Alright, I've decided to switch Reaper's name back to Athena on the account of popular demand. Thank you to all who have made this story possible! I really really really really appreciate it! On with the show!

Grim Reaper stalked down 23rd Street after her meeting with the King of Brooklyn, grumbling to herself. Her nagger had (thankfully) quieted down for the moment, giving her time to think. Even it knew not to talk back to an angry assassin. Stopping at the crossroad between Manhattan and West Side, Grim almost didn't spot the familiar-looking girl sitting casually on a bench smoking. "Well, it took youse long enough!" Diana exclaimed, shooting her best friend an amused look. Still tense from her meeting, Reaper jumped and whirled around with two knives in hand, ready to slit her attacker's throat. Diana put her hands up defensively. "Whoa dere Thea, it's just me!" she cried. Grim breathed a sigh of relief and put her weapons away, sitting down on the bench with her best friend. "Ya shouldn't sneak up on me like dat," she muttered. "Isa almost killed you."

The new Manhattan bird leader just laughed and ran her fingers through her mousy brown hair. "But ya didn't. Isa your friend; youse won't harm a hair on my head!" Grim just shrugged. Diana frowned and leaned back on the bench. "I haven't been able ta sneak up on youse in a long time, Thea," she pointed out. "Dat's a new record!" The West Side hit woman cracked an embarrassed smile. "I have a lot 'o' things on my mind right now," she replied stiffly. Diana chuckled. "Youse mean Spot."

Reaper snapped her head up and stared at her friend in shock. "How'd youse know?" she demanded. Diana laughed and patted her friend on the back. "We're biords; it's our business ta know! Ya think we didn't notice when ya suddenly warmed up ta him?" "Yeah, but its ova now," she cut it. "I stopped bein' friends with dat rat months ago." Diana crossed her arms defiantly, clearly not ready to accept that answer just yet. "An' yet youse still like im'."

"Isa do not!" Grim objected. "Ya were obviously watching me talk ta im' just a minute ago, did youse not see what just happened?" The bird bit her lip, thinking about what to say next. She shook her head. "I know about what happened on the docks Thea. I know you're angry about dat, I understand. Gosh, Isa would be too if Isa were in ya shoes, but dat don't mean anything. Look, he obvious loves ya and its pretty easy ta tell dat youse feel da same way. It took him ages ta finally admit it and when he finally does youse don't even wanna admit it ta youseself! An' ova dere a minute ago youse just said ya did an' da ya know watt youse did? Ya walked away! Mistake number 1 right dere."

"Since when did youse become an expert on relationships?" Reaper asked curiously. Diana flashed a grin. "Since Racetrack and I got together!" she exclaimed proudly. Grim rolled her eyes. "Anyways, watt da youse supposed Isa do? It ain't like Isa can just walk back ova an' expect him ta forgive me! It ain't how it works."

Diana sighed and got up off the bench, dusting herself off. "Dat's da great thing about love Thea," she replied. "It knows no bounds. Now Isa gotta go. Everyone's gonna be wondering where Isa went aft' a while, especially Race." The bird started off down the street, but then paused and turned back around. "Dat reminds me, Jack wanted me ta ask youse something." The assassin shrugged again; it wasn't like she had anything better to do. "Shoot."

"Well, since West Side's on better terms with us now we were wondering if youse wanted ya old job back. Dere only so much ya can do as a hit person an' plenty 'o' stuff in Manhattan. He says we need help. He already talked with Magic an' da others an' dey agrees. Ya interested?" Grim practically jumped at the opportunity. A chance to return to her old life, to see her friends again? To be a leader? To take back her old name, one that had held so much respect and fear? "Count me in."

Diana smiled graciously. "Thanks, I needed dat. It's harder den it looks ta lead a group 'o' spies, Isa nova knew how youse did it. It'll be a welcome surprise ta returns ta bein' second, an' Isa think Eris don't like her position as second too much either. But Athena, dere's one condition."

"Name it."

"Youse gotta go an' see Spot."

Grim Reaper, now returned to Athena, froze. "What? Ya gotta be kidding me Di!" But the girl just laughed. "Nope, isa perfectly serious. Youse go talk ta Spot an' tell him da truth, or Isa gonna return ta Jack an' say dat youse declined."

"Dat's blackmail Prince an' youse know it!"

"Do ya want ya old job back or what?"

"Well yeah but-"

"Den go! Look, Isa already sent Hestia ta da West Side lodging house ta pick up ya things. Ya don't gotta choice in da matter, it's already done." Diana pointed towards the direction of Brooklyn. "Now go back ova dere an' talk ta im'!" Athena crossed her arms but nevertheless got up and started walking back to Brooklyn. When she passed by her reinstated second she smacked her on the back of the head. "Youse gonna thank me for dis!" she called out behind her. Athena rolled her storm gray eyes. "I doubt it."

Ω

Athena marched up to the front of the Brooklynite lodging house, took a deep breath, and knocked. What has Diana talked me into? Almost immediately the door swung open to reveal Brooklyn's second Ink, hands permanently stained with the dried ink from selling newspapers. "Youse lookin' for someone miss?" he asked, brow raised questioningly. Athena bit her lip and spoke, voice filled with her old authority. "Yes, I'm lookin' for Spot Conlon. I've got to see him immediately." Ink shook his head. "He ain't here. Went for a walk he said."

"Where?" Athena demanded. Ink pointed down the street, towards the Brooklyn Bridge. Athena nodded thanks and took off, running at top speed in the direction, quickly tracking his movements. She wasn't as good as Di when it came to tracking different people, but she had to try. She finally saw the King up ahead, turning into a long, dark alleyway. Thinking fast, Athena silently slipped in behind him and leaned up against the red brick wall. She watched Spot for a minute, and then spoke. "Isa sorry ya know."

Conlon stopped whatever he was doing but didn't turn around. "Watt youse still doing here Reaper?" he asked quietly. "Isa came ta apologize, simple as dat," Athena replied. "An' it's not da Grim Reaper anymore, now it's Athena." Spot still didn't move, just kept talking. "Athena? Watt changed ya mind?" "I'm moving back ta 'Hattan," she told him. "West Side doesn't need me anymore now dat dere all back ta normal, so Jack's pulling me back in as leader 'o' da biords. But dat ain't why Isa came ta see ya."

Spot finally turned around to look at her, his face a mask. "So why'd ya come back?" he confronted. Athena closed her eyes and frowned. "Because Isa realized something pretty important on my way back," she said. The King raised one eyebrow, then the other. "An' what's dat, may Isa ask?"

The leader of the Manhattan birds took a deep breath. Here she was, laying it all on the table; everything. "Dat Isa like ya Spot," she admitted. "Isa like ya a lot. I've been fighting it for months, da same months I made sure Isa stayed away from you. Spot, those months were da hardest months 'o' my whole life. Dere, Isa said it, I missed ya, alright? Isa sorry I hid, Isa sorry I lied, sorry for everything unforgivable Isa did ta ya. So if youse don't want me back Isa get it, I'm gone. But I wanted ta apologize." Athena then raised her hand up and started to back away. "An' dat's all Isa got ta say." She turned around and started to walk away, but before she could get more than five feet Spot grabbed her wrist and pulled the bird back.

The old Athena would've flipped the King over and decked him right then and there, but Athena wasn't who she once was. Instead of trying to kill him for touching her she let herself be turned around to face Spot. She stared cleanly into his eyes nervously. Those deep ocean blue eyes were filled with intensity, a passion Athena had never seen before. "Youse mean all dat?" he whispered. "Everything ya said?" "Every last bit 'o' it," she replied strongly. Spot let out a breath and wrapped his arms around Athena's waist. She didn't even flinch. "So youse wouldn't mind if Isa kissed youse for sayin' it would youse?" he asked cockily.

Athena let a smile play on her lips, amused. "Fine by me." Spot leaned down and kissed her like he had on the docks, but this time the girl actually kissed him back. Neither one of them knew how long they stayed there, but when the two finally broke apart each of them was smiling. "So where does this leave us now, Conlon?" Athena asked. Spot chuckled and pulled his new girlfriend into an embrace. "Leave? Isa think youse mean where does dis lead us. Isa don't think either 'o' us plans on going away any time soon!"

Ω

One month later…..

As Athena stepped into the monthly borough meeting and took her place beside Jack and Spot's seat, she immediately searched the room for her boyfriend. He's not here! She thought frantically. Where is he, he always beats us to meetings! Her second Diana snorted behind her. "Looking for Spot?" her best friend teased. Athena snapped playfully at her. "Don't laugh at me, at least my boyfriend's here on time!" she reminded. Di rolled her brown eyes. "Hey, Racetrack's here-""Yeah, he comes in the middle of them!" Athena retorted. "Spot doesn't fool around at the horse races every day. Speaking 'o' which, where is he…"

"Who, youse mean me?" The king of Brooklyn's voice rang out behind her as he wrapped his arms around the spy leader's neck lovingly. Athena ducked out of them and popped back up at his side, glaring at him. "Spot Conlon, where've you been? You had me worried sick!" Spot snickered and pecked her on the cheek. "Right behind youse da entire time Thea!" he laughed. Everyone laughed as Athena groaned. "Just don't do it again, OK?"

Spot rolled his eyes mockingly and turned to the for-once-on-time Racetrack with Diana and Jack. "Dis is what youse get for having a control freak for a giorl," he whispered loudly. Athena whipped out one of her knives and held it underneath Spot's chin. "Take dat back!" she demanded. Spot eyed her mischievously. "No!" "Do it!" She pressed it further into his skin while everyone from Brooklyn and Manhattan laughed. "Now Spot!" The King managed a slight grin. "Never." Athena pressed on her dagger some more. Spot threw up his hands in defeat. "Fine fine, Isa take it back, now get dat away from me!" His girl chuckled mirthlessly but put her knife back in her sleeve, then kissed him to the nose. "It won't happen again I take it?" she insisted. Spot shrugged, eyes glinting. "Probably not."

Athena rolled her gray eyes in return and sat down in her chair beside him, placing her hand into his. "I love you, you know that?" Spot blinked, amused. "Nope, nova heard ya say dat before," he joked. Athena sighed exasperatedly and placed her head on his shoulder as the meeting began. This was where she belonged.

So, I'm done! How'd you guts think? Please R&R if you liked it! I'm working on two more new stories at the present but they won't be done for some time as I'm currently trying to finish another one (if any of you are Percy Jackson fans you might enjoy it) but keep your eyes peeled for For Whom the Bell Tolls and Fire and Ice.

Adiu!

rellimmes