Editors Note:

So I hope it was pretty obvious that Red and Tonto had sex (for the first time) but I did not include details in the chapter. So tell me if you'd rather have more explicit sex or if you want me to keep it... 'coy'. I hope you enjoy this chapter, let me know what you think! *

When Tonto awakes from his sleep he is oddly cold. Realizing quickly that Red, who had served as the best blanket he ever experienced, was no longer on the couch with him, or even in the same room for that matter. He figures he should put his cloths on before looking for her, and once he is fully dressed she saves him the trouble by walking through the door to her room.

"Oh. Tonto, you're awake."

"Yes. Did you have business to see to?"

She was in fact making sure her girls were at the breakfast table, but she hadn't slept with him through the night anyway. Once he had fallen asleep she moved to her bed as quietly as possible, not use to the feeling of a body under her. Not a peaceful sleeping one, at least.

"Yah. You know… had to make sure the girls are eating." When silence becomes thick in the air Red speaks again "I actually have to measure all the girls too. I do it ever month to keep their sizes right on my charts so… I guess I should go do that."

"Are they eating?" Tonto stands from the couch now, wanting to be closer to her, but she only stands with her back against her door.

"Oh…. Right…"

"Come sit with me." Tonto sits again, placing his hand on the empty space beside him. Red tries to think of a good reason to leave the room but cant come up with anything that makes sense. So she joins tonto on the couch, careful to leave room between them.

"In the night" Tonto starts the conversation she had been dreading sense she woke up "You are even better then the day." She glances over at him now, only for a second to see his expression. He seems amazed by her, and hopeful that he can have more of her. That look frightens her more then any she has ever seen. "Yeah well. It's my job." Her comment wipes that horrifying look right off of Tonto's face, just like she hoped it would.

If she were to be honest with herself last night was special and she was not doing a service for him but for them and herself, it didn't only feel powerful it felt good. However, Red has never been honest with herself. And she wouldn't start today.

"I did not pay you. And I will not." His words make it clear that she offended him, but Red appreciates the change in atmosphere, anger and hostility being things she is use to. "I know. Just. I know we had a good time last night. Im glad we did but there is no use talking about it now. Plus we have work to do, all of us."

"Why cant I focus on you for a little bit longer?" Tonto's eyes drifted down over her hollow cheekbones and stopped at her dark red painted lips. The urge to lean into him was strong, she realized last night that he is a surprisingly talented kisser, but her head told her that kissing him would be the wrong thing to do. A morning kiss would mean something, and sense she is afraid of that something she stands on wobbly legs to create some distance before speaking to Tonto in a voice as strong as she can muster.

"I'm not whats important right now, we both have bigger things to think about. You… you are only slowing me down. If you keep acting like this then you wont be able to stay here." When Tonto's gaze finally left hers she felt a pang of guilt, but reminds herself this is what she needs. If she has to hurt him in order for him to understand, then that's what she will do. "Now I need a drink. You?"

He stands quickly and rushes past her with such force she almost falls back to the couch they just stood from. "I'll wait at desk" are his last words before slamming the doors open and exiting, anger radiating off of his tanned skin.

With a sigh to let out her frustration and forcibly repressed emotions Red hobbles over to take a long drink from a new bottle of whisky before hobbling out of her room, measuring tape in hand. Her leg is bothering her more then usual this morning, she figures its from all the stress from the attacks. Her leg always hurts worse in times she feels great guilt or great stress and those two things were beginning to pile up.

As Red scribbles down the girls measurements one by one she tries to ignore the harsh glances from Tonto, stood loyally beside her desk. "Mary a little more padding here wouldn't hurt" She says, grabbing the girls breast boldly through her shift making Mary giggle and Tonto blush. "Must you?" Tonto finally gains the courage to ask as Luna steps in front of Red with her arms straight out. "Must I what?" She wraps the measuring tape around Luna's waist in the flirty manner that comes natural to her. "Touch…. Everyone." Tonto's anger from the morning still hasn't cooled and his heated glances were starting to practically burn holes in the side of Red's head. "Tonto, im measuring them I have to touch 'um."

With a dramatic eye roll Tonto looks away from her, but is only able to resist the sigh of her for a second or two before his glance returns to her figure. "Luna, no costumers again today. Just help the bartender tonight."

"You think they gonna come back tonight?" Luna fails at trying to repress the fear in her mind, and when Red hears it in her words she brings a hand to Luna's cheek, letting her lean her face into it. "You have nothing to worry about. I'll keep you safe this time." Tonto is amazed at the gentleness in Red's tone, a tone he didn't think her capable of. Not only is her tone soft but so are her eyes, which are locked onto Luna's, and her hands giving total and unselfish comfort. This doesn't last long however, for when Red realizes Tonto is staring at her admirably she drops her hand and her gaze and is once again all business. "Your measurements are the same, go get started in the bar and make sure everything is clean. The safe word still applies so use it if you have to."

Finally the last girl approaches and stands in front of Red who wraps the measuring tape around the woman's waist three times, her brow crinkling more and more each time, her eyes glancing from the numbers on her chart to the numbers on the tape. Before Tonto can ask if something is wrong he notices the angry glint in her eyes and keeps his mouth shut. "Is there something you want to say?" Red's voice is harsher then usual and Tonto hopes for the girls sake that she hasn't done anything wrong. "W…what do you mean … I…" The young blonde starts but doesn't finish her sentence, and Tonto is unable to tell if she is guilty or confused but he knows no matter which it is Red can see right through her.

"your measurements are changing drastically."

"Oh, well yes I think I gained some-"

"No you didn't just 'gain some'. I told myself that last month when I measured you but now its clear. You keep needing new dresses and you aren't just putting on weight you're expanding. What I don't understand is why you thought it was a good idea to hide something from me…. And then lie about it."

"Red… I mean Madame, I just wasn't sure… im … im still not sure!"

"then you're stupid! Wow not too many woman are too stupid to be a whore and work in a brothel."

Tonto cringes at the stinging insult and feels guilty himself, being the source of her bad mood.

"I'm so sorry, I was scared and it never felt like the right time, I don't have a family to go to and I didn't want to get kicked out and-"

"Don't try to make me feel bad for your ignorance! You did this, we've talked about ways to prevent this from happening, if you were able to follow simple instructions then maybe you wouldn't be in this situation." By the end of her angry rant her hand found its way to the girls delicate throat, needing some way to physically release her anger. "Madame, I got the fabrics you wan…" upon hearing Dan's voice Red reluctantly lets go of the girls throat, causing her to stumble back and catch her breath.

She walks over to Dan to take the bundle of cloths and dresses she asked him to get her, and turns to take them to her desk, but she drops them all at her feet before even taking a step. The girl is exactly where she left her, except now pair of gentle hands are massaging her shoulders. Those hands being the hands of Tonto, who was also whispering to her calmly, affectively returning her breathing back to normal and even bringing a smile to her face.

"T- Tonto… Tonto get your hands off of her!" Red stutters angrily, stomping towards them with loud clumps. She is beside the startled pair in a matter of seconds and with surprising strength she pushes Tonto's chest so hard he falls back against the wall aggressively. "What the hell are you doing?"

Tonto takes a moment to catch the breath that was swept from his lungs in her push before speaking "You hurt her… she should rest if she is with child." Red glares at him "She will do what I tell her. This is a brothel not a hospital!"

"And YOU" she swirls around to the pregnant young whore quickly "Will not miss a day of work or you are out of here, and you know im not afraid to throw you on the streets. You're just lucky some men get off on fucking pregnant women, it's a fetish. Get out of my sight."

As the girl walks away with teary eyes Tonto prepares himself with whatever blow she is surely about to deliver. To his surprise however, she only walks back to her desk and sits. Nervous in her quickly changing moods he picks up the pile of dresses Red dropped and takes them over to her desk. "Why…" He starts, wishing Red's stone expression would fade and she would at least look at him "Why cant I touch them if you can?"

"They are my workers." Her tone is hard and stony as her face, not showing any emotion. Tonto doesn't know exactly why he feels it, but there is a twinge of happiness in his gut at that moment and his brain tells him she's jealous.