"Absolutely not!" Hellboy roared. "No way in Hell, Myers. You can just wipe that ridiculous idea out from your head."
"Exactly what I told him," Abe agreed.
"Don't you see the logic in the idea though?" John persisted. "Without me, there is no sure fire way that the demon will show up. And we're not going to use an innocent woman to lure it out."
"No John," Red continued. "No more arguments, end of discussion."
"So we're just going to let this thing roam around the city, wandering until it finds another woman to attack just because you're too paranoid to let me do my job?" John demanded. "What kind of rationale is that? I'm sure that will go over well with Manning."
"Fuck Manning," Hellboy snarled. "I will absolutely NOT have you out there using yourself as bait. It's too dangerous for you, and you're also endangering the child."
"Blue, will you please say something to him?" John implored. "I know you don't like this idea any more than he does but at least you can see beyond the initial danger?"
Abe shifted uncomfortably when a set of determined yellow eyes stared challengingly at him. "We will be there to make sure that nothing will happen to him," he slowly rationalized.
Hellboy snorted in disbelief and betrayal. "I don't fucking believe this. You think it's okay for him to sit out in the open and wait for a demon with a baby fetish to attack?" he demanded.
"Red, John makes a valid point. I do not like this any more than you do, but we have to do what is best for the public."
"I fucking hate this," Hellboy swore and shouldered his Samaritan. Fiercely, he thundered out of the converted van and slammed the door hard behind him. As he cut through, the agents outside scattered to get out of the angry demon's way.
John turned saddened eyes at Abe. "I guess we have a go," he said.
Abe smiled reassuringly. "He will get over it. Red is not mad at you, he is just scared out of his wits."
"I know."
>>>>>
John stood on full alert along with three other agents. They were situated in a clearing and waited anxiously for any movement. Nearby, hidden in abandoned buildings and structures were the two other remaining agents along with Hellboy and Abe. The tension in the air was thick and almost suffocating.
The group of four that were exposed knew that the demon was to come after them in one manner or another. Only one of them, however, knew that the demon would come after him specifically. John subconsciously sensed that the entity housed within his abdomen was uneasy so he briefly rubbed it comfortingly before gripping his handgun again.
"You okay `Scout?"
Myers pressed the button on his comm badge. "Still good," he confirmed. This was starting to get irritating. Every movement he made, even to scratch his head, Hellboy would radio in to make sure that everything was fine. Though the other three men around him made no comment about it, John could sense their amusement and it was embarrassing.
It had been but a mere few seconds after those words were out of his mouth when an unearthly aura suddenly surrounded the group. The four men looked around, weapons cocked and ready to go, seeking out their target. "Myers, what's going on there?" Hellboy's static voice demanded. John didn't get the opportunity to answer back when a large glowing figure, out of nowhere, appeared just metres in front of them.
The demon looked exactly like the headshots they had studied earlier today. But now they can see that the armour plate that covered the chest actually extended down the rest of the demon's length, which tapered and terminated into the body of a serpent. The end of the tail writhed rhythmically back and forth, while the smaller eel-like attachments on the demon's back moved in a more haphazard pattern.
When the demon made no further movement towards them, the agents kept their aim steady, unsure of what to do. There was a frenzy of unfounded whispers all around them, the sources unknown and very distracting. At this time Hellboy and Abe made themselves present, both rushing over to the group and stationed themselves specifically near Myers.
Lilith, as she was deemed, stared unnervingly at the group in front of her. The eye sockets glowed an eerie white, a sharp contrast in the darkness of the night. It was the eve of a new moon so there was almost no lunar reflection to aid in the agents' vision. Then suddenly, without any warning, tentacles exploded forth and targeted John. His yell of surprise was cut short when one appendage wrapped tightly around his neck. The weapon in his hand was knocked out and each of his limbs was grasped equally tight.
"John!" Hellboy howled.
Mayhem started. Bullets were flying out of several different weapons, but the small missiles seemed to have almost no effect on the creature. Shots to the armour deflected off easily, and black liquid oozed from the flesh wounds. Despite this, Lilith appeared determined in her objective and the tentacles slowly began to drag Myers closer towards her. Several agents began to shoot at the tentacles and a couple others tried to free the struggling man from the serpentine grasps.
"Get a load of this, bitch," Red growled. He fired up the Samaritan and let out a series of shots to the demon's head. She screeched and the tentacles abruptly dropped Myers. John fell to the ground with a grunt and watched as the writhing limbs retreated back to its owner. A dense swirl of smoke enveloped Lilith and began to surround them; it was thick and smelled sulpherous. When it finally cleared, the she-demon was gone, leaving no trace behind.
Abe hurried over to John, who lay coughing on the ground. He pushed Hellboy aside when the red demon tried to muscle his way in, and checked the man's pulse. "How do you feel?" he inquired.
"I'm alright," John gasped. "Just in a bit of a shock. I don't think she had a chance to injure me."
"I will be the judge of that. We are going straight back to the BPRD so that I can examine you properly. Then we will see Manning immediately afterward," Abe lectured sternly.
"Is he okay?" Hellboy demanded. "Is he hurt? I knew this would be a bad idea…"
"I'm FINE Red," John growled. "Would you please just get off my back for once? I'm sick and tired of you coddling me all the time."
Hellboy and Abe both stared at the man, slack-jawed. They were speechless; even the other agents looked shocked.
Myers threw his hands up in frustration. "Never mind. I'm going to wait in the van." And without another word to his subordinates, John left them to their own devices.
They watched his departing back. "Was it something I said?" Red asked Abe.
It dawned on the merman and he sighed. "I believe both of us is to blame," he murmured. Hellboy stared at him in confusion, but Abe explained no further. Instead, he gave the other agents their final orders and sent them back to the bureau. The two demons began to slowly make their way towards the van, unsure about the reception of their arrival. Myers was sitting silently in the front passenger seat, next to the wary driver. He ignored them and was flipping through his case notes.
In the privacy of the cargo interior, Abe was able to discuss with Hellboy his suspicions towards John's attitude. "We may be suffocating him with our mother henning."
"Mother henning," Hellboy scoffed. "I'm not mothering him, I'm just concern for his safety that's all. I just want to make sure that he's out of harm's way and not in danger."
"That is fine in attitude, but when the two of us are constantly looking over his shoulder, especially in front of the other agents, we are undermining his authority. This makes him look inept in the eyes of the other men."
"Shit, I didn't think about that."
"Nor did I," Abe sighed. "We must somehow make this up to our friend. What we did is inexcusable Red."
"Ya," Hellboy exhaled loudly. "I guess I have some sucking up to do tonight."
"Easy for you," Abe replied dryly. "I will have to find other means of making up with the young man."
Red chuckled.
>>>>>
John silently endured through the ultrasound and blood retrieval. His lack of conversation continued as he was bodily inspected from head to toe for signs of injury. But he was surprised that Abe offered no words of disapproval or lecture.
When he was allowed to dress again, he quietly put his clothes back on and noticed that the merman was sitting uneasily. "What is it?" he finally asked.
Abe cocked his head to one side and then the next. "I do not know how to say this, John," he slowly began. "But the first and foremost thing I must do is apologize to you."
Myers was taken aback. "Apologize? For what? If anything it was my fault for snapping at you guys for no reason at all." He shrugged, "I guess it was one of my mood swings that Red mentioned earlier."
"It is admirable that your are willing to put the blame on yourself, but I can not accept any forms of apology from you. I know what I did was wrong and it is unacceptable."
"Blue," John began to scratch his head in confusion. "What are you trying to apologize for exactly?"
"I have found myself in the last few hours behave in an overbearing manner in concerns to your well being. The excessive coddling I have forced you to endure in the presence of the other men is inexcusable and I shall try to limit my concerns for you privately in the future."
Myers grinned suddenly. "I'd appreciate that, Blue. To be honest, I'm used to having to deal with it from Red, but I admit that I felt hurt when you started siding with him. I've always looked to you for support and a source of logic, and all of the sudden you're hen pecking after me just the same. I know things could have gone much worse than it did, and I can see the potential danger that could've resulted. After cooling down I saw why you and Hellboy were fretting so much, but at the time I was just overwhelmed and couldn't handle it anymore."
"I am deeply sorry that I have contributed to your distress. I assure you that it will not happen publicly in the future."
"Nah, it's okay. I sort of like it when you guys mother over me… it's been a long time since anyone has," John quietly admitted.
Abe smiled widely at him. "I did not say I would stop worrying about you, John. I simply promised that I would not do it publicly any more."
>>>>>
Hellboy poked his head into Abe's lab and caught the two of them laughing. He assumed that Blue somehow managed to find a way to make things up to the young man, and he was a little jealous. When they caught sight of him standing at the entrance and stopped laughing, Hellboy even felt a little left out. Abe stood up and nodded to him, before telling John that he had some tests to finish.
Red gave the merman a grateful look and warily entered further into the sterile room, wondering how Myers would receive him. The man was sitting on the edge of an examination table, his legs swinging like a little boy. Hellboy couldn't help but let a chuckle escape. John stopped swinging and raised an eyebrow at him.
"How ya doin' Squirt?"
"Not too bad. Blue just gave me a bill of good health."
"That's a good thing," Hellboy noted.
John was smiling inside but let none of that show. He knew what his lover was trying to do and was feeling very antsy about it. But John decided to have some fun and let the demon try to sweat it out.
"So whatcha up to now?"
"Well, I have to go speak with Manning like I promised Abe I would," John said. "And then I have to type up my mission report."
"More paperwork I see," Hellboy mused.
Myers glared at him. "You got a problem with that?"
"No," Red quickly rebutted.
"Is there a reason why you're here?" John decided to go in for the kill.
"No, no reason. Can't a guy see his lover just for the hell of it?" Hellboy began to fiddle with some piece of equipment. When a part of it came apart in his hand, he cursed and quickly tried to fix it back on as it was before. Failing and giving up, he placed it onto a nearby table and hoped that Abe wouldn't realize who was responsible.
John got up and shrugged. "Okay. I have to be going then." As he was about to walk past the towering figure, strong arms quickly pulled him into a strong embrace.
"Wait," Hellboy pleaded. "I… may have something to say… but I don't know how," he mumbled quietly.
Myers looked up into the yellow eyes and softened. "Just say whatever's on your mind. I'll make sense of it eventually," he gently smiled.
Hellboy sighed. Words were definitely NOT his forte, but for John he would try anything, if only not to have the man angry with him. "I just realized that I may have been a bit… overprotective… of you lately…"
"Bit?"
Hellboy scowled. "More than a bit then," he grumbled. "I shouldn't keep harping on you and questioning your every action. I know you're a grown man, but I keep forgetting that and see you only as someone to protect. I know that things have been this way for awhile now, but I guess it's gotten worse since I found out that you're… with child."
John sighed and rested his head on Hellboy's chest. "I know you've always had a protective streak in you when it comes to me, God knows why. And I don't normally mind too much. But you're right; you've been more neurotic than you normally are. And I guess what really caused me to snap was that Abe is starting to mother hen me too now. It looks really bad when you two do that in front of the other guys. It undermines me and makes me look incompetent. If I'm to be their overseer I want them to look at me with respect, and not as someone who constantly needs his hand held."
He looked up at his lover's face and saw the look of guilt present. "Red, when we were out there tonight you kept radioing me every five seconds. Do you have any idea how embarrassing that is? And then you and Abe both lectured me like a little boy afterwards. I don't want that to happen again in the future, do you understand me?"
Hellboy nodded. "Yah, I get it. I can't promise I won't do it again. I can't… it's in my nature now to worry about you and want to look after you. Dammit, if I could get away with it, I would tie you down to the bed until that baby comes out. But, I will promise you that I will try my best to not consciously belittle you in front of your men again. That's the best I can do, take it or leave it Squirt."
John smiled. "That's all I ask." The arms around him began to linger further down his body until his ass was cradled in the hands, one made of flesh, and the other made of stone. The cradling soon became a gentle massage and John found himself melting in Hellboy's arms. "That feels good," he murmured.
"I'm here to please," Hellboy crooned. He bent and lowered his upper body to nudge his nose against the top of John's head, inhaling the soft scent of the man's hair. When Myers looked up, he touched their lips together and soon a passionate kiss resulted. Red pulled John's body closer to his by the hips and rubbed his growing arousal against the man's stomach. In turn, he could feel the agent's cock begin to stir against his thigh.
By the time they broke apart for a much-needed breath, John was looking flush in the face and his lips were slightly swollen. Red just merely looked pleased with himself. "We better stop while we still can," Myers said breathlessly.
"Who said anything about wanting to stop?"
"I don't think Abe will appreciate it if we did it here in his lab." He laughed at the look of disappointment on Hellboy's face. "I have to go speak with Manning now anyway. Blue is probably waiting for me outside as we speak."
A scowl appeared on Hellboy's face at the mention of the Director's name. "I'm coming with." Myers eyed him warily. "For moral support," he amended.
"Fine, but leave the talking to me and Abe, got that Red?"
"Scout's honour," Hellboy smirked.
"Very funny."
>>>>>
John and Red spent the next several minutes in search of the merman. They finally found him reading in the library, surrounded by huge texts. He was so immersed in what he was reading that he didn't notice the presence of the other two until they were standing next to the edge of his work desk.
"Oh, hey guys. I decided to see what I can find out about Lilith and hopefully come across a way to defeat her."
"What have you found so far?" John wanted to know.
Abe marked his spot in the book and closed it. "There is mention of her in several cultures. The Assyrians knew her as `Lilitu', and the Babylonians considered her to be actually a triad of demons comprised of Lilitu, Lilu and Ardat Lili. On a Sumerian tablet from Ur, she appeared as `Lillake'. There are
also many written accounts of her in the Dead Sea Scrolls, the Alpha Betha of Ben Sira, the Talmud, the Zohar, and once in the Old Testament. Not to mention the variations of her found in Greek, Iranian, Mexican, Arab, German, English, Oriental, and even Native American legends.
"Why, did you know that she is described as the consort of Sammael? That is, in this context Sammael is another reference to Satan, and was also the snake that tempted Eve of Eden. Hence the sometimes reference of Sammael as the Slant Serpent and Lilith as the Tortuous Serpent…"
"That's just fine and dandy," Hellboy interrupted. "But less on the Sunday school lesson and get to the point already."
Abe pursed his lips together but continued. "From what I can surmise so far, when the Sammael was conjured up that time last year by Rasputin, Lilith must have somehow come through as well. Obviously she was not in physical form, as she was not meant to be called upon, but some part of the portal barrier, which held her back from this existence, must have weakened. This is probably why we are receiving sightings of her just now. Particularly, she is at her peak when the moon wanes, and of course tomorrow is the new moon."
"So how do we get rid of it? Have you been able to find that out?" Myers inquired, knowing that his lover was getting impatient next to him.
"Remember when I told you that three angels were sent by God himself after Lilith to bring her back to Adam?" John nodded. "The angels were variations of Sanvai, Sansanuai, and Semanglof. They warned Lilith that if she did not go with them, God will punish her by allowing 100 of her demon children to die each day. She vowed to avenge her offsprings' deaths by killing human infants, but she made a promise to the angels that she would spare any child that bore any amulet which contained their three names or depictions."
"That's great. So we just have to make all the newborns and pregnant women in the city wear a little amulet. What?" Abe and John both glared at Hellboy. "What?" he repeated.
"I shall have to look further for a way to defeat that demon. The information on her is very unorganized as there are so many variants of her. But, for now I believe we have something to say to Manning," he reminded John.
Myers rolled his eyes. "Yeah, okay. Let's just get this over with."
>>>>>
Manning looked up in surprise when he found not only Myers at his door, like he was expecting, but Abe and Hellboy as well. "Can I help you gentlemen?" he questioned.
"Yes you can." John cleared his throat nervously.
"Well?" the Director asked impatiently when the agent remained silent. "Out with it already."
"This is regarding John's current state of health," Abe finally interjected.
"What's wrong with Myers?" Manning stared at John intently, trying to look for signs of illness.
"As you must have read in our reports from that Felesdaemn incident two months ago, you are aware of the conditions that were required of John and Hellboy."
"Yeah," the older man grumbled.
"Well, there appears to be a side effect that we were not prepared for," Abe continued.
"What sort of side-effect?"
Abe looked over at John, and with his eyes tried to get the agent to tell the Director. Myers frowned but couldn't bring himself to say it.
"For God's sakes. John is pregnant with my child," Hellboy blurted out impulsively.
The silence was deafening and the proverbial pin could be heard dropping. Manning stared hard at all three figures, trying to determine if he was the victim of a very ill mannered joke. "Repeat that," he ordered.
"It's true," Myers finally managed to croak out. "I'm… expecting."
You can see the narrowing of Manning's eyes as they focused fixedly around the level of John's waistline. The young man was starting to feel slightly uncomfortable from the unwanted attention he was receiving.
"How can that be? How can that be physically possible? You were only temporary transformed. Not even for that long in fact," Manning protested.
"That is correct," Abe jumped in again. "But while in his demon form John underwent a heat cycle. This caused a huge influx of hormones to be produced within his body and therefore made it possible for him to be impregnated. There are cells in his body, as we speak, that are changing to adapt to the fetus' presence."
"So what does that mean? Will he be turning into a demon again? Is the BPRD compromised?"
"Don't you dare use that word about Myers," Hellboy growled. Manning ignored him and waited for an answer from Abe.
"No," Abe corrected. "There is no endangerment of John becoming a Feledaemn again. I predict that the changes are wholly internal and just to sustain a suitable environment for the development of the fetus. I believe that once the child is born John's physiology should return to normal."
More silence ensued.
"I don't know if I can believe this," Manning muttered. He stared at Myers again. "You're really pregnant?" he asked incredulously. When John nodded, he shook his head in disbelief. "With Red's baby?" Another nod. Finally, Manning sighed. "I'm sorry about that," he muttered sympathetically.
"Hey!" Hellboy objected.
"So where does this bring us exactly? I assume you three have already worked out some plan of action?"
"Abe thinks it may be best if I no longer participate out on the field," John spoke.
"Alright, I can live with that. There's still plenty of administration work that can keep you busy here," Manning conceded. "What about the mission from tonight?"
"We were unsuccessful in eliminating it," Abe reported. "I am currently in the middle of looking for a way to overcome the demon in question. It should not take much longer. It appears that its targets are specific and as long as we keep the area evacuated we should be okay for now."
"Very well, I trust you men. Please keep me informed of the situation." The older man paused briefly before asking warily, "Is there anything else I should know about?"
"That will be all for now, Tom," Abe answered. They were dismissed and the three of them turned for the door.
"Myers," Manning suddenly called out before the door closed behind them. John turned around to see what his superior wanted. "Congratulations," was the rough reply and he was promptly dismissed again. Even Abe couldn't help but grin.
The three of them departed the directorial wing of the building and headed back towards the library. Just as they were about to walk through the heavy oak doors, Abe stopped suddenly and looked back at his friends. "Perhaps it is time you rested," he gently suggested to John.
Myers looked stunned. "But we have to figure out a way to fight against Lilith. Didn't you just say that tomorrow she would be at her peak?"
"Yes, but I am sure that a few hours of rest from yourself will not set us back too greatly. I will take the time organize the material and when you are feeling refreshed you can help me search through the information."
John looked like he was about to protest again, but Hellboy jumped in before he was able to say anything. "C'mon, `Scout. It's just for a few hours. It's already pretty late, and what good will you be to us if you're running ragged tomorrow?"
The agent pursed his lips together but couldn't argue with reason. "Fine. But only for the sake of the baby," he muttered as he turned towards Hellboy's residence. Red hurried after the retreating man after making quick eye contact with Abe. When the two of them were inside the large room, Hellboy locked the door behind him and quickly swallowed John up into a firm hug.
John wrapped his arms around Hellboy's midsection and rested his head against the powerful chest. He could hear the steady beating of his lover's heart. In turn, Hellboy easily rested his chin on top of John's head and cradled the slighter body against his own. They stood like that for several minutes, in quiet contentment.
Hellboy was the first to break the silence.
"How's mommy feeling? Did you… Oomph!"
Red pouted as he rubbed his shin where John had kicked him. But his petulant expression was wasted as his lover had his back turned to him. He followed John into the bed and snuggled close again. "I was just teasing," he mumbled.
John scowled. "You better never call me that in public, Hellboy. Or I'll kick more than your leg next time."
Hellboy pouted some more, but knew that it wasn't having any effect on the man, so he changed tactics. Slowly, he began to nuzzle his nose against the crook of John's neck and inhaled. He absolutely loved the smell and feel of the skin there. When Myers began to turn his neck away to give him easier access, Hellboy knew he had the man hooked.
He started kissing and licking the soft skin, eliciting sounds of soft purring from John. Knowing that his lover was thoroughly distracted by now, he stealthily began to undress the man. John unconsciously complied as he let himself get divulged of his tie, shirt and pants. Carefully, Hellboy leaned the nearly naked body down to the mattress and broadened the area of his kissing and licking to the smooth chest. As he did so, he felt slender fingers lace through his hair and traced along the remains of his horns.
Hellboy hated it whenever anyone looked at his horns, never mind *touch*. But he discovered that he easily gets turned on whenever John touched them. The man always treated them with reverence, and handled them gently and with care. Now was no exception. The leather pants that Hellboy wore felt very tight all too suddenly.
But for now he ignored his urges, intent only on pleasing John. His lips brushed across a nipple and the man gasped, arching his back in want. Hellboy decided to concentrate his efforts onto the pink nub and flicked his tongue assertively across the sensitive flesh. Myers writhed harder and moaned louder under the ministrations. After a few minutes of working out the nipple, Hellboy moved across the hairless chest and started to work on the other.
Once he had that nipple swollen also, he released it and slowly kissed the warm skin down the sternum and towards the flat plane of the taut stomach. Hellboy paused briefly when he reached the naval and studied the surface intently. He used his flesh hand and started caressing the area gently, although he wasn't sure exactly what he was palpating for. A slight softening of John's torso can be detected, but just barely. It wasn't so much as a small bump, but a very slight curve had developed. When he heard chuckling, Hellboy looked up sharply at his lover to see what was so funny.
John had cocked his head up and was smiling at him. "You have such a school-boy look of fascination on your face."
"It's just so amazing," Hellboy replied in awe and he softly brushed his nose and cheek against the abdomen. "Just thinking about my child being in there… *inside* of you is such a turn on. Is that perverted?"
"Nah. I think you're confusing that with virility. I mean, c'mon Red…you've done the impossible and got a guy pregnant." Myers snickered louder. "How much more sexual potency can one get?" The laughter died suddenly and became a soft gasp of pleasure when Hellboy started palming the tent that had formed in John's boxers. He expertly fondled the hard cock and testicles that was separated from his touch by a mere piece of thin cotton. Myer's legs instinctively spread further apart and his body started to gyrate into the hand that brought so much pleasure up his spine and to the core of his being.
"Let's take this off and get you naked," Hellboy murmured into John's ear. The man lifted his ass up and allowed for the flimsy material to be removed from his body. Without the barrier of cloth his cock immediately fell back against his stomach, hard and erect. Hellboy made himself comfortable on the mattress and settled himself between John's strong thighs. In one swoop he was able to easily engulf the pulsing organ into his mouth. Myers cried out and arched his groin to drive himself deeper into Hellboy's throat.
With a hot, moist mouth around his cock and a warm hand playing with his balls, John felt like he could very well shoot at a moment's notice. "Red," he panted. "I'm getting really close. I think I'm gonna cum."
Hellboy encouraged him vocally, but since his mouth was full of cock, his reply was converted into a series of vibrations that coursed along John's organ. This was his end. White lights exploded behind Myers' eye sockets and a surge of blinding energy shot up his body and out of his limbs. His fingers grasped tightly at the material of the bed sheets and his toes curled in ecstasy. Semen erupted from his cock as a loud cry did from his mouth, and Hellboy eagerly swallowed up the former and thrilled in the latter.
He continued to lap at the softening dick, until John began to whimper from the over stimulation. Reluctantly, Hellboy released it from his mouth and kissed his way back up to the revered stomach. "Are you happy in there little one?" he whispered to the microscopic entity inside.
John was panting hard and was too busy catching his breath to hear the softly spoken words. When Hellboy straightened and stretched out beside him, the human snuggled close and let himself be embraced. "What about you?" he asked his demon lover. Hellboy could tell the man was nearly half asleep but the concern was apparent in the brown eyes.
"Don't worry about me," Red smiled. "Go to sleep and take care of baby. I'll be here when you wake up."
"Promise?" came the sleepy slur.
"Promise." And Hellboy did as he vowed he would and stayed where he was; ready to greet his lover when the man awoke.
>>>>>
John slowly stirred awake and buried himself closer to the warm object behind his back. There was even breathing against his neck so he knew that his live pillow was still asleep. A gentle mew caught his attention and he opened one eye to stare into the furry face of a cat. The feline mewed again and then proceeded to clean herself. Yawning and amused, John glimpsed over to the digital clock on the bedside table and abruptly sat up in alarm when he saw that it was already 7 o'clock the next morning.
Hellboy snorted awake at the sudden movement and instantly became alert when John leapt out of his embrace and out of bed. "'Scout?" he asked sleepily. "What's going on?"
"Dammit Red," John cursed as he looked around for some clean clothes and boxers. "You let me sleep for too long. I've been in bed for almost nine hours!"
Yawning loudly, Hellboy scratched himself and landed his head back onto a pillow. "You wouldn't have slept for so long if your body didn't need it," he retorted. "What's all the stress about anyway?"
Myers hopped in place as he pulled some black pants on and buttoned up a crisp white shirt. His eyes scanned the room in search of his tie from last night. "I'm supposed to be helping Blue research on Lilith. We don't have much time to prepare for tonight's plan of attack."
Hellboy suddenly sat up again. "Whoa there Squirt. Who said anything about you coming along? You're just doing research and that's it. I don't think my heart can handle an encore of last night."
John paid him no attention as he fixed his tie in the mirror. "I'll see you later," he said as he hurried towards the door. He had the knob in his hand and the door opened a few inches when something abruptly shut it closed. Surprised he looked at the source and saw a red hand made of stone placed flush against the wooden panel. "Red?" he questioned.
"I meant what I said," was the serious response.
"What about what we talked about just last night?" Myers questioned frustratedly.
Hellboy made a point of looking to his left, then to his right, and finally over his shoulder. "I don't see anyone else in here, do you? Unless you're worried about what my cats might think of you."
John glared at him. "I have a job to do," he stated firmly.
"And that's exactly why I'm letting you go help Blue do research," Hellboy agreed. "But, in case you've forgotten, you're not allowed to go out on field missions anymore."
"Excuse me? `Letting me'?" John asked incredulously. "What am I? Your child? I don't need your permission to do what I want." The man could feel his blood beginning to boil and he didn't know why he was acting so irrationally. Normally, he would have had no problem talking his lover into seeing things his way. But today he just wanted to pick a fight for no apparent reason at all.
Unfortunately for him, Hellboy was in the mood to humour him.
Golden eyes narrowed dangerously and a thick red finger poked him in the chest. "Actually, my child just happens to be inside of you, and as it happens, it does need my permission to do anything. Since you just happen to be carrying it around for the moment, you're gonna have to do what I say until you spit it out. Do we have an understanding here?"
John was caught utterly speechless; all words just simply escaped him. Then, to his horror, he broke down and started bawling. Hellboy looked even more horrified as he watched his lover suddenly started to cry. From lion to lamb he became, and quickly he wrapped his arms around the sobbing man in an attempt to calm him.
"Oh damn. I'm so sorry, John. I didn't mean to sound so harsh." Hellboy mentally kicked himself in the ass. "I just freak out when I think about what might happen to you. I'm such a prick, I'm so sorry. Please don't cry," he pleaded.
"I j.just wanted to h.help," Myers hiccupped. "I d.didn't want t.to just s.sit here like an i.invalid."
"Aw Babe, no one will think you're an invalid," Hellboy crooned. He found a t-shirt lying around and used it to wipe the tears dripping from John's eyes. "Even Manning agreed that you should just stick to desk work."
John was much calmer now and took deep breaths. "I just want to see this mission through. What are we going to tell the agents if I just up and left them in the middle of a case?" He looked beseechingly up at the red demon. Hellboy took in the mussed up hair, the glimmering eyes, and the rosy nose and cheeks of his lover. He looked so adorable, how could he deny John anything?
Hellboy sighed in exasperation. "Alright, fine," he grumbled. "I'll let you complete this mission, but…" he continued when the look in John's eyes brightened, "as soon as the final mission report for this is typed out and on Manning's desk, you will absolutely not be allowed on any more field missions. Is that clear?" Hellboy tried to look stern and desperately tried to keep the grin that threatened to crack open from showing.
"Crystal," Myers exclaimed. He stood on his toes and kissed Hellboy soundly on the nose. "I gotta get going now though, Abe is probably wondering what happened to me." John stepped out of the warm embrace and without another word opened the door and rushed towards the library. Hellboy sighed again, and reached over for his comm badge.
"Blue?"
"Yes Hellboy?" the response came in a few seconds later.
"There's a kitty on his way over. Please take care of him."
"Of course, Red." The amusement was apparent in the aquatic man's voice.
>>>>>
Abe smiled and placed his comm badge away when he could hear the doors to the library open. He smiled wider when Myers stepped through and headed directly for him. "Good morning, John," he greeted the man.
"Morning Abe. Sorry if I kept you waiting," he apologized. "I slept longer than I had anticipated. I guess I was more tired than I thought."
"Do not hesitate to take rest where you can. You must not exhaust yourself," Abe warned him. He took in the flushed appearance of the young agent. "Is everything alright?" he asked.
"I think I had a mood swing before I left Red's room," John sheepishly admitted. "We're still good though. Nothing to worry about." He gestured to the neatly stacked books and the small pile of notes beside them. "You've been busy."
"Yes, I was able to accomplish quite a bit of work last night. I even had time to slip into the kitchen and steal myself some treats," Abe stated enthusiastically. He reached over for the glass jar sitting beside him, which was hidden behind the tower of texts. Gleefully, the merman opened the lid and retrieved himself a morsel of good eats.
Rotten eggs.
John caught a whiff of the pungent odor that escaped from the container and a sudden attack of nausea overcame him. He dropped the book he was holding to cover his mouth with his hands as he desperately searched the room for something to up heave into. Detecting a garbage can nearby, John quickly hurried over to it and stuck his head into the container. His body dry heaved aggressively despite the fact that there was very little in his system to empty.
Fatigued from the episode, and his torso feeling cramped, John wiped his mouth with the back of his hand and sat back with a sigh. Abe had rushed over and was kneeled on the floor next to him, feeling very much guilt ridden.
"John, are you alright? How insensitive of me, I was so excited by the prospect of eating those eggs I had completely forgotten that you can not be exposed to strong smells." Abe went and brought him a glass of water and proceeded to promptly fret over him until Hellboy showed up.
"Why are we sitting on the floor there?" Hellboy raised an eyebrow and eyed the other two. "Wouldn't the chairs be more comfortable?" He paused when he noticed how pale John looked. "'Scout? What happened to you?" He hurried over and kneeled down next to his lover.
"I inadvertently caused a nausea attack when I started eating my eggs in front of him," Abe responded. He looked remorseful and it didn't help that Hellboy sent a glare his way.
"I told you to look after him, not make him sick."
Myers tiredly looked from one demon to the other and sighed loudly. For all the care and concern for his welfare the two exhibited, it seemed a bit ironic that they appeared to have forgotten that he was there. "Guys," he started weakly, "I'm fine. I'm sure it's just a bit of morning sickness. It's one of the symptoms isn't it?" he asked Abe.
"Maybe you should go back to bed," Hellboy suggested worriedly.
"Hellboy!" John stood up and started to walk back towards the books. "I said I was fine and I mean it. I don't feel sick, I don't feel faint... I just threw up plain and simple. And now I feel fine." He paused and eyed the still opened jar of rotten eggs warily. "Uh, Blue… maybe you can close that jar up?"
Abe made a sound of self-reproach and quickly did as requested. He looked up to see man and red demon staring tensely at each other. "Guys, I am going to finish this off in my water chamber. I feel I need to rest for a bit and regroup for tonight." He pointed his attention to John. "My notes there should be self-explanatory. Have a look over them and come find me when you are done. We shall brainstorm together and see what we come up with. I already have some ideas but I would like to hear your input first before coming to a conclusion."
"No problem, Blue."
"Please do not overdo yourself," he reminded. Myers rolled his eyes at him and, after grabbing a hold of his precious eggs, Abe left the two lovers alone.
"You're gonna read over all of that?" Hellboy asked as he watched the man begin to leaf through the not un-substantial pile of notes.
"Mmm hmm…" John was already engrossed in what he was reading and was in a world of his own.
"Did you want breakfast or anything?" Hellboy offered. He didn't like being ignored by John so easily. "I can bring you some. Cereal? Eggs? Pamcakes?" He grinned at his own wittiness.
"Hmm? Oh, coffee would be nice."
Red frowned. "Aren't you supposed to be eating for two now `Scout?"
"I'm not hungry right now, Red. Just coffee, thanks," John murmured absently as he flipped to the next page.
"Should you be even drinking coffee? I heard that caffeine isn't good for pregnancies. Maybe I should check with Blue first…"
"It's just one cup, Hellboy."
"Maybe I can find some tea instead…"
"Red!" John finally looked up exasperated. "If you can't do something as simple as getting me a cup of coffee then stay out of my way and don't bother me at all. I have a lot of work to do here and would appreciate some peace and quiet."
Luckily, there was no one else in the library to see the 6'9" demon berated by a slight human almost a foot shorter than him. Only the ticking of the second hand of the large overhead clock can be heard over the flipping of pages as Myers promptly ignored his lover.
Hellboy shifted uncomfortable from one foot to the next. "I think I'll go get us some coffee," he carefully replied, not wanting to set off another bout of bad temperament.
"Thank you."
Without another word, Hellboy quickly, and quietly, hurried out of the large room and headed straight for the cafeteria. His nerves were running shot and it wasn't even noon yet. Unwilling to further upset his partner, Hellboy made sure to make the coffee exactly as he knew the human liked it. As an afterthought, he also grabbed a slice of key lime pie. Although it was too early in the day to be eating desserts, he knew that John loved the stuff and hopefully this will soften the man back to his sweet self.
Silently he let himself back into the library and found John seated behind a large work desk. A small frown had formed on the young agent's face as the man was deep in concentration. Gently, he placed the steaming mug down to the table, and the dessert plate next to it. Myers thanked him distractedly and reached out for the coffee, but the hand paused when it wavered over the pie plate.
"Key lime pie?" John asked confused.
"I thought you might want something to snack on," Hellboy told him nervously.
"I love key lime pie," John mentioned softly.
"I know. That's why I brought you some." Myers looked up suddenly at Hellboy, his brown eyes shining with unshed tears. Red froze in panic. "You don't have to eat it if you don't want to," he blurted. "Oh man, please don't cry," Hellboy begged.
"I'm sorry," John sniffed. "It's just that, you're so thoughtful. I love you."
"Oh? Oh… I love you too," Hellboy repeated, relief washing over him. He picked up the fork and fed the man a bit of the pie. John took the pro-offered bite into his mouth and licked the crumbs off of his lips with his tongue. He closed his eyes and made a soft sound of pleasure as he swallowed the sweet substance. Hypnotized, Hellboy watched the blissful expression on John's face and the way that tiny piece of pink flesh glistened across full lips.
When John opened his eyes again, there was a sparkle of mischief in them. "I like having dessert for breakfast," he whispered.
"I like watching you eat dessert for breakfast," Hellboy mumbled stupidly as he fed the man more of the pie. Each time Myers took a forkful into his mouth, the demon eagerly awaited for the small tongue that poked out each time. All too soon, the last bite of the dessert was fed and the plate was empty, save for some crumbs.
"That was so good," John grinned and took a long sip of his coffee. "Oh, this is good too," he murmured as the hot flavourful liquid washed down his throat. He closed his eyes again and gleefully enjoyed his drink.
Hellboy gulped. Since when did watching Myers eat become so erotic? John never made those sexy expressions or sinful sounds before. And now here he was, hard as hell just from watching the man drink coffee? "I better get going," Red stuttered. John blinked up at him innocently. "Uh… I need to… go do something," he finished lamely. "I'll be back in a few hours."
John watched in confusion as Hellboy seemed to hurry out of the library. Shrugging, he set aside the rest of his coffee to be enjoyed later and found his last place in the notes.
According to Abe's carefully written work, a common practice among the Hebrew was, indeed, to place pregnant women and newborn infants in the presence of magical amulets. Flipping through the next several pages, he found photocopies of such charms taken from the Kabbalah and Sefer Raziel. As the sources of Lilith's origin were Hebrew, it was only logical that the examples of these amulets contained the star of David, surrounded by a circle, as well as the names of the three angels, as Abe had mentioned last night. The translations of `Adam and Eve excluding Lilith' were even inscribed on a more than a few of the illustrated charms.
Incantations and invocations to the three angels were also commonly utilized. In fact, this practice continued on for as late as the early nineteenth century in many cultures. John found an old photograph of such manuscripts, written in Hebrew. Without a thought, he photocopied it and ran to the nearest phone.
Rabbi Hillel requested that the copy of the manuscript be faxed to him and he would reply with the translations as soon as possible. About two hours later the fax came in and John found himself on the phone again with the Rabbi.
"Agent Myers, I must admit that this is a most unusual request. It is not often that I come across such incantations in this day and age."
"Yes, I know Rabbi. I really appreciate the time you've spent on this. But may I ask another question of you, Rabbi?"
"Of course my child."
"Are these amulets still in use?"
"Few people believe in such superstitions anymore. However, I understand there are a few shops of mystical nature in some of the older districts, particularly within the Jewish community. That may be a good place to start."
"Thank you again, Rabbi." John scribbled this down onto a scrap piece of paper to give to another agent.
"I surmise that you plan on using this tonight most likely?"
"As a matter of fact, yes," John answered in surprise. "How did you guess that?"
"I understand that tonight is the new moon."
"Yes," he carefully confirmed. "I suggest you look up the book of Isaiah, chapter 34, passages 14 and 15, my child. It may come in handy." Myers mentally engraved what the Rabbi said, although it made no sense to him. He thanked the man and went in search of Abe.
He found the aquatic being floating upside down in his water chamber. John stood quietly by the thick glass and waited patiently to be noticed. When Abe saw him, he grinned wide. "This sure beats gravity," he joked. John grinned back and proceeded to tell Abe about what he found via his notes and his conversation with the Rabbi.
Abe looked thoughtful. "I believe he is making a reference to the passage that is most commonly thought to be referring to Lilith. It reads `Wildcats shall meet with desert creatures, goat-demons shall call to each other; there too Lilith shall repose, and find a place to rest. There shall the owl nest and lay and hatch and brood in its shadow.'"
John tried to make sense of the passage and was lost in thought. Then, his stomach suddenly growled, causing Abe to look up sharply.
"When was the last time you ate?" Blue demanded.
"Um," Myers looked at his watch. "About six hours ago?"
"You need to eat, John," Abe chided. "Your body requires proper nutrients to nourish your child.
"I know, I've just been so caught up with the research," John admitted. "I'll go grab something to eat now," he promised.
"Please make sure that you do. In the meanwhile, I am going to ponder upon that passage for a little while longer."
Myers nodded and headed off to the cafeteria as promised. Even though his stomach was growling at him for food, nothing behind the glass partitions appealed to him. He was about to settle for just a plain ham and cheese sandwich when something caught his eye…
Key lime pie.
>>>>> TBC... Feedback appreciated!
References:
The following link is to an interpretation of what I based my Lilith on. I do not own the rights for this picture.
For more references concerning Lilith:
http://ccat.sas.upenn.edu/~humm/Topics/Lilith/
http://sraye.20fr.com/custom4.html
http://www.angelfire.com/realm/shades/demons/emlilith.htm
http://www.ritmanlibrary.nl/c/p/exh/kabb/kab_pheb_25.html
Dead Sea Scrolls: Ancient leather and papyrus scrolls first discovered in 1947 in caves on the Northwest shore of the Dead Sea. Most of these documents were written or copied between 50-100 AD.
Alpha Betha of Ben Sira: Anonymous hebrew text said to be dated as early as 800 BCE.
The Talmud: A vast collection of Jewish laws and traditions.
The Zohar: A group of books which include scriptural interpretations as well as material on theosophic theology, mythical cosmogony, mystical psychology.
Kabbahal: a doctrine of esoteric knowledge concerning God and the universe. Considered part of the Jewish Oral Law and includes the understanding of the spiritual spheres in creation, and the rule and ways by which God administers the existence of the universe.
Sefer Raziel: An influential book of scholarly magic. Thought to be given to Adam by the angel Raziel.
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