Grey held Nijuu in his arms, and carried her towards the lake. He heard her stomach growl, "Hmm.....I think I know what's wrong......"

The woman smiled, "Your a very caring young lady.....but unless you can break these chains, I am forever trapped here. Only something as powerful as an arch angel.....or....arch demon....can break these chains......."

Nijuu rested her head on Grey's chest, listening to his heart beat as he carried her. She rested her hand on her belly, and looked up to Grey. "I suppose I need to eat more often to keep up my strength, for our soon to be little one."

Amalia stared at the woman, almost on the verge of crying herself.

Grey set Nijuu down into the water, the liquid letting out a soothing sensation, and then said, "I'll be right back, I'm going to grab you something to eat."

The looked to Amalia, "I suffer, because of my own choices, I don't deserve your tears or sympathy, I put myself into this situation, so don't cry for me.....please....." She crawled forward, the chains pulling on her insides as she did, and hugged Amalia.

Nijuu looked up to Grey, and smiled gently. "You take such good care of me, love." She spoke softly.

Amalia was not expecting the woman to hug her. "It was you; wasn't it?" She whispered.

The woman tilted her head, "What is it I did?"

Grey carefully walked away from Nijuu, making sure to stay in sight of her, and replied back, as he started to climb up an apple tree, "Well of course I do, love."

Amalia looked at the woman. "You were the one that told him that everything starts with a hug." She replied.

Nijuu smiled, as she rested her head on her arm, watching Grey. She felt at ease, watching him, and her smile grew.

The woman nodded, "Yes....I was. My own child never really got the concept, being born from......well, Ezekiel's tutelage, but Shrike, he understood it.....and I'm glad he applied it......." Her hands shook from the pain, as the chains heated up inside of her.

After grabbing two apples, Grey jumped down from the tree, and stepped into the water next to Nijuu, pressing his side against hers, and handing her an apple.

Amalia looked at the woman. "I'm glad he did." She said, then noticed her hands shaking. "If you're in pain, you can let go of me. I don't want you to suffer."

Nijuu smiled as she took the apple. "Thank you, my love." She spoke softly, as she took a bite. For some reason, this apple tasted sweeter than the one she had yesterday. She looked at the apple carefully, it looked exactly like the kind of apple she had yesterday...but why did it taste sweeter...she then thought it was all in her head..and took another bite...again, it tasted sweeter. A puzzled expression formed on Nijuu's face, as she looked at the apple again.

Grey looked at Nijuu's face, "What an adorable expression it is.....that you have on your face, I wonder for......" He approached her in the water, swam behind her, and wrapped his arms around her waist, "Hmm.....?"

The woman let go of her for a second, "Its not you.....Lucifer has the temperature of those chains fluctuate every ten minutes.....its to keep me from ever resting......."

Nijuu looked at Grey and smiled. "The apple...it tastes sweeter." She said, enjoying his arms around her.

An expression of sorrow formed on her face, as she looked at the woman. "That's horrible..." her voice cracked as she spoke.

The woman looked to her dress, made from her own wings, "This pain is nothing......compared to what happened the first time I betrayed Lucifer to help my son......."

Grey rested his head on her shoulder, and smiled, "Well that's interesting......though not a surprise, everything's sweet about you, might just be rubbing off of you is all....."

Nijuu giggled softly. "You're sweet, love." She said, as she turned in his arms, and kissed him softly.

Amalia looked at the woman. "May I ask what happened?" She asked. "If you don't want to say, you don't have to."

Grey held her in his arms, "Only because of you.......hehehee....."

The woman sighed, "When I helped my sons father take him back to the heavens, Lucifer was enraged that I had done so. My son....is a slayer, a halfbreed offspring born under a very unique circumstance.....and.....Lucifer wanted him to slay the celestial leadership, I didn't want my son to have to kill his father, or my brothers....or any of our family, so I set him to return to the heavens.....and....Lucifer tore my wings....from my body, and stitched them together, and forces me to wear them, with these chains going through me." She had a very sad set of eyes.

Nijuu giggled softly. "Well, I'm sure I can make you sweeter." She said with a playful smile on her face.

Amalia walked towards the woman and hugged her. "I admire your strength." She spoke softly.

The woman smiled, "Thank you....miss...Amalia......" There was a sudden tug on her chains, as she was pulled to the ground by an unknown force, blood spurting from her side, tears streaming from her eyes.

Grey pressed his forehead against hers, "Well, technically, you did make it to the water before me.....so my sweet.......are you ready to go again?"

Amalia ran to the woman, putting her hands over the bleeding wound. "What was that?" She asked.

Nijuu blushed slightly, as she nodded her head. "I think so." She whispered.

Grey simply kissed Nijuu, as the night air surrounded them, and the aroma of love filled their surroundings.

The woman held her side in agony, "The my chains....these ones.....are connected to Lucifer......."

"So he can pull on them like this whenever he wants?" Amalia asked, as she tried to stop the bleeding. Under any other circumstances she probably could have focused her breath and at least stop the bleeding...but, she had no way of knowing if that would work, or if she was calm enough to do so.

Shrike was starting to awaken again, sitting up while he was holding his head.

Minerva placed her hands on Amalia's, "As long as I remain chained here, there's no way Lucifer can leave hell. There are several other demons that he is chained to.....others with loved ones that might come to save them.....this is how he tortures my son........and my husband....."

Back in the realm of Earth, Ezekiel looked at a golden ring that was hanging from a necklace he wore.

Amalia looked at her hands, then to her face. "And you too, for keeping you from the people you love." From the corner of her eye, she saw Shrike sitting up. "Are you okay, Shrike?" She turned towards him.

The woman kept silence, and watched as Shrike spoke, "I'm feeling....light headed....but better....." He looked to the woman and sighed, "Saved my ass again, eh Minerva?" She nodded in reply.

Amalia walked over to Shrike and hugged him tightly. "I don't know what I would have done if she hadn't.." she spoke softly. "When those reapers took you here, I went into such a rage...I demanded that they send me here."

Shrike sighed, "I appreciate that Amalia.....but I don't know how to get out of here....they had to retrieve me last time........they may have done that.....so that they......."

Minerva spoke aloud, "Could get to enter hell, then take you from it and leave her behind......"

Amalia released Shrike and turned around. "Leave me here?!" She gasped. "Why would they do that?"