The day after Detective Maza came to her office Demona struggled to not take a walk down to the IT office and see Christy. She caught a glimpse of her twice in the distance, and Christy's new form wasn't as graceful, her walk was slightly different and didn't hold that unconscious power the female normally had.

Christy replaced computers across the company, setting up new systems for various employees. Perhaps Demona would put in a request for one in her office. There really wasn't any other way to find out what was going on. The clan still didn't even know where Christy was. Perhaps Demona should have told them, but the murder of her HR clerk was being attributed to a mugging and it was just better the clan not realize that Christy would have had the opportunity to do it.

Demona filled out an IT request form and marked it urgent. After that was sent she did her best to refocus on her regular work.

** * * * . . . . . .

Christy pulled up the work orders for the day. One marked urgent caught her attention, "Fuck," she whispered and stared at the originator listed. Christy took a deep breath and then tried to delay this. She wrote denied due to lack of materials and proper approval on the work order and returned it.

The purchase order forms came through the interoffice mail an hour later, signed with a large embellished signature for Dominique Destine.

The soft muttering of one of the other techs as he worked on the virus infested computer she'd taken from HR and the soft clank of tools from a man replacing a hard drive in the back were set to soft music that played in their work room proved she didn't have real privacy in this room. Christy got up from her desk and took a walk into the hall, pulling her phone out.

"Hello," Demona answered.

"I'm working, I can't,"

"I believe I'm paying you a paycheck now. I need a new computer. This fits with your job."

Christy glanced around and lowered her voice, "If I'm seen on your floor I'm going to have to report in. Would you like a computer that shows him everything you do? I have three of those in stock. If they hear I'm giving one to you they might even have me load a bomb in it."

The silence gave Christy time to step into the single occupancy bathroom, just in case this took too long. "Okay, no computer." Demona backed down and Christy let out a breath she'd been holding. "But I need to talk to you. Find a way."

Christy locked the bathroom door. "In person is kind of hard right now. I'm undercover. What's wrong? Did you find something?"

"I think we need to talk. You aren't reporting in to anyone now, are you?"

"I'm in a holding pattern."

"With one dead man to show for it. What else is happening that you're leaving everyone else out of?" Christy cringed at the hint of steel in Demona's voice with that question.

"I've been stealing DNA samples from Castaway to plant at a few crime scenes when the opportunity arrives. I've been going through their little Quarryman bootcamp. I had to relearn computers because I'm from twenty years in the future and I hadn't seen DOS since I was a kid." Christy rattled it off without taking a breath. "I'm not hiding anything, I'm just getting established."

"Can you tell me anything about the increase in hunting? I'm seeing more helicopters." Demona's voice was softer and Christy's shoulders relaxed.

"I haven't seen Thomas in a while. He's part of the new air crew. I could,"

"Thomas is that man that wants you isn't he?" Demona interrupted. "No, you told me you wouldn't. You promised."

Christy leaned up against the bathroom wall and watched her own grimace in her reflection, "If you don't care anymore it would be faster."

"No," Christy's heart sank, but Demona continued, "See this is why I want to see you, really see you. I don't want you doing things like that, Christy." Christy swallowed and took a shaky breath. "You lied to me, don't make it worse by lying to me again. You promised to take care of yourself, to not do those things anymore." It sounded like Demona let out a breath as well, "I still care. I don't want you alone out there like this. You come here daily now. Let me help you."

"I'm not the only spy here. I can't be seen with you." Christy tapped her hand against the wall as she thought. "I could shift and visit you like a regular appointment, a different person each day. Maybe you could pretend to work on a project that needs outside help?"

"Okay, okay. I'm thinking I have room for a 4:30 today. It's the last appointment time for the day."

"I need to make it back to Fox's safe house by 5:30 or they'll see my routine is off. No one has mentioned the bugs in my apartment yet so I'm still under surveillance."

"Okay, we'll set up the rest of the week when you get up here. Do you have a name for today?"

"Annie Darkholme."

"Okay, I'll see you soon then."

Christy washed her hands after the phone call and left as one of the women from accounting slipped into the bathroom after her.

* * * * * * . . . . . . .

Demona sat back in her office chair and swiveled to stare out the window. Demona watched the sun dip behind the tall skyscraper in the distance, casting a shadow over several building and lowering the amount of sunshine coming through her office window. For someone who lived over a thousand years without ever really seeing the sun, its absence was noticed and she missed the warmth of it.

Four thirty couldn't not come fast enough. Finally her receptionist announced that Annie Darkholme was here. An elderly woman walked into Demona's office and for a moment Demona wondered if she'd gotten it wrong and this wasn't Christy, but then she noticed the old woman's eyes. They held her own as Demona waved her receptionist off for the day and they watched her with a familiar intensity.

Once the office door closed Demona grimaced at the frail human form. "Can you change back to yourself?" The shift was fascinating to watch and Demona felt something in her chest unclench when Christy's familiar features formed. She hadn't seen Christy as Christy in weeks. "That's better."

"I've been thinking about what you said." Christy spoke quietly and didn't step closer to the desk or the chair in front of it. "And you were right. I shouldn't have taken over like I did. I'm too used to working in the shadows." Demona stood up and stepped around her desk to get closer to Christy, who clearly wouldn't come closer on her own. "I'm sorry."

Demona stood in front of Christy and studied her face, seeing nothing but remorse reflected there. Demona really didn't know what to say. She tried to remember a time Goliath or Thailog had ever apologized for something big but she couldn't. Christy had screwed up. Was it right to forgive this?

The silence was taking too long. "Just don't do it again." Demona said. "I had the Doctor's notes and the researchers needed those. You're the one that told me you didn't see everything about this world. I might know things you need to be able to finish this mission."

Christy hesitated and it looked painful when she said one simple word, "Okay." It was because of how hard it looked that Demona mostly believed Christy had learned her lesson. "I didn't think you'd forgive me."

"I haven't forgiven anyone for anything in a very long time." Demona hesitantly held her arms out to her sides until Christy tucked her body up against her for a hug. "Please don't make me regret this." Demona whispered into Christy's hair. Christy held her so tight that Demona felt bruises forming, but she didn't say anything because Christy's body was shaking. Angela said Christy loved her, and based on this maybe she did. Demona held the spy closer and rested her check against Christy's hair.

It was awkward to let go and Demona turned to stare out the window after checking that Christy's face was devoid of tears. "So, how can I help?"

"I'm not up to date on what the others are doing. Has Elisa done anything about the dirty cop in her precinct?" Christy's voice cracked before she cleared her throat and steadied it. "We need that station cleared because I want to start setting up a few of the Quarrymen."

"I hadn't heard."

Christy sighed. "I don't really know her, but she seems very law and order to me. She's about the worst of our allies for her role. I needed someone who was willing to do whatever needed to be done, who understood the big picture and was willing to work for that. I'm not sure she can. Her morality is a handicap." Demona frowned as she considered that damned human being an obstacle.

"Do we really need her? I mean on this planet at all." Demona murmured as a happy fantasy of throwing Elisa Maza from the top of Nightstone filled her mind.

"We do. She at least cares about the big goal, but I don't know that she'll be much help getting there. Can you check on her progress?"

"Okay, I'll check on her," Demona said. If Christy needed a cop that human was going to fill that role one way or another.

They set up a rough plan to get started and a few more fake appointments to meet for the week. It was hard to see Christy shift back into the old woman and walk away because for just a few minutes everything had felt normal again.

* * * * * . . . .. .

The detective kept late hours, so Demona didn't bother to glide over to her apartment until just three hours before sunrise. The apartment was dark and she slipped in the skylight with ease. The scurry of the cat drew Demona's eyes to the opened bedroom door as the gray beast sought out the safe spot under the bed.

The soft click of her feet on the floor and the drag of her tail sounded loud in her own ears, but the human on the bed continued to let out slow regular breaths.

Elisa Maza was a stomach sleeper, and one arm dangled out of the bed down toward the floor. Demona stood in her doorway a moment and just watched the detective slumber. It would be so easy to kill her, effortless really. She walked up to the side of the bed and glared down at the human. "You sleep soundly, is it because you already completed your mission?" She spoke loudly and watched Elisa's visible eye snap open. The human rolled away from her and the side of the bed with a slight scream.

Maza's eyes were still wide as she tried to kick herself free of the tangle of blankets and sheets. Demona stood and flared her wings as she watched the ridiculous panic start to recede. "Christy wants an update on your mission. Did you get rid of the cop?"

"What?" Maza said, her eyes glancing at the night table near Demona. The gargoyle allowed a small smirk as she guessed that the detective's gun was on her side of the bed while Eliza stumbled to her feet on the other side. "What are you doing here, Demona?"

Once it looked like the detective was awake enough Demona said, "Christy needs an update on your mission. I believe she's counting on you getting that Quarryman out of your precinct."

"And she couldn't just call me?" Elisa's breathing was still somewhat gasping and Demona smirked at the human whose very breath proved she was terrified. "You could have just called."

"Is it done?" Demona glared at the human and her glare grew colder at the long delay in Elisa's answer.

"I'm working on finding some proof he's working for Castaway to bring to my boss, something more firm than what I have now."

Demona growled and smashed her fist down on Maza's nightstand. It cracked and fell apart. "And will my daughter die while you try and create a case? Will Christy be caught and captured? We don't care about a trial, we need that bastard out of the way!"

"What am I supposed to do?" Maza yelled back.

"Kill him, hurt him, make him disappear. Frame him for some other crime, just get him out of there. We have a lineup of Castaway's people waiting to be taken care of and they are increasing their forces. We don't have forever for you to grow a spine. Human, if this isn't taken care of, if Angela is hurt while you debate your precious morals, I will forget about Christy's plan and kill them all and once that is done I will find you."

"Get out," Maza said through a tense jaw, her voice rose as she repeated it, "Get Out!"

Demona reached into the broken nightstand and pulled up the gun, tossing it on the bed. "I know you can use this. Get to work." She turned and left the room with a frown on her lips. If only there was a good spell to control the woman. Now Demona had to just wait and see if Maza did her job. If she didn't Demona wasn't sure what she could do about it. Threats aside, real damage to the human would ruin the tentative truce Christy had created.

At least she'd scared the hell out of the detective.