Elder God, and you people are already retiring!"

Talia was confused, but she was also getting defensive. "We're STILL going to patrol! But damn it, we need to change! We don't have the manpower "

“How does going domestic help? How does spending less time on the streets with fewer people make the city safer?!" Red was so mad that her face was almost matching her hair.