"Luck is a very thin wire between survival and disaster, and not many people can keep their balance on it."

- Hunter S. Thompson

                                                                           ***

Galloway walked slowly back to the motel, her eyes blurring with infrequent tears, the night breeze of the surrounding desert drying them in cold lines down her cheeks. She wrestled with her mind, which stubbornly wanted to play the events of the night on a horrifying loop in her head.

"Lost, honey?"

The male voice was deep and unwanted, drawling out arrogantly. Galloway's shoulders bunched up under Sirius' too-big jacket. Her knuckles turned white around the grip of her gun in the pocket. She tried to keep walking, but then the guy grabbed her elbow.

White-hot rage poured through her, pushing out the pain and horror, and Galloway clung to it hard. The fury was sweet compared to anything else she could be feeling right now. She let it expand, filling her to the brim with a reckless fire.

In that moment, all she wanted to do was set the world ablaze and laugh while it burned.

She reversed her grip on the gun, hand hidden in the jacket's pocket, fingers clenching around the barrel now. Looking up, she found a moderately attractive man with green eyes and dyed blond hair smiling at her. His teeth were very white and very perfect.

Much too perfect, Galloway thought numbly. A hint of maliciousness streaked through her mind, bright red and tantalizing.

With a smile that felt terrifying even to her, she yanked away from his grip and whirled, extracting the gun at the same time. He let out a grunt of pain as the butt of the pistol smashed into his jaw. He stumbled back, clutching his face.

She wasn't done yet.

Her leg snapped out, the heel of her booted foot connecting hard with his chest, and the man fell backwards, sprawling on the ground. His eyes were wide and surprised as he tried to suck air into his paralyzed lungs.

Lazily, she walked over to him and tilted her head. Blood wept from scratches on his cheek and a bruise was forming.

But those teeth were still perfect.

He tried to get up but Galloway stomped on his stomach, making him gasp again.

Delicately, she stepped over him, one foot on either side of his chest before she sank down, straddling him. Fear and confusion flashed in those green eyes and she pursed her lips before stuffing the gun back into her pocket.

Relief bled across his face until she raised a clenched fist. Hissing, she spit, "You're the unluckiest asshole I've ever seen. Now I'm going to make you choke on those pretty teeth."

He attempted to raise his hands but she had his arms pinned. Before he could call out, she slammed her fist into his face, right into his mouth.

His lip instantly split, beginning to bleed. Pain seared through her knuckles and she relished in it. She hit him again, then again.

Red malice glazed her vision, her anger sweet and hot on her tongue, lighting a warm glow in her stomach. Her hands grew steadily wetter with each strike.

Galloway didn't know how long this went on. Eventually, she just ran out of energy. Breath heaving in and out, hands screaming masses of pain, she looked down, blinking the haze from her eyes.

A startled gasp escaped as she looked at the man choking and moaning beneath her.

Like she'd been burned, she leapt up, skittering back from him. Her hands came up to cover her mouth before just as quickly dropping when she registered the slickness of blood against her lips.

The man rolled to his side and she watched as he gagged and spit, blood pouring from his mouth in sticky globs. She heard a soft clatter and took another step back at the three white teeth she saw in the dark, slippery pool under him.

She choked on her breath and then couldn't catch it as she realized what she had done. Dropping into a crouch, she wrapped her arms tightly around herself, horror and fear racing through her body as she continued to stare at the person in front of her.

Continued to stare at what she had done to him.

He was just a human.

Her heart was trying to escape her ribcage and she still couldn't breathe properly, but she stood on shaky legs, reaching toward him. Galloway immediately stopped when he scrambled back weakly, moaning, "No, please. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. Please, please stop. Please."

His begging turned her stomach. Sickened by what she'd done, Galloway backed up several more steps, looking around. There was no one in sight.

Unthinkingly, she scrabbled through her pockets until her wet fingers found her phone.

Ignoring the pain as her busted knuckles rubbed the inside of her pocket, she dialed 911, sinking back into a tight ball, hand gripping at the back of her neck. When she could manage to breathe, it scraped harshly in her throat like she was trying to swallow crushed glass.

"911, what's your emergency?"

Sniffing, Galloway whispered hoarsely, "Someone's been attacked on Chisolm Road. It looks like he's been beaten pretty badly."

"Can you tell me your name, ma'am?" the operator asked, voice professional almost to the point of boredom.

"Just hurry. He's lost a lot of blood. Head trauma is most likely severe." Galloway hung up before standing, her body racked by painful shudders.

She cast one more look at the man who watched her fearfully from one eye. The other one was swollen, the entire left side of his face covered in blood. Her teeth chattering, she said, "I'm sorry. It doesn't matter, but I'm sorry."

Galloway didn't wait for a reply, she just started walking. Once she had gone down a few other streets, she looked down at her phone and sighed, the sound weak and strained.

With trembling fingers, she took the SIM card out and snapped it in half, throwing it into the street before pitching the phone in a nearby trashcan.

She slid her tender fingers into the pockets of Sirius' jacket, her torn skin screaming. Galloway didn't care. She deserved the pain. She deserved a lot more than what she felt right now.

As soon as she thought it, the idea was engraved onto her brain, whispering that she did, in fact, deserve much more than what she was currently feeling.

She deserved it.

                                                                             ~~~

Galloway didn't get back to the motel until the sun had risen, casting clear, yellow light softly over the desert. She had watched as the sky faded from black, dissolving into splashes of pink and orange that bled slowly into yellow, the sky turning finally to a crisp, pale blue.

She'd spent the final hours of the night wandering around, trying to come to terms with what had happened. Trying to figure out why she'd snapped so catastrophically. 

Eventually, she had decided that it didn't really matter why she had done it. Just that she had. It was impossible to shake the thought that she deserved some sort of punishment for what had happened.

Like she was moving through half-frozen syrup, Galloway climbed the stairs leading up to their room, staring blankly at the door for a long time. She didn't want to go inside.

But she couldn't stay out here with her thoughts anymore either.

Finally, she gave in and opened the door, the hinges creaking slightly and turned as she shut it, empty eyes taking in the faded paint. She was trying to give herself enough time. Trying to make sure that when she turned to Sirius, she could do it with dry eyes.

When she turned, she wasn't surprised by the raised eyebrow he was giving her.

The side of his throat was still a flayed mess of half-healed flesh and she could make out several shiny, pink, freshly healed wounds speckled across his chest and stomach. His damp hair curled around his face, turning his eyes into blue diamonds that seemed to bore into her.

She tugged his now-ruined jacket closer around her, not saying anything. The flicker of the TV cast the still dark room in wavering light. Sirius tilted his head, studying her as she finally took off the jacket.

But he didn't ask.

Silently, Galloway sat at the end of his bed with her back to him, staring blankly at the TV. After an uncomprehending moment, she saw that he had been watching Casablanca.

She started violently when Sirius knelt down in front of her. Galloway hadn't registered him moving, which was pitiful considering the squeaky springs and creaky floor of the cheap motel they were staying in.

She gasped, teeth sinking into her lip when he took one of her hands and dabbed at it gently with a wet cloth. Pain lanced through her hands as he brushed her torn knuckles, blotting the blood away.

Galloway watched as he cleaned away the evidence of her sin, dark tendrils of his hair shading his eyes. Slowly, like she would shatter into a million pieces if she moved too quickly, she leaned forward until her forehead was resting on his shoulder.

Sirius stiffened slightly in surprise, but just kept dabbing at her fingers. With a soft chuckle, he murmured, "Always the unexpected with you, isn't it?"

She wanted to laugh, but couldn't and shook her head gently. His breath was cool and comforting against the curve of her neck.

She was just tired.

Tired down to her very Soul. Or whatever was left of it anyway.

Time stretched out like taffy in the silence until Galloway rasped, "Bad night."

"Oh, I don't know," Sirius responded quietly, bending all of his concentration on her split knuckles. "It's...had its moments. I seem to recall a couple highlights."

They both stiffened like they'd been electrocuted when a nearby siren screamed, relaxing only when the wail receded.

He finished with her hands and sat back on his heels, looking up at her. Still keeping his voice low, he said, "But I think you did manage to break some of your knuckles. Did he fight?"

Galloway blinked sluggishly at him, wondering what he was asking about. When he frowned, it clicked into place and she started to shake her head, then froze. Violent memories washed red across her brain and she knew she couldn't bear explaining what had really happened.

So she lied to him, ignoring the fact that she was sick of doing so. 

With a sniff, she looked down at the threadbare carpet and nodded. "Yeah. I'm getting pretty sick of it."

He got up and sat next to her, fingers playing with the bloody cloth he still held. 

When he took too long to answer, Galloway looked at him. She had to force her eyes past his mouth to meet his gaze. The sapphire color of his irises shimmered, and she inhaled the sweet, minty smell of his breath, taking comfort in the familiar scent.

She was completely and utterly exhausted by what her life had become. 

Growing up, she hadn't really expected to live this long. Or very long at all actually. Old age wasn't something Hunters worried about. If it was anything, it was something many of them pined for.

But, if Galloway was honest—which admittedly didn't happen very often—she was tired of living. Lately, she had been feeling more broken than normal and tonight had felt like more than she could take.

Lightly, she placed the tips of her fingers against the side of Sirius' face, who was looking at her through lowered lashes. She wondered idly if he understood how devastating that look was. After another moment, she decided that he probably did.

Tilting her chin up, she brushed her mouth against his once, then again. When he didn't move, she gently caught his lower lip between her teeth.

Part of her wondered if it would be so bad to get sent to Hell. Pressing her mouth harder against his, she ran her hand down his chest, fingers playing over smooth skin and scars.

At least if she was in Hell, the only one getting hurt would be herself. Or...eventually she wouldn't care.

She realized she didn't want to care anymore. Sliding her tongue against his lip, she realized that maybe she already didn't.

Galloway had never before considered that maybe Hell was a better option than struggling on. That being torn apart every day might actually be less painful than continuing with this fight to keep her Soul.

Her other hand wound itself into his hair, the cool wash of mint brushing over her tongue as he parted his lips. 

Resentfully, she wondered why her parents had dared have children, knowing what they did about the world. Knowing that, inevitably, their children's lives would be reduced to nothing but sorrow, blood and pain.

Slowly, Galloway's fingers continued their exploration, gliding over hard ridges of muscle and cataloging every memory of a wound. She wondered what story belonged to each of them. Maybe she'd ask him one day.

"Galloway," he murmured softly against her mouth, fingers plucking in a disinterested fashion at the shredded front of her shirt.

He returned her kiss for another moment before pulling away with an irritated sigh. Her eyes flew open and she leaned back before looking away, her heart pounding like she'd just run several miles.

She jumped when he placed a hand on her shoulder and squeezed lightly. "Self destruction isn't the answer, Galloway. It won't change anything that's happened." Fingers moving to her chin, he tilted her head back up and whispered, "You don't deserve it."

Shock raced through her, turning her veins to ice. A harsh, humorless laugh clawed its way up her throat as she narrowed her eyes, tossing her heavy blonde hair over a shoulder. 

"How would you know?" she snapped. Then her tone turned mocking. "And what are you even talking about? I thought you wanted me to do this, Sirius?"

He gave her a shrewd look that made her wonder if he knew what had truly been behind her actions. The calculating look turned dry, a cruel edge to the smile he gave her. "I want the challenge, Galloway. And you've suddenly become much too easy for my taste."

A startled breath escaped between half-parted lips as he matched her outraged gaze with a bored one of his own. She moved away from him, missing the flicker of regret that flashed over his face as she did so.

Galloway ran a hand through her hair, disbelieving amusement and fury boiling in her stomach. Those feelings joined the already present despair and guilt to make a dangerous cocktail there.

Shooting a poisonous glare at him, she rose to her knees and hissed, "You're a damn liar."

"That I am. Just not in this particular moment," he drawled with a lazy shrug before he slid up the bed, leaning against the pillows.

"Prove it," she snarled.

Sirius' brow knit in confusion, understanding coming a moment too late before she was on top of him, legs straddling his waist.

Her mouth moved up his chest, tasting the warm skin of his throat and jaw before she got to his lips. He growled viciously but Galloway just pressed closer, burying her hands in his hair, mint sweet on her tongue.

She smiled triumphantly when his fingers dug into her waist and one of his sharpened canines stabbing minutely into the sensitive skin of her lip.

Galloway wanted to laugh and crow I told you so when he groaned, the sound coming from low in his throat as his tongue slid ruthlessly across her upper lip.

She did laugh when he moved lightning fast, flipping them both over so that he was crushing her into the bed. She pressed her hands into the small of his back, kissing gently at the still-tender wound on his neck.

Desire darkened his eyes as she ran her hands up his back, cupping her hands around the back of his neck to yank him down into her again.

She arched up off the bed as his mouth started to travel down her neck, sharp teeth skimming harmlessly over her skin until he reached her collarbone. Galloway gasped and drove the heel of her palm into his chest when he bit her, hard enough to actually hurt, though not so hard that it broke the skin.

Before she could stop him, he had her really pinned to the bed, fingers curling around her forearms, his face devoid of any emotion as he stared down at her. Galloway didn't struggle, and he leaned in a little closer. 

"There," he whispered. "Proof enough?"

"Screw you!" she hissed, venom in her words.

"No thanks," he deadpanned, rolling off of her, the light from the TV turning his scars a pearly white.

Galloway sat up, rubbing her collarbone. "I still think you're a damn liar."

Sirius turned back to her with a smirk, crossing his arms. "That so?"

She stood as well, her chest aching as doubt began to flicker, joining the symphony of wretched emotions swirling in her head. Sirius watched her impassively as she wondered what he was doing.

Wondered if this was part of his game. Wondered what, exactly, it was he was playing at.

They stood there glaring at each other for a long time. Finally, he uncrossed his arms with a weary sigh, his blue eyes looking as tired as she felt. "You don't want this, Galloway."

"Don't want what exactly?" she scoffed, though a sinking feeling told her that he knew what she had been trying to do.

"You know what!" he snarled, eyes flashing, reflecting the low light as his fangs started to peek out. "And sorry, but I'm not ready to go back to Hell just yet. I don't really care if you've had a bad night. That doesn't give you the right to quit. Or to use me to do it. Hell puts up with a lot, Galloway, but not this."

He smiled mockingly as her eyes widened and he tapped his temple. "You never shut down the connection. You've been broadcasting all night. My own little Amityville horror, wondering just how far off the rails you'd get tonight."

Her heart was racing, making her lightheaded. This wasn't what she had thought would happen.

He laughed. "I'll make you choke on those pretty teeth. I have to admit that part was a little fun."

Now her heart came to a screeching halt. Didn't he know what that had done to her? There was nothing fun about it.

His smirk turned to a snarl, his mouth twisting bitterly as he took a step closer to her. He leaned down, his fangs flashing right in front of her eyes as he hissed, "I don't think even you know how close you came to letting that Debt go before I stepped in and made sure you pulled the damn trigger."

Her breath lodged in her throat as she remembered that soft voice compelling her to end the Debtor from earlier, when she thought she had been alone. Galloway hadn't realized that it had been Sirius' voice urging her toward murder.

"Not murder!" he cried. "Business! That's all it fucking is, Galloway. It's just your job!"

As soon as he said that, she realized she still hadn't severed their mental connection. With a choked on sound of rage, she slammed a wall down around her thoughts so hard that Sirius actually flinched.

His voice was low and bitter now. "And trust me, sweetheart. Anything up here—no matter how bad you think it is—is much, much better than what's waiting for you down there."

Galloway turned pale as all her thoughts came flooding back. Her desire to let go. To just stop and go where she should have gone in the first place.

"Oh yeah." He cocked his head, eyes sparking with a fury to match her own. "I heard all that while you were busy running your hands over me." Sirius curled his lip, sneering at her. "So, what? You want to stop? You want to quit fighting? Because that's bullshit. And it isn't you. I don't think you even know how to stop."

"You don't know me," Galloway growled, finally able to speak.

He rolled his eyes. "It doesn't matter."

"Exactly!" she cried. "None of it matters! Nothing I do, nothing can ever make up for what happened tonight. What happens almost every freaking night!"

Gripping her upper arms, claws biting into her skin, he shook her gently and roared, "Enough! Enough of this, Galloway! God, I'm sick of this."

With that he pushed himself away from her, backing himself into a corner at the far side of the room, hands shaking.

Startled out of her own anger, she shook her head in bewilderment. Eyes very large, she took an unconscious step toward him, freezing when he shrank away from her. Like he was afraid that she would hurt him.

Weakly, she lifted a hand toward him, wondering when everything had gotten so tangled up. She was seriously beginning to think that she had quite literally been given just enough rope to hang herself with. 

And that she was moments away from tying her own noose.

She hadn't considered that using Sirius in the way she had planned would drag him down to the pits right along with her. The more she thought about what she had been trying to do, the more horrified she felt. Her lips stung like they'd been smeared with poison.

Hugging her arms around herself, she looked down at her trembling body. Opening her mouth, she looked up and froze.

Theron was standing between the two of them, watching her with an expression halfway between boredom and annoyance.

Swallowing past the sudden lump in her throat, she asked, "What are you doing here?"

Theron raised a thin, colorless eyebrow at her. "Didn't the Hound let you know I'd be coming? He was supposed to since I couldn't get ahold of you."

The handler demon sent Sirius a cold look which he returned with an emotionless one of his own. Then Theron turned back to her, obviously waiting for an explanation.

Stiffly, she said, "Something happened tonight. I had to ditch my phone."

"You mean more than the shootout in Albuquerque?" Theron asked, lips thinning.

She nodded, but didn't offer any explanation. 

Theron whipped around to look at Sirius who tensed when the demon smiled, the expression cruel. "Well if you won't tell me, I'll find out for myself."

There was a moment of breathless silence with Theron simply staring at Sirius.

Then, Sirius' eyes went blank with agony and he crumpled to his knees, clawed hands clutching at his head. Galloway stepped forward, but Theron held his hand out, palm facing her, and she found herself frozen in place. She was unable to do anything but watch as Sirius started to writhe on the ground, horrible, choking sounds making their way past his clenched teeth.

The moment stretched on until forever before Theron looked away from Sirius, who slumped to the floor, panting. Blood trickled down his temple from where his claws had dug into his skin and sweat covered him in a thin sheen.

The demon smirked at Galloway and flicked his wrist, unfreezing her. His eyes a shiny, wet-looking black that swallowed the iris and white completely, Theron said, "My, my. What a night you've had."

Wanting nothing more than to rush over to Sirius to make sure he was okay, Galloway met the demon's look with a steely one of her own. Drawing herself up straight, she sneered, "Jackass picked the wrong girl. He got what he deserved."

The sentiment sickened her, but it was apparently the right answer when, to her surprise, Theron merely laughed. When he turned back to Sirius, she panicked, wanting to keep his attention on her. "But that's against the rules right? So shouldn't you be punishing me?"

Theron laughed again, the sound evil, and said, "Oh, no my darling girl. I wouldn't punish you for something as silly as that. In fact, I'm not actually here to punish you for anything."

Confusion crashed over her like a smothering wave. "Then what are you here for?"

"To take you home of course. It's unwise for you to drive that car of yours just yet. It's already been delivered safe and sound to your house, not a scratch on it." Theron smiled at her, apparently trying to appear benevolent.

Galloway worked desperately to avoid looking at Sirius, not wanting to draw Theron's attention back to the Hound. He smiled once again at her, looking strangely pleased, and snapped his fingers.

She opened her mouth to say something more, then staggered, her stomach rolling as she looked around at the dusty interior of her own apartment.

Breathing raggedly, she looked at Sirius as he stood gingerly, then hurried to him. Her hands hovered over him, afraid of hurting him more before she helped him over to the couch. Flopping down together, she straightened and stared at him, her jaw taut.

"Are you okay?" she whispered.

He gave her a wry glare before waving a lazy hand, making himself wince again. "Fine. Nothing like someone taking a stroll through your head without your permission first thing in the morning to start the day."

She watched him for a moment longer as he pointedly ignored her, jaw working furiously. Tentatively, she asked, "You knew he was coming?"

He didn't even blink.

Galloway shivered as she realized what she had very nearly done. To both of them.

If Theron had caught them...

She was suddenly furious at herself for even considering what she had. Sirius stood, making her flinch, and looked down at her, his eyes shaded before he turned and headed toward his room. Quietly, he said, "I'm going to bed. Maybe you should go see that witch of yours."

"You really knew?" she called, not convinced that Theron actually had given him any kind of warning.

Sirius stopped for a moment before he turned his head slightly. Still not looking directly at her, he said, "Let's call it luck and leave it there."

Galloway opened her mouth, wanting to say more, but he was already gone.