Reed pulled on his suit jacket and walked downstairs. Venn looked up from where he sat with a book. He turned back to the pages when he saw it was just Reed.

Reed paused in the living room doorway looking at Venn. "Hey, you want to come?"

Venn looked up again, seeming surprised by the offer. "Uh... sure. Why not?" He set the book aside and stretched.

Reed waited patiently as Venn got his shoes on. Reed was smiling faintly. Venn looked a bit nervous. He pulled on his black cloak, which Reed disproved of on this occasion but didn't stop him.

When Venn finally took up his usual position on Reed's left, they were off. They took a cab to the church, which buzzed with life.

Venn pulled his cloak around himself tightly and stood so close to Reed they almost touched. "Don't lose me."

Reed smiled. "As if you will get far enough away for that to happen."

Venn laughed tensely and opened the door. "You lead I follow."

Reed led the way inside, Venn almost stepping on his heels. A few people greeted Reed and waved. They got a smile, wave, and hello in return. Nobody stopped them to chat. People watched Venn intently, faintly nervous.

Venn moved closer to Reed. He kept his eyes on the floor. "They're all looking at me," he hissed quietly. "Its like they're all expecting me to snap and attack them."

Reed looked over at Venn. "Just relax. You're with me. That will be enough for most of them." He bumped Venn's shoulder. "Besides, they're probably just jealous they dont have a bodyguard as good as you."

Venn gave him a weak smile but didn't relax. He stayed glued to Reed's shoulder as they walked into the sanctuary.

Reed led Venn to the middle rows of pews. Mrs. Lane was sitting there. The sight of a familiar face who didn't look nervous made Venn let out a relieved breath. He slid down the pew to sit next to her.

"Hey there, Nonna!" Venn said cheerfully.

Mrs. Lane looked over, her eyes widened slightly in surprise. "Morning, Pirahna. Morning, Reed."

Reed sat on Venn's other side. "Morning."

As Reed flipped through the bulletin, Mrs. Lane tilted her head at Venn. "So he finally got you to come to church hmm?"

Venn glanced at Reed. "He just asked if I wanted to come," he said slowly. "We'll see if it changes anything."

Mrs. Lane nodded and leaned back. "I hope it does."

The seats around them filled slowly. After about five minutes, a band of people went up on stage. The lead singer asked everyone to stand before they started to play.

Venn stood in silence among dozens of people singing. He felt slightly dizzy, but not in a bad way. He gradually let go of his cloak, letting it fall naturally around him rather than being pulled tight. His eyes drifted closed and he listened to everyone around him.

Reed's voice was the one he focused in on first. He smiled faintly. He'd never heard Reed sing before and he was quite good. In Venn's opinion he sang too quietly.

Mrs. Lane had an opera-like voice. Venn almost envied it, but knew subconsciously that his voice was really good.

Each song that passed, Venn felt like he should sing with everyone. He could feel something tugging at him, urging him to open his mouth. He resisted, fear and uncertainty making him stay silent. He couldn't sing words that he didnt believe.

When the music faded from the last song, the lead singer took a deep breath. "Let's all bow our heads in prayer."

Venn looked around as everyone looked down. He frowned as the singer started praying. Why were they all looking down? For Venn, looking down was a closed posture. It meant, 'dont talk to me.' Deciding he had nothing to lose, he closed his eyes and leaned his head back toward the ceiling.

Venn felt as though someone were reaching out to touch his shoulder. His eyes snapped open and he jerked away, turning to see who was there. Just the people behind them praying quietly. Nobody had moved. Venn shook his head and sat down.

The prayer ended. Pews creaked and clothes rustled as everyone sat down. Reed leaned in close. "You doing alright?" he whispered.

Venn nodded. "Yeah. I just spooked myself is all."

Reed didn't press for any information on how exactly he'd spooked himself. The pastor walked up to the stage and surveyed the assembly. "Good morning!"

A murmured good morning from the people flowed through the room. Venn shivered at the almost ghostly sound of it. He remained silent, watching the pastor, a short graying man with a kindly face.

The pastor looked directly at Venn. He smiled and said, "I see a couple new faces today. Welcome. We hope you'll choose to stay."

The statement was broad enough to cover every new person in the room, but Venn couldn't shake the feeling that it had been spoken to him specifically. The pastor moved his eyes away, scanning the assembly as he started speaking. His eyes returned to Venn every minute or so.

Venn watched and listened with a tight attentiveness that he usually saved for fighting ghosts. He felt some part of him inside retreating. The sermon was about facing the people against you in life. The pastor pushed his notes aside near the beginning, a slight motion that Venn was fairly sure only he noticed.

Though the pastor never said anything about what he was saying, Venn knew it was all unrehearsed. The way he paused at the end of every point, as if gathering his thoughts, combined with almost always looking at Venn, gave it away. Nobody but Venn himself seemed to notice however.

Venn almost didn't notice when the pastor stopped talking and descended from the stage. The people around them started gathering their things to leave. Mrs. Lane bid the two young men goodbye and made her way out. Reed got up and stretched. He looked down when Venn didn't move.

"Hey, Venn, you ready to go?" Reed asked, tilting his head.

Venn brought his gaze up to Reed. He didn't really seem to completely see Reed though. "You go on. I... need to think."

Reed nodded and retreated slowly. He glanced back numerous times, clearly not wanting to leave Venn.

Venn looked back toward the stage, for the first time really taking in the large wooden cross that hung there. His thoughts were jumbled and tangled together. He couldn't make sense of what he felt and what he thought.

Someone cleared their throat, making Venn jump and look toward the noise. His right hand reached for his rapier before he remembered that not only was he not wearing the Fittes blade, he wouldn't need it. The pastor stood at the end of the pew. The sanctuary was mostly empty now and Venn was the only one still seated.

The pastor smiled and indicated the seat. "May I sit?"

Venn leaned back and let out a calming breath. "Nobody's stopping you." He winced at how sharp the words sounded. "Sorry. This morning has been... weird for me." He looked down at his hands.

The pastor sat down. "It's quite alright. I'm Peter. I couldn't help seeing you today. I don't know why but I felt like I needed to change my plan for the sermon."

Venn looked up from his hands slowly. "You changed your plans... because of me?"

Peter shrugged. "More likely because of God, but I have no doubt that it affected you somehow. Is that correct?"

Venn's eyebrows knit together as he took this in. "Uh... Yeah... It did. I don't actually belong here. Or maybe I do... I don't know anymore. Reed asked if I wanted to come this morning and I just said yes on a whim but... now I don't know what to think."

Peter smiled and reached out to put a hand on Venn's shoulder. "It's normal to feel uncertain at first. It's normal to feel uncertain for a long time, actually. One day you'll understand what you want. I hope to see you here again one day, young man."

Venn nodded thoughtfully. "Maybe you will."

Peter patted Venn's shoulder before he withdrew. He took out a business card and slid it across the space on the pew between them. "You can call me anytime, day or night. You seem like you have a lot on your shoulders. If you ever need an ear to listen..."

Venn picked up the card. He didn't say anything, just gave Peter a small smile that just barely showed the tips of his sharp teeth. Peter didn't even flinch. He returned the smile and stood. He left Venn there on the pew as the last of the people filed out.

Venn looked down at the card and rubbed it between his fingers. He stayed sitting there for another fifteen minutes before he got up with a sigh. Just before he stepped out of the sanctuary, he turned back and looked up at the illuminated cross. He thought he saw someone standing beneath it, but when he blinked again the figure was gone.

Oddly enough, the figure hadn't unsettled him. In fact, it seemed natural, like it was meant to be there. He didn't know what it was, but one thing was clear.

It hadn't been a ghost.