Snow kept tabs on the call until Wolfe arrived. Then she brought him up to date before he went into the conference room to talk to some of the companies.

Laurel didn't bother knocking this time as she entered and walked right over to him. "Hey," she said tiredly as she sank into his lap.

So Raven got closer and closer to the truth, until a quick description of the security man seemed to do it. He did a pretty good job of not letting his mom catch onto his train of thought though. Of course, his questions got him teased about having a thing for nice security guards. She even gave him the phone number Wolfe had given her. Raven played it off well, but his mom could tell something was on his mind.

Eventually she got out of him that he was really torn. He kept it vague; talking about some unnamed guy that kept giving him drastically polar signals. She asked why he didn't just ask they guy how he felt. Raven gave a face that confused his mother, but to Snow it looked like Raven thought that asking Wolfe something like that might actually be hazardous to his health. He told her it was complicated. His mom shrugged.

The conversation ended with them comparing notes about Aaron's current whereabouts and doings and some of the other more exciting stuff that had happened on the farm. Apparently there had been several bets going on concerning Steven and Patricia. His mother ended, telling her son just to ask the guy about how he felt. Raven rolled his eyes, they said their 'love you's, his mother told him she was proud of him, he told her to save some apple pie for his next visit, they said goodbye, and they hung up.

--

Nic blinked, a little surprise showing on his face. "Hey," he said, rubbing her back a little.

Snow laughed out loud at Raven's look which made Zala look at her strangely from across the room. Snow shook her head, "Wolfe's picked a keeper," she mused which only made Zala more confused.

--

Laurel frowned and wrapped her arms around his neck, hugging him tightly as she rested her cheek on his head, "Who'd of thought I'd miss you so much in one day?" she muttered.

Nic didn't say anything; just enjoying her presence.

Laurel pulled away after a moment and gently took Nic's face in her hands. She looked him over for a long moment, "Did you sleep? You ate good, right? Not just coffee?" she fussed quietly.

Nic nodded.

Laurel stared at Nic for another moment before leaning in. She stopped a hairsbreadth away, her eyes asking for permission.

--

"He knows," Snow informed Wolfe when he came out of the conference room, "He's pretty smart." Wolfe nodded slowly.

"I'll go speak with him," he said simply, "Where is he?"

Nic closed his eyes, giving her permission.

--

After the phone call, Raven went out into the garden again for some late night gardening therapy.

So Laurel leaned all the way in.

--

Once Wolfe learned where Raven was, he hesitated. "I'll talk to him later," he decided.

"Wuss," Snow teased.

"... Where's Pepper?"

Snow glanced around, "No clue."

--

There was suddenly a kick to Raven's back, not painful but with enough force to knock him face first into the dirt he was squatting in.

Raven kept his face in the dirt for a short moment, too surprised to react. Then he slowly pushed himself up and wiped off his face on his shirt. "... Seriously," Raven said to his assailant. "What do you have against gardening, Bee?"

Pepper gripped his shirt, pulling him up off the group and glaring into his eyes, "You're becoming more than an eyesore and extra baggage," she spat viciously, "You're becoming a hinderance."

--

"Oh... found her..." Snow muttered and Wolfe glanced over her shoulder. He cussed quietly and took off out the door at a run.

Raven blinked, clearly surprised and confused. "... Huh?" he asked.

"Wolfe doesn't have the time or energy to mess in your problems!" Pepper continued, "He needs to focus, stop getting in the way!" she threw him back to the ground roughly.

Raven pushed himself up with a small grunt. "It's not like I asked him to," he told Pepper.

"No, you don't have to ask," Pepper snorted, putting a foot out shoving him back in the dirt, "You're special, all you have to do is look at him and he'd do anything for you, you parasite," she hissed, "Your presence is distracting, he needs to focus on us and our mission. Go home."

Raven didn't say anything as he pushed himself up again and brushed himself off.

"Why are you still here exactly?" Pepper demanded, grabbing the front of his shirt again, "You've been dead weight from the start."

"... I'm trying not to get my family involved," Raven replied, doing his best to not let Pepper get to him.

"You staying here will keep them uninvolved?" Pepper sneered, "It's too late for that. Do you like Wolfe? Is that why you're still leeching onto his charity? If it were up to me, I'd have never saved you in the first place. You and your family's safety are of no concern to us."

"I didn't ask for this," Raven repeated.

"That doesn't make it our problem," Pepper snapped, shaking him, "Do you think we asked for our situation?"

"We're both in the same situation," Raven spat. "And so far I've been loyal to you crazy people."

"IT'S NOT THE SAME!" Pepper shouted as she shoved him backwards with a dangerous glare, "YOU DO NOTHING! YOU'RE BAGGAGE THAT SULKS IN THE DIRT! YOU'RE WORTHLESS!"

"Shut up!" Raven spat back as he pushed himself up again. "You're not going to 'insult' me away. My love for my family is just as strong as yours is for your own. You should at least respect me for that like I respect you."

"I don't have to talk you away," Pepper said with cold eyes, "I could just kill you. If you get in our way, I'll set up an 'accident,'" her expression showed a perfect seriousness. "We're dealing with a global crisis if we lose to CLIKZ, do you really think you matter enough to warrant my respect?" she sneered.

"If you were going to kill me, you would have done it already," Raven replied with both fear and confidence in his voice.

Pepper smirked slightly, "Would I have? You weren't completely in the way until recently," she replied too calmly. She stepped forward, her face getting close to his, "It wouldn't take much, you know. Human bodies are so frail."

"Enough, Pepper."

Pepper turned and snorted at Wolfe, "What's this? The prince as come to rescue the useless damsel?" Wolfe's face remained the same. "I know what you did earlier, you've crossed a line."

Wolfe sighed slightly, "Have I?" he mused, "I don't recall seeing one." Was... Wolfe actually trying to be funny?

Pepper glared at him, "We have so much to do! You don't have time to mess with him! We need to focus right now, Ryu, we're running out of time!"

"You don't think I know that?" His voice was cold now, eyes flashing slightly. "What have I done so horribly? What have I messed up so badly for you to threaten someone who is no threat to you?"

"You got involved in HIS affairs!" Pepper shouted, pointing at Raven.

"So?" Wolfe countered, "Did that change our plans? Have I not done everything up until this point without fail?"

Pepper was silent.

"Well, have I or haven't I?"

"You have," she muttered.

"And are you suddenly my babysitter? My mother who checks on who my friends are and if I'm doing my homework? Who are you to question me? I've never given you any reason to doubt me, Pepper! I've held our team together from the start!" Though his voice never got louder, the angry showed clearly in his tone and in his eyes.

Pepper glared at him, "You're losing focus!"

"Why?! Because I installed a security system at his house to protect what he loves? That's losing focus?" Pepper continued to glare but did not answer. "Let's set one thing straight," Wolfe nearly whispered, eyes flashing, "If we are not able to protect the innocent, we have no business finding this lab. If we do not try to protect those who are swept in this chaos, we are no better than CLIKZ."

"Don't lecture me, Wolfe!" Pepper hissed, "You're the one infatuated with a useless farm-boy." She stormed off leaving a still clearly angry Wolfe glaring at the plants.

Raven didn't say anything as he stood and brushed off as much of the dirt as he could. It wasn't too productive. He didn't look at Wolfe.

Wolfe slowly looked over at Raven. His eyes were unreadable once more as he looked him over but his lips pursed a little.

Raven stood there for a long time. But it seemed like he still couldn't think of anything to say. So he knelt down and started tending to the plants he had crushed when Pepper threw him down.

Wolfe was silent for awhile as well. "You need to make a decision soon," he finally said blankly, "Whether you choose to stay here or at home, you'll be safe. If you chose to go elsewhere, I cannot protect you. Regardless, your family will be taken care of to the best of my ability."

Raven messed with the plants for a long moment more silently. Then without turning around he finally whispered, "What am I to you? Really?"

Wolfe was silent for so long it seemed like he wouldn't reply. But then, in a soft whisper, "I... don't know," he admitted, "I've never felt such a strong desire to protect someone since Frei." He paused for a moment, "You're... really admirable, Raven." Those last words took effort to get out as a self-conscious part of Wolfe surfaced. There was some awkwardness in the air as he shifted on his feet slightly.

It didn't look like Raven was going to be satisfied with that. "... Is that it?" he asked quietly.

Wolfe was silent, the awkward air growing. He shifted a few more times, "... no," he finally replied, sounding uneasy.

Raven paused for a moment, not sure what to say back. "... Would..." he replied quietly, "Is there... a chance it might be a reason for me to stay?"

Wolfe shifted a few more times before suddenly running a hand threw his hair, a nervous move Raven had never seen him do before. "I..." he muttered, sounding very unsure of himself, "I... don't want to... influence your decision." So that was a yes.

Raven didn't say anything for a long moment. Then finally he replied quietly, "... You scare the shit out of me." Not quite the confession the mood had established.

That statement seemed to touch on a very tender nerve. Instantly Wolfe began to withdraw back into his shell as he looked away, "...I'm the demon," he confessed quietly, referencing the old nickname Wolfe had given Raven for his eyes. There was some deeper emotion surfacing through his words.

"... No..." Raven disagreed quietly. "Demons don't 'defend the innocent.' They don't care about what others feel... It's... more like..." he thought about it awhile. "A fallen angel," he decided. "You've done and seen it all: heaven, hell, earth. But through it all you managed to keep something from up there in you even though you can't go back."