Jane looked at her girlfriend and raised her tiny fists in a mock sparring movement. "You can still train me."

“Not you too," Red moaned, pulling a blanket over her head.

“I love you," Jane said, curling up next to her lover. “I'll always need you."

"Listen to the girl," Talia said. "She ain't dumb." Then she left the two alone.

"Don't scare me like that again," Jane pleaded, pulling the blanket back so she could see Red's bruised face. "Promise?"

“I promise," Red whispered. She gave Jane a kiss on the nose. She started to sit up. "Help me get dressed. I need . . ."

Jane sat on her lover's lap and refused to budge. “You need to rest."

"I don't need..."

"Yes you do," Jane said, trying to sound forceful. Mostly, she just sounded squeaky. “What are you going to do? We can't face the Elder God until the guys get back. We have food for now. We have shelter for now. You look like you got beat up by a truck." Jane kissed Red on the lips. “You deserve some rest. Even if it's just for a day let me take care of you."

Red smiled and lay back down. She let Jane lay a cool cloth on her head before lying down next to her with Jane's head on Red's chest and still-beating heart.

"You didn't have to be quite so mean," Talia chortled.

"Yes I did!" Tarloh shouted, then got himself back under control.

With a sigh, "If I didn't nip her path to martyrdom in the bud, she would've finally convinced herself that she really was useless and probably left the Strays to go on some damn fool . . . she would've tried to go and save the world by herself. I don't know if she or the Strays would've survived that. Especially not right now."

“You really think she would've left?" Anya asked.

"The only thing that would've stopped her was Jane," Talia said, gripping Tarloh's hand. She knew he had been right. “I should've seen it coming. She's been on the verge of breaking down since she got back and found out what Robbie had done. Between dealing with him, dealing with Jane's problems and still trying to do her regular duties of keep everyone else safe and fed . . . The whole ‘I'm useless' thing was just a way out, even if she didn't realize it.

And until Jane came along, she didn't have any . . . anyone to play with," Talia added suggestively.

Anya laughed. "It IS the best way to calm the nerves."

“With you, it's not exactly calming," Tarloh said, ruffling the hottie's hair. "It's Red's own damn fault anyway," he grumbled, unwilling to let his second command off the hook quite yet. “She's so damn picky."

"What do you mean?" Croc asked.

"Red has been with only three women in recent memory," Anya said.

"Natasha . . . me a couple of times . . . and now Jane. I'm the only one she wasn't actually in love with . . . I just got lucky enough to be around when she and Nat were both extra frisky."

"Nat turned her around," Shield added.

"But Jane . . ." Talia started. She smiled. "If those two could ever get a few moments to just breathe, they'll be so good for each other."

"Unless they turn out like she and Nat did," Tarloh replied.