Rhys had made good on his promise to find Lelah a car. It wasn't a cute yellow Beetle, but hopefully she wouldn't be too disappointed. Either way, he was about to find out. The car that pulled into Lelah's driveway was small and red and Italian, two doors and a little sporty looking.

Lelah was sitting on the patio off her bedroom, dressed in a simple green and white dress, white heels, and a white vintage Chanel bag.? In the back of her mind, she could hear her mother complaining about her wearing white before Memorial Day...and complaining even more vociferously about the cigarette she was smoking.? Her brows raised when she spotted the little car.? It was not the obnoxiously loud car she had been expecting.

He was gentleman enough to get out of the car and not just beep for her and expect her to come running. That wasn't how you treated a woman like Lelah. That much he knew. He just hoped she'd be pleasantly surprised. He shut off the engine and climbed out of the car, dressed in jeans topped by a blue pin-stripe button-down shirt and a dark blue tie. Well, at least he was wearing a tie.

She whistled, a little smirk playing around her lips, and stubbed out the cigarette in the ashtray next to her.? Standing, she picked up her bag and slung it over her shoulder.? "You look wonderful," she said and then nodded to the car.? "What's that?? Got rid of the bucket of bolts?? Trade up?"

His hair was a little shorter, like he'd just gotten it cut, and pushed back away from his face, just a tiny hint of a tattoo on the side of his neck peeking out of the shirt. He darted a glance at the cigarette, not having seen her smoke before. A smile tugged at his lips, amused at her reaction to the new set of wheels. "Nope," he tossed her the keys. "It's yours, if you want it."

"Mine?"? She caught the keys quite handily, a surprise considering she was at least ten feet off the ground.? "What do you mean, mine?? C'mon up.? I just need to brush my teeth real fast."? She headed through the french doors that led into her bedroom.

He frowned a little at the invitation, wondering if he was going to encounter her pooch again. Indifferent as the dog might be, it was still a dog. He was a little puzzled why she still had to brush her teeth, and suddenly self-conscious, he held a hand to his mouth and exhaled, hoping he didn't have bad breath. Up the stairs he went to follow her into her apartment. "Yeah, yours. You wanted me to find you a car, remember? Like it or no?"

Oscar was sleeping on Lelah's bed, dead to the world after a two hour run with his mistress.? Lelah went and opened the front door for Rhys and slipped into the bathroom, quickly brushing her teeth...in case he wanted to kiss her later and didn't want to feel like he was making out with an ashtray.? She poked her head around the corner, looking out at him from her bathroom, mouth all foamy still.? She gave him a big thumbs' up about the car. Then she disappeared back inside her bathroom, rinsed her mouth, checked her face and hair one last time, and then went back out to the living room.? "So.? That car is really for me?"

"I'm sorry it's not a Lovebug," he called from the other room. "It's the best I could do." He didn't bother mentioning all the time and effort it took him to find the car and talk the owner into selling it. "Yeah, well..." he turned to face her when she came in. "It's not free, but it's within your price range."

"It's awesome.? It's better than a Lovebug.? It's Italian.? Like my shoes," she kicked out a leg, pointed her toes.? She really wanted to go and hug him, maybe kiss him, but was totally uncertain if that would be acceptable considering the rampant oddness between them lately.? "How much do I owe you?"

He silently and privately cussed himself for not bringing flowers, but it had taken the better part of the last two days finagling the deal on the car and finding something suitable to wear. "Right," he arched a brow at her shoes. Well, she had that in common with Riley - her love of fashion. He wouldn't know a pump from a slide. All he cared about was that they fit and were comfortable and practical. "Twelve hundred. That too much? That baby would cost you a small fortune back home." Small fortune for him anyway. Maybe not so much for her. She didn't seem to be hurting for money, but he knew appearances were deceiving, especially on Rhydin.

"No way.? That's perfect.? That leaves me with enough money to eat for a while, so it's all good."? She flashed a grin at him.? "I'll pay you Monday.? Its that okay?"

He grinned, unable to help himself, even though he'd said he didn't want meaningless sex. "Or you could take it out in trade." He was teasing. Mostly.

"Oh? You want more pictures taken? Putting together a portfolio for an agency?" She bit her lower lip and then went to the front door. "I'll do it. I've been known to take some good head shots."

He snorted at the very idea of him modeling anything. "I don't think so. I'm not the pretty boy type. You can pay me in installments, if you want. I'm in no hurry, and it gives me an excuse to see you again."

"No, not pretty. Handsome. Very, very handsome." She smiled a little shyly at him and then nodded, relieved at the change of topic. "Okay. That sounds fine, but... You don't need an excuse to see me, do you? I mean... You can see me just because you want, right?"

He arched a brow at her. No one had called him handsome in a very long time. "So long as you want to see me," he said. "You know how to drive a stick shift?"

Her face fell. "No," she said sadly. "I don't. It's a manual, huh? That sucks."

He smirked. "I guess I'll have to give you lessons then. Poor me. Once you get used to it, you won't ever want to drive an automatic again."

She grinned. "Would you? That'd be awesome." She pulled open the front door and stepped outside. "So, c'mon. Let's get this show on the road. I'm starving and I don't want to be late to the movie."

He chuckled. He actually liked Jethro Tull, but he decided not to mention it. "I suppose you like John Mayer." Once the car was in the street, he shifted into first and started down the road, the car moving smoothly and easily, the engine purring like a kitten beneath the hood.

"He's okay, I guess.? A little too...um...relaxed for me though.? I like my music to have energy."? She was watching him intently as he shifted the car through the gears.? "Is it complicated?? Learning to drive a stick, I mean."

Rhys smiled. "It's like making love to a woman." He paused, the car's engine humming. "If you listen close, she'll tell you what to do." He waited until the sound of the engine told him when to press the clutch and shift gears.

She arched a brow at him.? "Yeah, that's helpful for me, Rhys.? Thanks so much."

He leaned forward a little and turned the stereo off. "Close your eyes and listen to the sound of the engine, tell me when you think it's time to shift gears." He was already in second, the engine revving as he neared third.

She gave him a dubious look but did as he instructed.? She listened intently to the car as the engine grew louder and louder and the noise grew higher in pitch.? When she thought it could go no higher, she said, "Now."

He smiled, pleased at her response, hitting the clutch and shifting the stick into third gear, the engine quieting. "Good. See? You're a natural."

Her eyes popped open.? "Really?? I was right?"? The delight was obvious on her face.

"Yeah. It just takes practice, Lee. It's easy." He darted a glance over at her, smiling and seeming at ease behind the wheel.? Whatever tension there had been between them earlier seemed to have dissipated.

"You won't yell if I grind the gears?"

He chuckled. "They're your gears, and it takes a lot more than that to make me yell at someone." He couldn't even remember the last time he had yelled at someone. He was more one to simmer than boil over.

She smiled shyly and reached out to put her hand atop his knee, giving it a little squeeze.? "Thank you," she said softly.

He glanced over at her again, arching a brow, unaccustomed to being thanked for anything. "For what?"

"For the car, for offering to teach me to drive it, for not freaking out over what I told you at the gelato shop - " she meant her confession about buying the drugs.? "For understanding that I want to take it slow and for not pressuring me into doing anything I don't want to do."

He let his eyes linger on her a moment before turning back to the road. He could drive in his sleep, but he still had to watch the road. His expression and tone turned serious. "I've seen a lot of shit in my life, Lelah. It takes a lot for me to freak out. I don't like you buying drugs, but who am I to talk? I have to have a couple beers to fall asleep at night."

"I haven't used," she said quickly...maybe a little too quickly, a little too defensively.? "I think I'm keeping them to...? I don't know...? Test my willpower or something."

"Like keeping a pack of cigarettes in your pocket, even though you've quit. Think it's to test your willpower or do you keep it for emergencies?"

She swallowed, turned away from him.? He'd hit too close to the mark with that observation.? She was silent for a while, then said, "Maybe a little of both."? No lies, right?? That was her mantra.? No lies.

"You wanna know what I think?"

She nodded.? "Yeah."

They weren't far from the restaurant, and he downshifted, slowing the engine as they moved into a little bit of traffic. "I think you're smarter than that. I think you don't want to go through that hell again. But it's not easy. Hell, I know it's not easy. It would be so easy to give in, to let go, but you're better than that. You're come too far to give up now. You keep those drugs in part to remind yourself of what you don't want your life to be like again. You look at them and think, just once. I'll just do it once. But there is no once. You know if you give in, just once, it's all over. It's so easy to just give up and give in. It would be so easy to just..." He trailed off, realizing he'd said too much. "You have to keep fighting because if you don't..." He shrugged, leaving the rest unsaid. Though not an addict, maybe he understood more than she guessed.

She nodded mutely, knowing he was right.? He was so right.? Like she'd told Ori the last time they'd talked - she had her list of things to remind herself of why she didn't use anymore.? She just hadn't realized that keeping the drugs themselves was more of a reminder of what could happen than she could ever have hoped for.

Once she was seated, he took the seat opposite her and handed her a menu. "Bodyguard is more my style. Not really much of a gofer. And trust me, if you stick around here, you're probably gonna need one."

"A bodyguard?"? She took the menu, flipped it open and scanned it.? "Really?? What about a guard who's a demon hunter and another who's a wizard?" Oh, that was smooth, Leelee.? Way to just casually drop Ori into the conversation.

He blinked at the wizard comment, immediately reminded of John. "What?"

"I know a wizard.? I told you about him, remember?? He fell into my drive last week?"? Her eyes were very firmly on the menu in front of her.

"Oh, right." He wrinkled his forehead, a little puzzled, and seemingly turned his attention to the menu in front of him. He'd mentioned John briefly, once, but he didn't think he'd mentioned that he was a mage.

She bit her lower lip and glanced up at him over the top of her menu.? "I...um...I've been seeing him.? A little.? He took me to lunch yesterday, dinner the night before that."

He returned her gaze over the top of his menu, brows lifting, trying hard not to betray any surprise or disappointment, though he felt a sinking feeling in his stomach. "Oh?"

She nodded.? Should she tell him about Gideon?? There was nothing going on there, though.? They were very definitely not seeing each other and every time she left him, she felt vaguely like she'd just escaped with her life.? She frowned and asked, seemingly out of the blue, "What does a demon look like?"

He wondered if this was the goodbye let you down slow and easy date... but then why would she have mentioned him seeing her again. Or maybe it was the I only want to be friends date. Or the we're getting too serious date. Or... He blinked out of his thoughts, obviously distracted. "I'm sorry, what? A demon?"

"Yes.? What do they look like?? How can you tell what a demon is?"? She decided on the fillet mignon and closed her menu, folding her hands together atop it and gave him a sober, serious look across the table.

"That's not an easy question to answer." He, too, lowered his menu, already knowing what he wanted to order. "I mean, things are different here than back home."

She frowned a little.? "So, you can't tell them apart from normal people?"? She used the word 'normal' sparingly.

"Demons are commonplace here, along with vampires, Lycans, ghouls and goblins, I suppose. The demons I hunt aren't the same as the ones who are frequent the bar and see a therapist twice a week." He shrugged. "You can, if you know what to look for."

She laughed a little at that.? "What should I look for?"

"It's not something you can see really. It's... it's more of a feeling." He reached for his glass of water, considering a moment. "If this were holy water and I were a demon, it would burn." He lifted the glass to take a sip. "Salt keeps them away. Sometimes you can tell from the eyes."

"Do they feel cold to the touch?"

"No, not in human form. If you smell sulfur, that's a clue."

"Sulfur.? Like when you light a match?? That smell?"

"Yeah." He smiled. "You might want to give up smoking. If you're ever in doubt, recite a few prayers in Latin. See what kind of reaction you get."

"Right.? Latin.? I speak that.? Fluently. You know the last time I went to Mass?? I'm lucky I can remember the Hail Mary."

"Praying is like riding a bike, Lelah. You never forget." He paused as a thought struck him suddenly. "You're Catholic?" No one said the Hail Mary but Catholics.

"Yes, I was.? I suppose I still am."

"So am I." He sighed.? Well, that made things easier. He reached into his pants pocket and pulled out a small wrapped box. "I was going to wait until later, but..." He rubbed a thumb against the wrapping paper and then leaned over to hand it to her. "It's for you."

Her brow arched.? Jesus, presents were coming out of the woodwork lately.? She reached across the table for the box.? "If there's a ring in here, I'm leaving."

He smiled softly. "It's not a ring." Not yet anyway. "It's..." The smile faded. "It will protect you against demons." He'd been worried about her safety, and asking her to get a tattoo seemed out of the question, as was asking her to move into Zen Gardens with him. He hadn't yet mentioned salting the windows and doors. He didn't want her to think he was stark raving mad.

She tore the paper off the box and opened it.? There was a silver cross inside.? She smiled softly, glanced up at him.? "It's beautiful," she said.? "Thank you."? She lifted it out of the box and fastened it around her neck, putting her hand over it as it fell over the neckline of her dress. "So," she said, her brow furrowed in thought, her bottom lip caught between her teeth.? "If I flash this at a demon, it'll leave me alone?"

"You don't have to flash it. Just wear it. It'll protect you from... It'll just protect you."

?Thank you. It's beautiful.? She glanced around for the waiter.? "Did you ever decide what you want for dinner?"

"Um, yeah." He waved over a waiter, allowing her to place her order first.

She ordered fillet mignon, medium-rare, baked potato, house salad with Russian dressing on the side.? "Oh, and do you have Shiraz?"? They did, so she ordered a glass of that, too.

He ordered a sirloin, medium-well, baked potato with everything, house salad with ranch dressing, and a beer. "So, what are we exactly? Friends? Friends with benefits? Are we just casually dating? Are we seeing other people?"

"Selfish? That's what you think I am?" That hurt, like a dagger in the heart. He hadn't told her that out of selfishness, but out of honesty. Wasn't that what she'd wanted? "You know what I want, Lelah? I want what everyone else has. I want..."

She sighed deeply, lowered her eyes to the glass of wine in front of her.? She was quiet for a long, long time, then said in a soft voice, "I don't think this is going to work, Rhys."? Raising her eyes to him, she shook her head sadly.? "I get the feeling whenever I'm with you that you're...? I don't know...? Waiting for something.? Waiting for me to tell you that I'm in love with you.? Waiting for me to tell you that I'm not seeing anyone else.? Waiting for me to tell you that you're the one I want to be with.? It's like...? You're just...? You're just rushing in headlong.? You're not thinking things through.? You're so desperate not to be alone that you're willing to hitch your rope to whatever passing wagon slows down long enough."

"Maybe you're right. Maybe I am desperate not to be alone, but I could have been with someone else and I'm not. I'm here, with you. Because I care about you. I have feelings for you. Do you want me to lie and tell you I don't? I'm not waiting for anything. I have no expectations. But you confuse the hell out of me."

"Yeah.? So do you."

"What would you say if I told you I was seeing someone else, too?"

She shrugged.? "Are you?"

"That's not what I asked."

"Do you want to make me jealous, Rhys?? Do you want to dangle this carrot of you being with someone else in front of me in the hopes that it'll make me realize what I have and stop seeing other people?? Do you want me to wise up and come running?"

"No," he replied flatly.

"Then what is with you?? Are you seeing someone?"

"No, not anymore. I don't do relationships well, Lelah. I always screw them up."

She pressed the heel of her palm into the center of her forehead and closed her eyes against the sudden headache that had formed.? "I don't get you.? I don't understand you.? I'm supposed to be the fickle one.? I'm supposed to be the one who can't make up her mind, not you."

"What do you want me to make up my mind about?"

"What you want from me.? What you want from us.? What you want from yourself.? You can't keep doing this to me, you know.? You can't keep pulling me close and pushing me away all the time.? 'Cos one of these days, I'm gonna get sick of it and tell you to f*ck off and quit wasting my time."

"What do I want? I want it all, Lelah. I want friends, family, a wife and kids, a dog in the backyard, barbeques on the weekends, Cub Scout meetings, dance rehearsals, waking up on Sunday and making pancakes and..." he stopped suddenly, out of breath, realizing he was still grieving the life he'd never have with Riley. A life Lelah might not be able to ever give him. "Christ, I'm sorry."