"Ugh! Again?" Kaya made a face and rolled her eyes flipping her long, pink hair behind her shoulders as soon as Teal walked in through the club doors. "Closed," she said tight-lipped, pulling at her very short black dress.

"I-I know that."

Why did she make her feel so uncomfortable? Teal wasn't really liking Kaya at the moment.

"That's why I'm here early, Marc–"

"Open. At. Eleven."

"I know that. I came to see Marc."

Kaya stared blankly at her, not moving an inch. "E-le-ven," she mouthed.

Upset, Teal huffed. Her lips a thin pressed line on her face.

"You know what?" her voice shook. " I don't need your permission. Marc said I could come."

Teal turned and picked up the pace walking past her and towards the stairway that leads to Marc's office.

Kaya was right behind her. Placing a hand on her shoulder, she spun Teal around and glared at her.

"Teal? Kaya? Everything okay?"

From the top of the stairway, Marc's deep voice questioned the scene unfolding before his eyes.

Kaya let go of Teal's shoulder and looked at him with innocent, loving eyes.

"No appointment." She shrugged.

"She doesn't need one. I thought I made myself clear last time, Kaya." Marc's voice, impatient. He then took a minute and slowly reminded her, "She, can come in, before opening, anytime. Any day. Is that understood?"

Kaya turned to face Teal and sucked her teeth in, pouting her lips.

"Fine."

"Thanks, Kaya!" His oblivious tone was lost in the large room, as Kaya bolted out.

"Please forgive her. I know part of her zombie-ism, makes her forget."

Teal knew better.

"I don't mean to cause trouble. I wouldn't come unless this was important. And it is."

"I know."

He nonchalantly signaled, for her to follow him upstairs. Once inside, she sat on the couch and he turned to face her.

"I'm still looking into your aunt. We haven't found her yet. She isn't the human living at that address you gave me."

"I could only hope. Thanks for looking."

He nodded.

"What about the doctor?"

Marc looked upset. "What about him?"

"His name? Where can I find him?"

"Fuck," he mumbled. "You're not going to let it go, are you?" he said gruffly.

Teal furrowed her brow. "I never said I would. Why would I try to find my aunt, if I wasn't going to find him as well?" Upset, her voice shook. "When you have time, please show me how to work the computer and I'll look for it myself. If I didn't need to, I wouldn't be here."

It came out differently than she meant it to, but instead of apologizing for her rudeness, she kept quiet.

Marc ran an exasperated hand over his spikes. "I am an extremely busy Zombie," softly, he continued. "But, you don't bother me, Teal. I agreed."

"I know, and thank you. That's why I–"

"But- One thing at a time," he interrupted.

She nodded. "I guess."

"Just so I know you're coming," he reached into one of the drawers in his desk. "Here's a cell phone for you. My number is preprogrammed into it."

He showed her how to turn the phone on and off, and how to find his number. It was the only preprogrammed number in it.

"Wow! Thanks!!"

She turned off the phone and then on, repeating everything he'd done previously making sure she knew how to work it.

"Good. It's also for when you're gone. You'll blend in better. Every human has one."

She nodded while still pressing buttons. All of them.

"You'll be able to call- Teal?"

She was engrossed with the phone.

"Teal?"

He pinched the spot on his nose between his eyes. She was enthralled with her new toy.

"Teal? Honey."

The buttons beeped under her fingers.

"Turn the phone off."

Jumping at his authoritarian voice, she obeyed.

"Sorry, sorry! I'm excited." She giggled, placing the phone in her front pant pocket.

He continued.

"It's fully charged. Unfortunately for you, you'll have to bring it over to charge once in a while. You'll have it off most of the time since you'll only use it when you need to contact me."

"It's not unfortunate to come here, Marc. Actually, I really enjoy talking with you. Like I said before, I feel bad about it because I'm taking so much of your time." Teal looked into the eyes she saw in her sleep. Raw emeralds.

"Teal–"

He carefully approached her not breaking his stare. He sat close to her on the sofa. The thoughts were abstract in his mind. He had no idea what he wanted to say, or do next.

That was a first for him.

Let her go. Don't get involved, his brain repeated over and over.

"Listen, Teal. My life's complicated." He rubbed his forehead. "I must admit I'm tempted, by, you. What I'm trying to say is, I'm sexually attracted to you but I want nothing more. I can't have more. If this is uncomfortable for you and you don't want to work with me any longer, I'd understand," he paused. "If you don't want anything sexual with me and you still wanna work together, it's good too. It won't get in the way."

He shook his head profusely. "I swear."

"What?!" Teal sat frozen, digesting the words he'd just thrown at her. "I'm sorry. I have no idea what you are saying to me, I–"

He inched closer, at an angle, touching her knee with his. For a long moment, he hesitated.

"I don't mean to assume, but I have to get my thoughts out of the way," he started slowly. "I think about you, often. When you are not here."

You could hear a pin drop in the room, she was so quiet.

"I know you are leaving," he shook his head. "Even if I wanted to, we can't pair-up, or be together. But, while we work with one another, we could..." He rubbed his head. "I want you to know that the time we spend without each other, thoughts of you and me ... come to mind. Frequently. I thought best to clear the air."

Marc realized he made no sense and sounded stupid. He detested sounding stupid.

"What kind of thoughts?"

She breathed slowly, letting out the little air she had in her lungs. Her chest came up and down methodically.

"Ahm, sexual thoughts." He lifted his shoulders making his best I-don't-know face. "If you're not interested it's fine, we can still work together." He shook his head. "It won't get in the way, I promise."

Why did he keep repeating himself?

"Listen, forget I said anything."

"Wow. I'm impressed by how romantic you are," she said sarcastically rolling her eyes and getting up to leave.

She couldn't sit next to him. Her leg on fire as it touched his, was not helping her concentrate.

"Did you just say the word romantic? Romance? As like in fairy tales?"

He was in shock.

"You do realize we are zombies, right?"

"Ha! So funny you are," scorn marked her words. "No, I hadn't noticed. What a thing to say."

Sarcasm hung at her every word. What an Idiot! she thought.

"That's just the point, Teal. Not happening. Can't. I don't want to. Even if I did, I wouldn't know-how. It's not in us." His voice, matter-of-fact and distant. "It's not in me."

"Don't worry. It's not like I want anything to do with you anyway." She shrugged holding in the burning sensation behind her eyes. "I say we keep it all business."

"Okay then. So no sex. We only work together. I can do that. I'm, good, with that." He stood stretching his hand out. "Business partners then."

She nodded extending hers. "Business partners."

They stood facing each other for what seemed an eternity. She licked her lips and looked at his inviting mouth. Instinctively, Marc tugged on her hand pulling at her.

Their lips collided and an explosion burst in her stomach. Her tongue curled around his. Moaning, he opened up to her. Strong arms circled her small frame and his palms spread against the cold, bare skin on her back.

Teal whimpered and held him closer. "Marc—"

They kissed again. Deeper. His cool breath, mingled with her warm one. His fingers tangled in her hair and he pulled back on it lightly, tasting down the skin on her neck.

"What the fuck?!"

Kaya's shocked voice filled the room stunting them both in place. They let go of one another. The look in their eyes, one of bewilderment.

"Fuck Kaya! Why didn't you knock?!"

"Did!" She looked at Marc irate. "Art. Downstairs."

Slowly she draped her eyes over Teal. A sinister look on her face neither Marc nor Teal noticed before she walked out.

When she left the room, Teal turned to Marc. "Are you two involved in any way?"

"Me and Kaya? No!" He adamantly shook his head. "We parted years ago and now she only works for me."

Teal looked at him intently for a long while. "You may want to talk to her because I don't think she thinks it's over."

"What? Of course, she does. I've been with plenty of others after her."

Teal lifted a brow.

Plenty of others? Yes. He looked like the type. He told you even. No relationship, just sex.

"I don't doubt that since it's what you just offered me. But, maybe she thinks you and I are more than the others? Who knows. She just seems like- I- don't know. She didn't seem strange to you?"

Marc shook his head.

"I guess you know her and I don't. Perhaps I'm, just confused. I shouldn't have-" She ran a hand across her ghostly face.

"Why would she? It wouldn't be any different." He sounded confused. "Listen, Teal, I need to talk to Art. Stay, watch TV. I won't touch you again. It's not like I can't help myself."

"Yeah, so you've said." Bitter words tumbled out of her as he obviously couldn't.

Feeling emotional, Teal waited five minutes after he'd left, then cried. She felt foolish and vulnerable. He was so blunt and honest Teal wanted to hate him. Instead, she still wanted him. For his honesty, for how real he was. Because she knew exactly what his intentions were and she could live with it, maybe.

Would it be so bad if they got involved in a sexual relationship? They did get along pretty well otherwise but she would be leaving soon.

Who knows how long I'll be away? She shook her head.

Teal wasn't ready to give in, to the physicality of it and sadly, this half-human, was a terrible romantic. Like the characters in the books, she adored and not her reality.

She understood it to be absurd to want a relationship and romance. That was unheard of. Even if he wasn't as primitive as the rest, how could a zombie give her that? It was quite obvious Marc had some kind of conscience and a good functioning brain, but for the most part, he was still a zombie.

A soft knock at the door brought her out of the haze of thoughts, and into the present moment.

Marc's empty, lavish office.

She wiped her eyes taking in the deepest breath she'd ever taken.

"Yes?"

A surprisingly timid Kaya walked in.

"Downstairs."

"Oh, you want me to come downstairs?

Kaya nodded. "Marc."

"O-K."

Teal followed Kaya down the stairs towards the back where there was a black, metal, private door, leading to an entrance through the side of the building.

"Marc's out there?"

Kaya nodded exasperated, "Come!" Kaya opened the door for her, impatiently tapping her foot.

There was the Kaya she knew. An impatient bitch. Turning around the corner, Teal saw large wooden boxes, that could easily fit twenty zombies in them.

"What-what are these?"

With a questioning look, Teal observed Kaya. She had a weird expression in her eyes and kept coming closer. Teal shifted back stretching her hands out and away from her body.

Quick short breaths lifted her chest erratically and she was unable to control the shake in her voice.

"What are you doing Kaya?!"

Panic. A deafening silence. Dryness in her throat ... Her body trembled uncontrollably.

Kaya smiled a wicked, taunting smile. Then came at her with a large, wooden club.

Teal's eyes outgrew her face. "Help!"

Turning to run away, Teal tripped with one of the boxes on the ground, losing her footage. Before falling, she felt a hard crack at the nape. The warm, dense liquid slowly made its way down her neck, before everything went black.

Music by:

Depeche Mode*Lie To Me

*In this episode everyone is weaving a web. Marc is lying to himself, Teal is lying to Marc, and Kaya is lying to Teal.