A trail. A trail of blood.

The normally comforting colour filled William T. Spears with a sense of nameless terror as his eyes followed the erratically spattered droplets.

"Grell?" He calls softly.

The flamboyant reaper had chased their target down the garden path as it had fled. But now, neither target nor reaper was anywhere in sight. Avoiding the glistening trail of blood, William advances further in amongst the plants.

"Sutcliff!" He calls hoarsely. He wasn't sure if the demon they were hunting was still in range, and for that he had to be cautious. On this area of the path, the trails cuts jaggedly into the bushes. Will stops hesitantly. Maybe it wasn't Grell at all. Maybe the demon had crawled here to succumb to its injuries. With that thought in mind, will pushes through the bushes and into the clearing beyond. There was nothing of interest over here at first glance, but upon further examination, the dark haired reaper lets out a soft gasp as he spots a huddled figure across the way.

"Sutcliff? What are you doing over here?" He asks, keeping his voice formal despite the uneasy feeling he was getting. "The targets been eradicated I presume." At the lack of response, William strides over and kneels beside the crimson clad man. "Grell. Do get up. I've had enough of the nights exuberances."

Grell looks up slowly and fixes a dilated gaze on the older reaper. "Will~ You found me." He mumbles drunkenly, tilting his head to the side.

The dark haired man rolls his eyes, secretly relived about his partners safety. "Stop messing around Sutcliff. Our target has been destroyed, therefore we should return back to the institute." He says, grabbing Grell's arm and hauling him to his feet. He's stopped as the younger man gives out a pained gasp before leaning heavily on his taller counterpart.

"William darling..." He trails off slowly, his eyes avoiding Will's questioning glare.

"What are you going on about now?" William snaps impatiently, resisting the urge to push him away. Then his eyes travel down and he inhales sharply. For what was hiding beneath grells jacket was enough to bring back that thoughtless terror he'd been trying so hard to destroy. The redhead whimpers softly as William takes in the excessive amounts of blood staining his front.

"Its not your blood." He mumbles as he lowers the younger reaper back onto the grass again. "You.. must've been exceptionally aggressive when you attacked the demon Grell. That's it."

Grell smiles weakly and lets his gaze travel to the stars above. "I didn't get him Will..." Slowly he rolls his head to the side and looks up at the dark haired reaper, a serene smile on his lips. "He got me~" He giggles, a low gurgling sound that made the hairs on Williams neck stand up.

William had seen Grell go through many phases during the years he'd known him. But never had he seen the scarlet killer look so... calm.

"We need to get you back to the institute. We'll get you help Grell." Will chokes out, attempting to hide the sting of tears behind hid eyes. where was this sudden emotion coming from? Quickly he blinks away the tears and adds. "You still need to finish your paperwork, Sutcliff. I'm not letting you slip by again." Carefully, he lifts the reaper into his arms, careful not to jostle him too much.

"What if I don't want to get better, William?"

Will doesn't even miss a beat as he strides through the bushes back to the path. "You have no choice. We've got another job to finish tomorrow and I'm not inclined to do it on my own." He says quietly. "we're short on staff as it is."

Grell laughs painfully. splattering blood over his saviours pristine suit. "How like you. Always worrying about getting the job done." He sighs, the action coming out more like a wheeze. "No one will miss me darling. I'm a screw up and you know it." He says weakly, letting his head fall limp against Wills chest.

Where was this coming from? Where was his companions normally cheerful exterior? The one thing that never ceased to amaze William, even during his most stressful hours. Without it... No. He didn't want to think about that.

"Sutcliff!" He snaps angrily. "Stay awake! I wont have you passing out on me now. You WILL get better, understood?"

The redheaded man groans softly in response as Will continues his trek down the path, his strength and will fading fast. By this time, the trail of blood had already dried, speckling the path with black dots. A macabre pattern of deathly designs.

"Okay Grell." Will says stiffly. "You're going to be fine. I promise." He grinds out hoarsely. Though whether to comfort Grell or himself, he wasn't sure. However, by the time he had reached the end of the garden, his crimson clad reaper had already ceased to exist, his hand falling limply beside him. Wide eyes staring up at William T. Spears with a look of total adoration.

He was too late... Grell was dead.