Christian turned his head to look at her when Penny stood and approached him. She kept her distance, but her emotions made her seem closer. He felt the strength of her passion in her statement, even though Christian’s eyes roamed her for some sort of weakness or lie. He wasn’t always able to detect such things. The living were challenging to read because of their complex emotions. At least in death, humans were reduced to basic instincts. Creatures were simple.

However, Christian felt deeply when Penny confessed her fear and her pain. She very clearly wanted revenge and to quiet the turmoil in her head from knowing there were more than just humans in this world. But if she got her revenge, would she really feel safe knowing there was more out there?

Christian walked over to the mini-fridge when Penny sat down again. He grabbed a bottle of water, opened it, and poured it into a cup before handing it to her. ”I can make you forget,” he offered her. It would be another rule broken, but in the light of Penny’s fear, Christian could save her from it. It was a better alternative to fighting vampires.

Penny almost choked on her water at Christian's words. Did she want to forget? The idea sounded nice. She could go about her day without the fear of being kidnapped again. She wouldn't have nightmares anymore. She'd be... free, in a sense. But did she really wanna live that way again? Her eyes had been opened to a whole new world hidden within her own. It was terrifying, but as she thought about the other people out there who live in ignorance and without a clue in the world to what's underneath their noses, she realized that she didn't want to live like that. If she got kidnapped again, or saw something she shouldn't have, how would that affect her life then? Would all the memories and horrors come rushing back? Penny didn't want to go back to being the way she was before this happened. Timid, scared, shy... she didn't know how to stand up for herself. It was amazing what a near death experience could do to ones personality.

Her skin itched.

"A part of me wants to say yes." Penny paused and traced the rim of the cup Christian handed her. "But I don't want to forget. What happened was... terrifying, but it has made me stronger." She looked up at him and smiled. "I don't want to go back to living without knowing. I feel like I'd wander around aimlessly, missing something but not knowing what. I also," Penny paused. She didn't know Christian very well, but she couldn't deny the connection she felt with him. Maybe it was because he was there in her darkest, most scariest moment and not only did he help her, but he comforted her. "I also don't want to forget you." Penny stood up and placed her cup of water on her nightstand.

"If you're not going to help me, then I suppose I'm going to have to find someone who can." The prospect of looking for danger scared her, but she was going to get her revenge and she was going to live while trying. Penny brushed past Christian and opened the door to her room. She knew he didn't need to leave through the door, but she used it as a sign. Something to say, 'If you're not going to help, leave'.

"Thank you, Christian. I would hate to get you into even more trouble. I'm indebted to you, even if you don't want me to be. Anything you need, say it and I will do my best to help you." Penny's lower lip trembled and she pursed her lips to stop it. She didn't want him to leave. She wanted him to stay and agree to help her. "I think I better get some sleep. Traveling from the hospital to here has made me tired." That's not what she wanted to say. Stay. She knew as soon a she closed her eyes, she would have nightmares and his offer of forgetting sounded appealing again, but she shook her head. No, she didn't want to forget. She would deal with it as she dealt with her childhood abuse.

Christian watched Penny with mild amusement when she started to choke on her water from his offer. He smiled softly, taking a few steps back to rest against the cabinet holding the TV, and crossed his arms. While she processed his offer, Christian’s mind wandered to Penny’s revenge scheme.

It possibly worried him more than her wanting to escape the Vampire den. Of course, he had stepped in to ensure she survived. He wouldn’t be able to step in again. He couldn’t. Death’s generosity—if it could be called that—only extended so far. But the idea of letting Penny flounder until she found her footing was terrifying. Some people hunted these creatures and made the world safer for them, but giving her that information would be breaking another rule. Christian was suddenly very aware of how many rules Reapers had and found it annoying.

Choose.

Death’s words drifted into his head unbridled. Was that a sign or perhaps permission? After all, Christian had chosen to keep Penny alive despite the consequences. Wasn’t ensuring her survival now a part of that choice?

Christian was vaguely aware of Penny talking again after deciding whether she wanted to forget. Christian hoped she would take him up on his offer. It would be the easiest option, and then Penny could go back to living her life.

“I also don’t want to forget you.” Her final words pulled Christian from his silent brooding. He stared at her, his brown eyes piercing into her blue. If Christian had the need for a heartbeat, he was certain it would have stopped. As it was, he had no reason to breathe; he simply did because it eased the souls he brought to the other side—even though they didn’t breathe either. Humans were slow to accept change.

Penny moved before he could respond, in fact, she was kicking him out before he even fully processed the fact that Penny wanted to remember him. The reaper who was intended to take their soul and protect it.

Christian moved his focus from Penny to look at the open door. He stared at the offer to leave, to wash his hands of Penny’s suicide mission. He shifted from the cabinet and walked towards the door, dropping his arms, and slipped his hands into his pockets. He stopped beside Penny, still looking out into the hallway.

”I think you need to do some research. Vampires, werewolves, witches, djinns, dragons, angels and demons, are just the start of some of the creatures that are out there. They span the world, and each culture has its own set of monsters.” He looked at Penny, meeting her eyes, and relaxed slightly. He smiled softly, finding this human to be strange and fascinating.

”If revenge is the only cause you want, then study them. I cannot give you answers, but you cannot take on a den of vampires alone. Especially with your post-trauma reactions. I have to go, but I am easy to get a hold of,” Christian said and tapped his head.

Penny sighed from her hotel room. It had been three weeks since she was released from the hospital and she had done nothing except research what should be myths. She didn't know what kind of lore about all these creatures were true. Was Wikipedia right? Were the fairytales she read as a kid right? What was correct? She hadn't called Christian at all in the last three weeks. She didn't want to feel like a burden and he was probably really busy reaping other souls.

Penny tapped her nails on the desk, next to her laptop. What was next? Penny looked at the slightly crumpled piece of paper that sat on the table next to her laptop. It had probably the neatest handwriting ever on it and it contained names and numbers of 'hunters'. Despite not contacting him for the last three weeks, Penny knew that he was the culprit for this information. Perhaps tomorrow she'll call one of those numbers and start gathering the proper resources for vampire hunting. Penny looked out her window into the dark city. It was well past midnight, but sleep eluded her. In fact, she probably hasn't slept a full eight hours in the last week and a half. After Christian left her room, she took a week and a half to recuperate and get her life together. She sold her small house, rented a car and is basically living out of this hotel room now. Penny was still hesitant to live by herself in a neighborhood that could harbor enemies with ill intent. She knew that she would have to get over it at some point. Christian was right. Her post-trauma reactions would not help in a fight. Maybe that was part of the reason why she hasn't killed those vampires yet.

Her skin itched again and she clenched her fists to stop herself from scratching. Don't do it Penny. Don't think. It's not real. She had gotten a therapist last week, but she didn't know where to start or what to say. 'Hey, I got attacked by vampires and almost died? And then this cute reaper came and was gonna take my soul, except he didn't. And now he said he would kind of help me hunt them down, but also not really.'

Penny laughed. Yeah that would go over well. She'd be put in a mental institution immediately. She stood up from her computer desk and went to lay down on her bed after turning out the lamp. To say she wasn't lonely would be a lie. To say she didn't miss Christian a little bit would also be a lie. He was the only one that knew what she went through. She had no one else to confide in, but embarassingly enough, she was nervous and scared to talk to him. It was best she didn't.

Penny's eyes felt heavy and she shut them a few times, only to wake up to the feeling of being watched. It happened at this time exactly every night for the last week. She swears she could see little beady eyes staring at her from the corner of her room, but everytime she turned on the lamp, they were gone. She figured she might still be a little shaken up from her kidnapping, but after doing some research, she figured it could be like goblins or something. Since her incident, she's been able to see things that aren't normal. She's occasionally seen a couple other vampires, but she kept a wide berth. There were a few times she thought she ran into a couple of demons, but they looked normal enough. It was their aura and eyes that sometimes looked off. However, none of them targeted her outright, so she kept a low profile.

Penny turned her lamp back on and sat up. She was going to do another sweep of her hotel room and hope that something didn't jump out at her from under the bed. Besides a pocket knife, she didn't have anything to help defend her against the supernatural. Would a pocket knife work? Probabaly not.

Christian had been immersed in his work for three weeks, mainly because there was nothing else to do. The work had been less enthusiastic for a while, and then he helped Penny. He had actually done something to save someone, to give them a second chance at life and a purpose in it. Although he worried for her, Christian was glad he listened to Penny’s cry for help.

A couple of days after their last encounter, Christian stopped by Penny’s hotel. He slipped a piece of paper with names and numbers under her door. The list of adequate hunters hadn’t taken long to compile. One person was considered a lore keeper of sorts. He knew almost everything about every creature or could track down the books and websites needed, while the other names had a high kill count on a wide selection of species. Christian was sure these connections would help her get the revenge she so desperately wanted.

Then he had left. Christian didn’t want to be around while Penny pursued her new career. Even though he had set her up, Penny’s desire to run back into danger and risk death again worried him. He didn’t want to be around if she died again. He didn’t want to be the one called to reap her. So, Christian left America, reaping souls in obscure parts of the world where people lived without cities or pollution. In the cold, in the heat. Once, he had to reap several souls that had perished in the ocean. It had felt good to get back on track, but even after he had thrown himself in his purpose, there was this pull deep in the pit of his stomach, a draw to be somewhere else, with someone else.

Three weeks after he had left Penny in her hotel room, Christian was now outside staring up at the building. He went to the vampires' den, expecting the place to look ransacked with heads everywhere or a pile of ashes. Imagine his confusion when he saw the same members who had assaulted Penny still coming and going, feeding with careless abandon. Christian frowned at the scene, teleporting to Penny’s hotel.

He stood on the street, staring up at her window. The room was dark, but Christian sensed she wasn’t alone. Interesting. That pull in Christian’s stomach turned to a burn when the thought of Penny not being alone crossed his mind. Christian wasn’t left with his brooding for long, seeing the lights turn back on in Penny’s room. He decided then that he had to see her. See that she had moved on and maybe let this vampire hunter thing go. Then, he could leave and focus back on his obligations.

Christian teleported into the entryway of Penny’s hotel room, avoiding the bedroom for now and stayed invisible while he listened and waited. However, Christian did feel another presence in the room, but he didn’t recognize it as human. A cold sensation swept over Christian’s body, and he frowned. He reached out with his abilities, scanning the room until he found several somethings in Penny’s room. Whatever they were, they were unaware of Christian's presence, so Christian decided to keep it that way and waited.

Penny opened and closed closets, looked under her bed, checked the bathroom.. heck, she even checked under the couches and in the trashcans! There was nothing. Penny rubbed a hand through her hair in frustration. She was not crazy. Something was in here with her. She was sure of it. There was a suffocating aura within the room that made it hard to breathe. Almost as if she were being scrutinized. Penny took a deep breath and steeled her nerves.

"Whoever you are, show yourself!" Penny felt super ridiculous talking to what seemed to be an empty room. She was glad no one besides whatever entity she was talking to was here to see her make a fool out of herself. There was a grunt and multiple pairs of heavy footsteps surrounded her. She could see their imprints in the hotel carpet and she wondered how she hadn't seen those before. Penny squinted her eyes and willed these creatures to appear visibly to her. Her new sight ability was something she still wasn't used to. Some creatures were immediately noticeable, but with others, she had to almost focus on the area they were in. If she didn't, they would remain invisible. Penny's heart felt as if it were about to burst through her chest. Her hands shook and she felt sweat build up on her brow, but sure enough, five ugly looking creatures appeared. They looked like old men, with long stringy hair and sharp teeth. They were surrounding her in a circle, her at the center, but the first thing she noticed were the blood red caps on their heads. Penny's eyes widened. She recognized these creatures. She thought back to the online article she read yesterday about Goblins. She remembered reading about Redcaps and the thought of 'man, I better not run into any of those anytime soon', had crossed her mind at the time. Penny cursed her bad luck.

"I know what you are. Why are you here?" Her voice trembled. These guys killed their prey for sport and bathed their caps in their blood. She wondered whose blood stained the caps of them this very second.

There were some grumbles and grunts before one of them spoke up. "You're very unlucky, human. You have some very bad people who want you dead."

"Who?" Thoughts raced through Penny's head. She was lucky she got them to say anything. She didn't even think they spoke her language. She tried to remember how to get rid of Redcaps. The article said something about scripture? A crucifix? Penny cursed. She didn't have a crucifix with her, but all hotels had a bible in the drawer next to the bed. If she read out of that, would they die?

"Some old friends." Somehow, Penny knew they were talking about the vampires that kidnapped her and her fear was pushed to the side to let anger and dread settle alongside it. She waited too long. She should've gone and killed them already. Now they were after her again. The Goblin that spoke produced a rock in his hand. Penny didn't know where he got it, but that didn't matter. He had it and Penny didn't like what he was planning to do with it. He drew his arm back, almost in slow motion, and threw the rock at Penny. She yelped and ducked to the floor as the others threw rocks immediately after. There were crashes as they put holes in the walls and knocked down pictures and mirrors. If those rocks hit her, she would be in big trouble. They were so fast. Penny looked across the room at the nightstand that stood next to her bed. She needed that Bible.

The Redcaps, seeing she was on the floor, aimed the rocks downwards this time and Penny all but jumped up and bowled right through their small statures. She felt a rock hit her in the back and exploding pain traveled up her spine. She cried out, but kept stumbling towards the drawer. Another rock hit her in the arm, but she pushed through the pain. Opening the drawer, she grabbed the Bible that sat there and flipped open to a random page, crying out again when another rock hit her. There were footsteps trampling after her and she flung herself under the bed in an attempt to get away from the barrage. She felt itchy blood run down her arm and back. She laid on her stomach, Bible laid out in front of her. There was enough light to barely make out the words. Here goes nothing.

"Behold, O Lord; for I am in distress; my bowels are troubled: my heart is turned within me; for I have grievously rebelled; abroad the sword bereaveth, at home there is as death. Let all their wickedness come before thee; and do unto them, as thou hast done unto me for ally my transgression: for my sighs are many, and my heart is faint."

There was yelling and groans of pain. Penny could tell it was working. She continued reading what she could see. After a few more verses, there was the sound of burning before the yelling and rock throwing stopped. Penny remained under the bed, shaking. She sighed in relief, which then in turn caused her wounds to burn and hurt more than they were before. Penny groaned and rolled out from under her bed, careful to avoid the broken vase and the glass shards on the floor. She needed to make some calls. Tonight. But first, there was a presence in the corner of her mind and she knew exactly who it was.

"Christian?"

Christian was aware of what was in Penny’s room before she called them, demanding they show their faces. He was impressed with the ferocity in her voice, tempted to appear himself due to the strength of her demand. However, he remained in the shadows while the Redcaps appeared and circled her. Christian cocked his head to the side, listening to the Redcaps reveal their reasoning for stalking Penny. Vampires. Of course. It made sense. They couldn’t reach her anymore. Penny knew who they were and how to protect herself against them, but the other creatures that went bump in the night? That was all new to her. She was still figuring everything out.

The Redcaps attacked quickly and viciously, leaving Christian with another decision to make. He appeared quickly, grabbing a hold of one Redcap that was about to run after Penny. He held the creature as it gnashed its sharp, pointed teeth, trying vainly to get a hold of Christian. He snapped the creature's neck, letting it drop to the floor. A minute later, Penny could be heard speaking scripture. Christian snapped another creature’s neck, the sudden need to help in some way overtaking him. Although, she clearly didn’t need help.

Christian watched the creatures burn. Their tiny bodies and red caps disappeared into nothing. Aside from the holes in the walls and broken lamps, there was no trace of them. Christian wondered how Penny would explain this to the hotel staff when she tentatively called his name.

”I am here,” he answered simply.

Relief spread through Penny's limbs and she rested her forehead on the dusty floor. She let out a sob and moved her arms to pull herself out from under the bed. Her wounds ached, but she pushed through the pain. It was nothing compared to the feeling of having your body drained of blood. These were little bruises and wounds from rocks being pelted at her. They would heal. She blinked a few times when the light hit her eyes, but finally, she was able to stand up. Christian stood in the middle of the room, casual, as if nothing had just happened. Penny blinked and before she knew it, she was directly in front of him, her arms thrown around his torso. For a second, she thought she would walk right though him, but he was solid and warm. Penny buried her face in his shirt and let a few tears escape.

A small voice in the back of her head told her this was ridiculous. She was a grown woman and Christian was someone who she hasn't known long. Not just that, but he was a supernatural being. Surely her seeking comfort in a reaper was absurd, but she realized that she didn't care. Christian had been there during the two biggest traumatic experiences in her life. First, the vampires, and now the Redcaps. Christian gave Penny a sense of comfort and safety and right now, she needed that.

"You saved me again." Penny gave a watery laugh, face still buried in his shirt. "I'm so pathetic." Penny would call those phone numbers Christian gave her tonight and then in turn get her revenge, but Penny couldn't muster the courage to let go. She was too embarassed.

Christian watched Penny make her way from underneath the bed. His eyes roved over her, taking in the bruises that were starting to form and the cuts the rocks had left behind. Redcaps were vicious creatures. Penny was lucky it wasn't more than rocks they threw. Christian was glad it hadn't been more than rocks.

Penny had a gentle soul. She was kind and compassionate. Christian had seen that immediately when he first met her almost three months ago. Even when she was on the Death's doorstep, her soul carried that gentle aura-even though it was tainted by fear. Even now, after fighting for her life again, Penny carried a kindness to her despite the fear and the emotion of the moment. It inspired Christian, and had him smiling once she crawled out from under the bed.

"You'veoof!" Christian grunted, stumbling half a step back when Penny threw herself at him, her arms wrapped around him with a significant strength he didn't think she had. Christian stood there for a moment, blinking with shock before concern filled his being and he settled his arms around her.

"You saved yourself." Christian did kill two of the creatures himself, but it was unnecessary. Penny's quick reactions and recent knowledge saved her. "You've been researching," he complimented, finishing his earlier thought while ignoring her other comment.

Christian found himself falling into the natural caregiver roll that came with ferrying souls to the other side. He ran a hand up and down her back in a soothing motion. "I overheard them say that old friends were looking for you. Does that have to do with the vampires that are still surprisingly alive?"

Penny sniffled and looked up at Christian. “You’re right, but still… without you, I wouldn’t have been here in the first place to save myself.” Penny didn’t want to let go, not with the comforting pressure of his warm hand on her back, but she let go anyways and took a step back. She wiped the tears and snot with the sleeve of her shirt and chuckled. “Sorry.” She cleared her throat. “I actually read about Redcaps a little while ago. I’m surprised I was able to recall anything about them under the pressure of almost dying. Again.”

Penny crossed her arms in front of her and gave Christian a smile. Her hands still shook a little bit, but Penny found that she wasn’t as traumatized from this experience as she was from the vampires. Penny saw this as a win. If she was going to hunt down the supernatural, she couldn’t be traumatized after every encounter. “I’ve been putting off hunting down the vampires. I guess I’m still scared. Plus, I’ve never killed anyone or anything before… well, until now. But still, vampires look like actual people. Redcaps don’t.”

Penny sighed. “I was going to call those people on the list you gave me in the morning, but I think I should call them tonight. I’m tired of being scared and waiting to kill those monsters. After all, they sent these things after me. It’s time I returned the favor.” Penny bit her lips and took another step back to easier look at the man in front of her. “It’d be nice if I had someone by my side when I did. I’m not asking you to kill them for me, but maybe you could stick around for a little bit?” It came out as more a question than a statement and Penny mentally cursed at herself. She didn’t know how to feel about Christian, but she knew she wanted him there. It would make things easier. She didn't know what his work schedule looked like though. Do Reapers even get time off? It sounded absurd in her head, but she didnt know anything about his world.

Christian's arms dropped when Penny backed away. He slipped his hands into his pockets, watching her while she filled him in on what she had been up to. When Penny took another step back, Christian's lips quirked into a half smile. He shifted his hands and removed his jacket before tossing it onto a chair. He located water and something stronger in case Penny needed it. He poured her a cup of water and set the mini bottle of whiskey beside it and gestured for Penny to sit.

”Although I am tempted to accept your praise, I was there to do a job. You convinced me otherwise and I asked you to keep a promise for me. So far you are. You're here because of your actions, Penny. Don't forget that. As for hunting vampires, wait until during the day. They are able to walk in the sunlight but it does make them weaker, so they are often slower to react during the day.”

Christian walked over to the window. He brushed the curtain aside and peered down at the street. He didn't see anything yet but it would only be a matter of time before the vampires found out their hitmen failed. They would come for her again. Penny was right that she had to end this. End it or leave.

Christian let the curtains fall back and turned to face Penny. ”I will stay. Call the hunters in the morning. One of them might be close and they can help you take the coven on. You don't want to leave any alive. Besides, you need your rest,” Christian said, nodding at the bed. ”I will stay so you can sleep. And I will stay while you hunt, if you truly want me to.”