A Dog and his Biscuit. (TB)

[Guillotine]

There Guillotine stood just outside of John’s office. The tall man looked a bit nervous with his back to the wall. Silently, he waited for TB to arrive. He’d already arranged a meeting at John’s office. Guillotine wanted to talk, no, he needed to talk. There had been something on his mind since he’d joined the PIDA. Now that he had gained some level of respect from the agents he wished to console them on the matter. Looking around the empty hall, Gil released a low sigh. Where was the agent? Would it be possible for him not to show up at all? It wouldn’t be too surprising, considering the subject Gil wanted to talk about. The halls were fairly quiet during this time of day. All the agents were either still in bed or out on an early morning mission. Gil had yet to hear anyone else coming down the hall.

With a yawn Guillotine’s tall frame sank to the ground. Sitting there his mind began to wonder. It had been so long since he’d last seen Akeelah. At the very least he just wanted to see the shifter so he could apologies for all the sh*t he’d put her through. During their relationship Akeelah had to deal with a lot of his sh*t. Everytime she entered the forest she had to worry about his past pack ganging up on her. Even worse, she had to worry about him flipping sh*t and attacking her.

Who would want a life like that? A life where they would be in danger twenty-four seven. A life where they would have to worry about the one person they love abusing them. A low whimper streamed from Gil’s lips. No, he wouldn’t ask her to be his mate again. That would be too much. If the female didn’t want him as a mate he’d still offer to help with the pup. There wasn’t a doubt in Gil’s mind that Akeelah wouldn’t be able to handing the little hellspawn on her own. This would be her first child after all. Gil knew for a fact Akeelah hadn’t had any previous children. He had been her first. How could he have let this happen anyway? If only he’d kept it in his pants Akeelah wouldn’t have ended up like this. She could still be free, not tied down to a child. He’d been the one to push the subject of taking their relationship further. Akeelah appeared to be content where their relationship was at before they consummated their bond for the first time. The hound should have know better.

Not only did she have to take care of herself now, but she had another mouth to feed as well. Was it even possible for her to return to the forest in her condition? Would the other agents keep the wild shifter inside because of the pup? Gil was regretting his previous actions, but at the same time he was a bit excited. Just the thought of having a pup with the one woman he loved did made the hound feel a little happy. Hell, it was a miracle all together. Eventually he would have loved for Akeelah to bear his children. In a way he thought it wasn’t right. It should have been impossible. What was growing inside of Akeelah now would be what his pack would have called an abomination. Even though the thought of Akeelah bearing his child did make him happy, he wouldn’t be able to sleep at night knowing the little sh*t was causing his ex any harm. That could very well be in the realm of possibility. Gil began to grow sick at the thought. He didn’t want the pup around if it would end up killing Akeelah. The hound couldn’t possibly fathom what he would do if that was the case.

The look of worry could be seen on Gil’s pale face as he sat next to the office door. Akeelah must been feeling so alone. Not only had he turned against her, but her pup as well. He was a special kind of asshole to leave Akeelah like that. Hell, after he’d attacked her in the woods the male had the gaul to tease the woman as she lay in a hospital bed. She’d looked so pitiful laying there, hooked up to those monitors. The hellhound shook his head. No, he wasn’t going to let that happen again.

Guilt began to plague the young hound’s mind. He just couldn’t take it anymore, he had to make it go away. Even for just this little bit. Luckily for him he had something that could do just that. Guillotine peered down at the white top of his medicine bottle. It was poking innocently out of his left pocket. Gil’s pale hand’s reached down and pulled it out. His meds worked on his instinct, when taken in large doses. Would it work on guilt as well? Suppose there was only one way to find out. Grimacing, Guillotine studied the contents inside of the bottle. Who could believe these small white pills could hold so much power over him? He was a hellhound for goodness sake. Yet, some human made substance was able to lay claim to his mind. Ultimately, making him more human. This was possibly the PIDA’s goal for the hound. Making him more human would mean less destruction, and a more willing participant in PIDA life. There also was possibility they didn’t count on Gil abusing the drug they had given him. The hound did have a bad track record when it came to pills.

As long as he felt good right then and there he really didn’t seem to care what would happen to him in the long run. All he would ever need was a quick fix, and that was just what he had here. Guillotine had already taken his normal dosage for today. However, he was contemplating on taking more. Jesse warned against this. Gil could remember the human going on about it killing him or something stupid like that. Even after getting warned by his roommate Gil, like the idiot that he was, would still take another dose of his medication. After popping the top Guillotine pushed a small white pill into his mouth. He had worked up enough saliva to swallow it without too much difficulty. The hound was beginning to be too dependent on these things. The PIDA had already upped the dosage. Despite all this Guillotine thought he could handle it. Suppose some things just never change.

[Agent 00 Biscuit]

Johnathan eyed the time on his phone as he hurried into the PIDA building. It was pretty early in the day, the sun had just barely came out by the time he had received a call from the least likely person he ever expected a call from. Guillotine. Talk about strange, John had never expected that Gil would want to have a private meet up with just him under any circumstances. What's more he never expected to get said call as early in the god damn morning. The man spent the short hour after getting so rudely awoken hastily getting ready for the long journey back to the PIDA during his week off. If it wasn't bad enough that he was forced awake all that noise woke up his wife. John let out a sigh as he walked through the front doors. He felt bad for Genna, it was hard keeping his life as a PIDA agent secret from the woman he loved. Emotionally it was tough, practically it wasn't possible. Not in the long run anyway. There was only so much excuses one could make when they had to leave the house for long hours at a time, or suddenly get called off in the middle of the night to handle something. He would have to tell her someday he knew before she started suspecting he was up to something.

It was either that or quit, and that he couldn't do. There were too many friends that were involved in this place that he couldn't just leave them alone. What would happen to the rest of his coworkers if he just abandoned them? Sure most of them would understand if he decided to leave, but he couldn't trust some of them to take care of themselves. Especially Jesse, the man was prong to trouble especially with the kind of powers he had. John couldn't leave Jesse behind. As for Guillotine...well, John wasn't sure what to think about the hellhound. The relationship between them had gone through a bit of a shift ever since Gil had started working with the PIDA. It was no secret that John hated the hellhound with a passion at the start. The first time they had ever met was when Gil was nothing more than a dangerous criminal that he and his group were trying to capture. He had already started to dislike him after he and his partner Nova tried to hide his ex girlfriend from the PIDA. That dislike quickly turned to hate when he had tried to maul Jesse before he had taken him down.

The hellhound wasn't too fond of him either. Gil always looked at him with hate because of what John had done to him as retribution for hurting his best friend. That was how it was like with the two of them for a good while. But things started to change once they started working together. Gil seemed less angry with him now, even showed some respect towards him. As for John, he didn't know what to feel. Something about Gil changed now that he wasn't so wild. Jesse had told him just how much Gil had improved whenever the subject of his hellish roommate came about. It was almost hard to believe it, at first he thought Jesse was pulling his leg, but he could tell by the way the man talked that he honestly believed it. Was it some kind of trick? Was Jesse just being manipulated? He would have believed that if he didn't already know that Gil wasn't clever enough to be that deceptive. That theory became even less plausible once John started to work with him. It was true, Gil really had changed he could see that.

But was that enough? While John could at least trust the hellhound to have his pack when they were working together that didn't mean that he could trust him in some other aspects. For both of them this relationship started because of work. In the PIDA your success in the agency depended on how well you could work with others. There was always the chance that you would have to work with someone you didn't like. You could either let your differences divide you and fail, or set aside your petty grudges and work together to succeed. John could easily do that, and because of that he and Gil got along well enough as a team. But that didn't mean that they were friends. For all he knew Gil still hated him. But then why did he call? John pondered that as he headed down to his office, thinking back to the call he received earlier this morning. There was something on Guillotine's mind, he could hear it in his voice. It was enough to make the man concern enough to agree on this meeting in the first place. But if something was wrong then why didn't he talk to Jesse? There was no doubt in his mind that Jesse and Gil were friendly enough with each other that the hellhound could confide in his fellow agent about anything. So why him? Did he trust John enough to turn to him as well? Or was this something that only he could do?

He'd find out soon enough. It didn't take long for the man to reach his office and spot the hellhound sitting by the door, fiddling with his medicine bottle while lost in thought. John looked the young man over, his concern only rising more now. Gil looked as bad as he had sounded on the phone. Something was definitely wrong here, and he needed to find out what. “You are out here earlier than I thought.” the man said in way of a greeting as he approached the young hellhound. John had gotten here earlier than the initial meet up time, he hadn't expected Gil to come here even earlier than he did. “Come on pal, get up. You can sit down in my office instead.” Johnathan pulled out his keys and unlocked the door before stepping inside, holding the door open for Gil to come inside. “Go on take a seat.” he motioned to the comfy couch set up for his patients. John closed the door behind him and moved over to his desk, taking a seat opposite Gil. “I take it that you didn't call me here for work. There is something going through your head that you want to discuss with me. So go on, lets jump right to the chase. What do you want?”

[Guillotine]

Muscles began to relax within Guillotine’s tired body. He slouched down a bit. His tall frame seemed to sit comfortably against the wall as if it were made of plush cushions. It was about time his medication kicked in. It felt almost like an eternity, sitting there waiting for it to work. Looking back down at his pill bottle Gil continued to study it intently. His mind had shifted from Akeelah to his medication in a matter of moments. The hound had began to wonder what exactly the stuff was made out of. What kind of magic did the PIDA use to get this to work? Guillotine had taken other drugs in the past. None of which stopped his instincts. If anything those bad drugs amplified the effects of his hellish nature. Now the only thing that calmed him down anymore was smoking and this mystery medication. Not only had it calmed him down but it made his worries disappear. Almost as if he hadn’t been feeling them in the first place. This drug was wonderful! No longer would he be yelled at for attacking people. As long as he had this he would be practically human. This thought caused Gil to think for a moment. So, he was human now? His mind shifted back to when he and Jesse got into a scrap back at the house. The hound could recall not transforming, even when Jesse attacked him. He’d placed the thought on the back burner that day. Now it was resurfacing with a vengeance. It was interesting that something like that happened while he was on this medication. Did it not only stunt his instinct but his abilities to transform into his original form as well? This was something to think about.

Guillotine jumped, hearing TB’s voice suddenly through the silent hallway. The human had startled the young male. When did he arrive? Guillotine had been so lost in thought that he hadn’t noticed. Silently, Gil slipped his pills back into his pocket and turned to his old partner. Judging by the look on John’s face he must have been a bit worried. Tired, even. The human didn’t hesitate to tell Guillotine to stand. He even said that he could sit in his office instead.

“Don’t worry, I didn’t count on sitting out here.” The hellhound replied, pressing his pale hand against the wall to aid him in standing. He was slow in doing so due to his bum knee. There had been some irreversible damage to the knee tendons. No matter how much surgery Gil had his knee would never truly function the same way again. While in the past Gil would have held this against John he had finally decided to let it go. Luckily for John he wouldn’t have to hear anymore of the hellhound’s bitching. Standing up, Gil gave John a nod before taking a quick glance around the hall. It was almost as if he were making sure no one else was around while John unlocked the door. Once the door was unlocked Gil strolled into the office.

The hound had been inside of this place on more than one occasion. Looking around it appeared that nothing has really changed since his last visit. It felt a bit more peaceful now that he didn’t hear people walking about outside of the door. Guillotine’s nose flared open, taking in the smells of John’s previous patients. He would have questioned the man about these smells if it wasn’t for this urgent meeting. When John commented on him being so early the hound smirked. “ The early bird gets the worm, Chief. You should know that.” With a chuckle Gil plopped down onto the couch. “No, the real reason why I wanted you to come so early in the morning was because I don’t want anyone else to know about this meeting. I came earlier to make sure of that.” Guillotine Leaned back against the couch. It was rather comfortable. Gil felt as if he could just curl up and fall asleep on the damn thing. “ I wanted to ask you about Akeelah. I know you guys were hiding her, so I didn’t want the PIDA eavesdropping on our little conversation.”


Guillotine began to grow a bit more nervous, but not too much so. He swallowed hard and said, “John, I want to see Akeelah.” Gil didn’t waist any time on the matter. With this situation it would be foolish to just beat around the bush. Especially since he’d called John to come in so damn early. The human didn’t sound too pleased about this on the phone. So Gil wouldn’t waste any time. “I know it sounds really unreasonable.”

It didn’t take long for Gil to come to the conclusion that John could very well say no to his suggestion. Then again, who could blame him? Guillotine had been a heartless killer, as well as a prolific cheater. How was John to know he wouldn’t go back to his old ways after reuniting with Akeelah. The poor female had a lot to loose if this was to happen. She wasn’t the only one in danger of being slaughtered by Guillotine if the male lost his temper. The pup also had a pretty good chance of dying along with her. John would surly say no to this.

Regardless of the outcome, Guillotine wasn’t here to argue, he just wanted to talk. “I just want to tell her that I am sorry. If anything she deserves an apology for all the shit I've put her through.” The hound replied, his forest green eyes had broken eye contact by then. “I-I also want to offer my help in raising the pup. Akeelah doesn’t know a damn thing about hellhound. With that being said, that thing growing inside of her isn’t just a normal leopard it has hellhound instincts too. She won’t be able to handle it on her own. I just know it.” Concerned, Gil looked back at John. His words held true. He really was scared that Akeelah wouldn’t be able to handle the pup. What about her caretakers? Guillotine didn’t know anything about them. It was strange that both Jesse nor TB never talked about them while he was around. Would they be able to handle the little hellspawn if John said no to this? The hound frowned at the thought.

[Agent 00 Biscuit]

Suppose it was a good thing that Gil had made him come here so early? It was pretty obvious to him at this point that something wasn't right here. The hellhound's behaviour was a bit unusual. He was being cautious, he could see it in the way the man glanced behind them as John opened the door. Whatever he wanted to talk about he didn't want anyone to hear it. Well if that was the case he was in luck. John's office was a pretty secure place to have a private conversation with. Thanks to the nature of his business neither he nor Gil had to fear anyone walking in on them, or surveillance picking up anything it shouldn't. Whatever Guillotine wanted to discuss here would stay in this room. Still the man wondered just what it was that he had gotten himself into. Hopefully it wasn't anything too bad but he knew better than that. This was Gil he was dealing with here, anything involving the beast tended to be bad. It wasn't because the hellhound was bad himself (though he certainly had his moments) but he had a tendency to get himself into trouble one way or another.

Was this all because he did something bad? John doubted that. While the hellhound was being cautious and even looked a little bit nervous he didn't have the look of someone that just did something he shouldn't have. If anything this conversation wouldn't be happening if Gil did anything wrong. Guillotine knew well enough that John would not cover his butt if he did something stupid. If he messed up, truly messed up John would be the last person he'd come to. Hell, the first person to come to him in that case was more likely to be Jesse. No, this was about something else. For now he would just have to wait and see. The wait wouldn't be too long of course. As Gil had said he wanted to be sure that no one would hear what they were about to discuss, and he wasn't the only one who wanted to take advantage of the early morning. John immediately asked what was it that Gil wanted to talk about and he got his answer. Needless to say the man wasn't too happy with that answer.

He should have known this was coming. In the back of John's mind he knew that this day would come once Guillotine started working for the agency. Despite everything that he had done to the girl Gil still loved Akeelah. John took advantage of that to help make him confess to his crimes, but now he regretted telling him what he and Nova had done with the girl. While his actions helped to keep the shapeshifter out of the PIDA's clutches, it didn't completely protect her from Guillotine. Just the fact that he knew that she was still alive somewhere meant he would pursue her, and if past experience taught him one thing that could only lead to trouble. John frowned when Gil asked to see her. “It is unreasonable.” he said, his voice calm despite the thoughts in his mind. “You should know my answer to that by now. So why would you bother asking me?”

He didn't even need to give Gil an answer to this. John had made up his mind long ago about this issue when Gil was shipped off to Jesse's. Akeelah and Gil should never meet again. It had been the best option for both parties involved. He didn't feel right bringing the young pregnant woman anywhere her ex after what he had done to her, and he didn't have to worry about the shifter doing something stupid to trigger Gil's anger issues. Nothing would change his mind on that. He would do what he could to make sure the two did not get back together, and he didn't care how much of an asshole he'd have to be to do it. But surprisingly enough Gil didn't ask to see her so he could get back together with the shifter but to apologize. That was unexpected to say the least. “I still don't think that is a good idea.” John put it bluntly. “If its just to apologize I can be willing to let it happen, but I would need to talk to her about that. Even then I can't let you go to where she is now, I have to arrange a meet up somewhere. Which isn't too easy to do when the person in question has a panic attack getting anywhere near a car.”

He remembered how difficult it had been getting the shifter to willingly come with him and Nova once they got her out of the hospital. Though she could hardly put up a fight in her condition at the time it was bad to put the girl under unnecessary stress. Especially when she was pregnant. He could hardly move her at this rate, but he couldn't let Gil come to her. If he caved and took Guillotine with him to see her he'd be putting Nova and Spoon at risk if Gil did something dangerous. While John could easily protect the shifter and his friends from the hellhound he could hardly protect them if he decided to sneak into their house later on. It was a lot to deal with just to allow him to apologize. Was it even worth it? He shouldn't allow it, he really shouldn't, but he couldn't really bring himself to do it. If Gil really did want to atone for what he had done it wasn't right to stop him. There had to be someway that he could make this small request work out. “I...will try to think of something to get this to work. But only if Akeelah is okay with it. You can make amends then. If I can't get you to see her face to face I can at least arrange a skype call.”

That was simple enough to do at least. This way he could keep things safe and controlled while respecting Gil's wishes. That should have been the end of the matter, but then Gil brought up another proposal that made him pause once again. The man sighed. This was going to be a long conversation. This was another issues that John did not like having to discuss, the issue of the child. John knew that this had to be dealt with sooner or later, but for the life of him he didn't know how to do it. It was bad enough trying to keep tabs on a teenager single mother he had shafted into living with some of the two most immature men he had ever worked with. It was a completely different matter when not only was the mother in question was a wild animal, and her baby could possibly be part hellspawn. To be honest he had no idea what Akeelah's child was going to be. It was possible that the child took its species traits from only one of its parents. The child could either be a leopard or a hellhound. There was also the possibility that it could be both. It might be possible to work things out if the child was a feline like its mother. But if it wasn't...

If the child was either a full hellhound or even half that there would be trouble. Guillotine was right, there was no way Akeelah could raise a child like that on her own. What was worse there was not much he or her roommates could do to help her. Nova and Spoon never had children of their own, and didn't have the maturity to care for one. Especially Spoon. Just the idea of him being anywhere near a baby sent shivers down his spine. John had contemplated plenty of times about just taking the girl to his place. He had some child care experience, and his wife knew how to handle a baby. But it would be impossible to keep what he was and what the girl was a secret from his family. Even if he could get past that he still couldn't do much to help Akeelah raise a hellhound child right. Something had to be done but could the one to handle it really be Gil? “How much do you know about raising a child?” the man asked. “Do you know how much time and patience goes into taking care of a kid? Even if it wasn't a hellhound there is a lot that you have to do and have to give up in order to do that. I will be honest with you here. I think you aren't prepared to be a father. I don't even know if I can trust you around Akeelah in case you lose your temper with her, what makes you think I will be willing to let that happen to a child?”

[Guillotine]

Sinking into the couch Gil had begun to realize how useless this meeting was. John wasn’t going to let him see Akeelah, or his pup. He should have known better than to ask TB about this. If anything he should have begged Jesse to take him to see his ex. Their bond was a lot stronger now that he could turn into a hellhound. Gil wouldn’t doubt with enough pressure Jesse would eventually give into his wishes. John, however, was different. The agent didn’t take any of Guillotine’s shit. He never did. Unlike Jesse, John didn’t appear to be the type of person who could be reasoned with. Especially once his mind was made up on something. The human still had it out for Gil it seemed, even after all they’ve been through. This thought saddened Gil. The feeling of helplessness didn’t last long thankfully. It was clear that John didn’t like the idea, not in the least. However, he appeared to be willing to discuss the matter. It was a start. Maybe with enough luck Guillotine could convince the human to let him see his dear mate again. It didn’t take long for John to ask Gil why he’d even want to talk about Akeelah when he should have known the answer from the start. With a sigh, Gil replied, “...because you are the person who is keeping me from seeing her.” Gil was being blunt today with his answers. Then again, after hearing that this meeting was going to be a waste of his time he wasn’t exactly in the best mood. With the medication running through Gil’s system he would stay calm about the situation.

This conversation had started off bad. It was a bit of a rocky start. John made it clear that he didn’t like the idea. “Y-Yeah…” Guillotine replied with a bit of a whimper. Why did this human have to be such a pain in the ass? Jesse would have done it for him. Deep down, John was only doing what was best for Akeelah. Guillotine remembered this and sighed. Internally he was a bit frustrated. John was just trying to protect Akeelah, he should have been thankful for that.

When John spoke of their possible meet up Gil’s eyes flickered with excitement. At first his words brought him out of his dark depression. Of course, they would have to get Akeelah’s permission first. After that they could somehow arrange a meeting. When John mentioned that the girl didn’t do well in cars Gil nodded his head in agreement. “Y-Yeah, she doesn’t do too well in cars, period.” Poor Akeelah. Guillotine could remember one instance where Akeelah had to ride in an ambulance with him after their little scuffle with his pack. The poor girl had nearly fainted. Just why was she so scared of cars anyway? Gil had never really asked, afraid it would bring back some horrible memory. Shaking his head free from those thoughts he turned back to John. something else had crept up into that thick skull of his. Cocking his head to the side he said, “Wait, why not just let me visit her? That way we don’t have to move her. Problem solved. ” That solution should would have been obvious. Why didn’t John say so earlier? Just what did he have to hide?

The hound would have pushed the issue, but it seemed like John didn’t like the idea of them meeting up in person anymore. Gil would have preferred to see Akeelah in person. Not only had he missed seeing her, but he missed the female’s scent as well. In the long run did that really matter? Guillotine thought about this. It would be best to just go along with what John wanted. The human mentioned something about skype. Gil didn’t know what this was. Shrugging, he figured it was better than nothing. The human didn’t have to do anything, but yet he was giving Gil a small window of opportunity to see his ex. He should take it. “I will take what I can get, Cheif.”

Soon the topic shifted to the child. John didn’t appear to be pleased to hear that Gil wanted to take part in it’s life. The human even asked Gil if he knew anything about raising children. That answer should have been obvious. “Not a damn thing.” Guillotine replied, rather bluntly. It was true, he’d never raised a child before. Hell, the only affiliation he had with children was eating them. He wouldn’t bring that up. That part of his life was over now. “However, this isn’t an ordinary child we are talking about. I do have experience with taking care of my own kind. If the child is anything like a hellhound I’m sure I can handle it.” John didn’t buy it. The human told Gil straight out that he wasn’t ready to be a father.

“I am willing to make sacrifices.” John did have a point. What if he did lose his temper around Akeelah, or worse, the kid? What would happen them? Akeelah didn’t stand a chance against his hellhound form. Gil had experienced that already. What about the child? Surely, the little being would be easily torn to pieces by the hound’s fangs if he ever got ahold of it. Guillotine shook his head. “I won’t let that happen. I will never lose my temper again. I promise you that.” Jesse wasn’t kidding before when he said TB really didn’t like the idea of them meeting up, much less getting back together. Just what was the human’s problem? Did he really care for Akeelah that much or was this some kind of power trip for him? Suppose this was one thing Gil needed to take into account. Luckily, He’s taken an extra dose of meds or else there was a possibility he would be yelling right now. Without the medication at all the hellhound probably would have gotten pissed and started threatening the Agent by now.

Guillotine wasn’t too sure what else to add. He’d said just about everything he had on his mind. Unfortunately, John still didn’t seem satisfied. He had to think of something. Wait, there was one thing. “My medication keeps me calm, even if I am under a lot of stress. I haven’t lost my temper once since i’ve been on them. That has to mean something.” Gil wouldn't bring up what happened to him and Jesse back in the forest. Gil wasn't going to let himself slip up like that ever again, or so he thought. Gil leaned forward a bit. He looked Jesse in the eye. “Look, I don’t care what we have to do. Even if I have to go to her in handcuffs. I am willing to do whatever it takes to see her again.”

[Agent 00 Biscuit]

God how he hated this conversation. John wasn't the type of man to kid himself into making a problem go away by ignoring. He knew after some point that there would be problems with the shifter girl. At first the problem was about going against orders for his partner's selfish desires. He was no fool, there was more to Nova's wish to hide the girl at his place than he had led on. But what could he do? He already felt like an asshole at the idea of arresting someone while they were lying in a hospital bed. Then when he heard her story he felt even worse about it. He just couldn't bring himself to do it, so he let it happened. At least he dealt with the issue as best as he could. He successfully hid the girl away while making sure he and Nova didn't take any heat for it. That problem didn't worry him anymore, but that hadn't been the only issue. He knew that there would be problems with the whole pregnancy deal at some point. It had been fine putting that problem to the side at the start, Akeelah was only in the early stage of pregnancy so he had some time to figure out how to handle it. But time was running out, he couldn't let the girl stay with Nova and Spoon anymore but he didn't have anywhere that he could let her stay. The rest of the crew were just as reliable with child care as those two were and didn't have the space to add two new additions to the household. He couldn't even consider his place. If push came to shove he'd be forced to but it still wasn't very practical.

The pregnancy was a big problem, but it was made worse by the Gil situation. The second that he put Gil and Akeelah's relationship into the mix it just made everything even more complicated. For the life of him he couldn't figure out how to go about that the right way. He knew that the shifter girl would not be able to raise a potential hellhound child by herself but neither could he allow someone that had nearly killed her and her child near either of them, even if said person was the father. That problem at least had some kind of solution. All he needed to do was keep the two separated. It had been easy to do at first, back then Gil was already locked up and waiting to be judged and punished by the PIDA. His feelings had been at the right place, it was easy to think you were doing the right thing when the issue was a clear black and white scenario. But now even that was growing more complicated as the days passed. Now that Guillotine had become one of them it was harder to just avoid him, and thus any discussion with him. Then he started to get to know him. Now that part was the most dangerous. He could hardly believe how much Jesse's feelings had changed about the hellhound after the two started living together. He had thought his friend had gone off the deep end, till one day he had to work with him. He had started to see what Jesse and even Akhtar had been telling him all this time.

John realized at some point that all of the hate he had for the hellhound was disappearing. It was hard to say how he felt about Guillotine now, he didn't hate him anymore but could he ever call the hellhound a friend? At least he could trust him in some aspects now. He could rely on the hound to have his back in a fight, and he could even trust him to the point that he stopped checking in on Jesse to see if the man was still alive. Gil had earned that much respect. But being a reliable partner, and not killing off your roommate was different from this. While John couldn't help but worry about his friend he wasn't the one that sent Gil to him, there would be less blame for him to take if Jesse was hurt. But if he made a mistake in trusting Gil in this case any blood that Gil split would be on his hands. And there was a lot of that too. Akeelah and her unborn baby weren't the only people he was trying to protect in that respect. The ones looking after her were just as likely to get hurt as she was. Only John thought this way, only he really took into consideration the risks involved in this. That was why he was so against the idea of letting Gil see his ex. Gil was right when he said that he was the only person stopping him.

Before that fact would make him proud. But now he wasn't sure what to think. He was being stubborn for a good reason, and yet seeing that look of saddness on his former partner's face made him feel like an asshole. As bad as he felt though he wouldn't let his feelings towards the man now effect him. Logically this was the best course of action, and until he saw otherwise he wouldn't budge on the subject. He made that clear enough to Gil when he asked. But when Gil asked about just seeing her to apologize he was less disagreeable. Honestly it was a great improvement on Gil's part to take ownership of his mistakes and try to make amends. This request was one he could at the very least agree with. It was the least he could do, so he agreed with it. Though the more he thought about the more he realized it might not be as easy to fulfill as he first thought. It was hard to move Akeelah around with her fear of common transportation. The only way that he could make her not panic would be to drug her, and that was out of the question. There was of course other ways of handling that, Gil himself suggested a simple one. John was quick to answer that.

“Absolutely not.” he said. There was no way in hell he was going to risk taking Gil to Nova and Spoon's house. “The people she is living with currently have some roommates that don't know anything about the PIDA or the supernatural at that. I think it would be best to keep any exposure to that at a minimum.” What he was saying was somewhat true. While there was little choice but to risk that by letting Akeelah live with Nova for a time, John did want to help Nova keep his second career and powers a secret from the others. It was the least of his worries on that subject but it was at least somewhat of an excuse that he could freely speak of. Thankfully Gil seemed to be satisfied with his suggestions so he left it at that.

Now came the biggest problem in this discussion, the child. John didn't bother sugarcoating his concerns on that subject. As far as he had seen he knew for a fact that Gil was not ready to be a father. No one really was until they experienced parenthood first hand. Some were more equipped to deal with it than others, and Gil was not one of those people. It was the anger issues that John had the biggest gripe with. Just because Guillotine was an agent didn't mean that he still didn't have anger problems. All it would take was a great deal of stress to push him over the edge. And when that happened his ex girlfriend and the baby would be the ones to suffer. He had to admit that Gil had a point, the child would not be a normal child. John knew next to nothing about shapeshifters or hellhounds but he could guess that there were some significant difference in raising a child like his than a human one. John knew that raising that kid was completely out of anyones hands at this point. Was giving the child to Gil the best solution?

“I don't doubt that you are willing to make some sacrifices. Its how much you think you will need to give up that worries me. The first mistake all new parents make is underestimating how much they need to sacrifice just to raise a child. Trust me I know from experience. Besides even if you are willing to make sacrifices now doesn't change the fact you lack the maturity to be a responsible parent. I've gotten to know you a little better since you've been working here. I know you aren't as much of an evil asshole as you make yourself out to be. But I know you are selfish, you act out when you can't get your own way. And if an opportunity arises for you to get out of doing something you don't like, even if its for your own good you will do it.” He hated to bring this up but Gil left him no choice. The hellhound wouldn't make any progress at all if he didn't face his problems. He was only trying to help him see that. If what Gil said was true, the hound wanted to change. Just hearing that put his heart at ease. Whether Gil realized it or not he was actually making him think over his decisions. While John was being cautious he couldn't deny that Gil was trying to make changes, and those changes were working. If what he said was true, and he wasn't lashing out from anger anymore there was less to worry about in letting him see Akeelah. Maybe he deserved a second chance after all?

“If you are serious about this then there is a way we can work out that benefits the both of us.” The man continued. “If you want to be a father you will need to learn how to first. As it happens you came to the right place. I can help you learn how to be a decent parent. We can schedule some time together every week for parenting classes. It's not much but its a start. For the other problems I think its best if in addition to your psychiatry sessions you start seeing me as well. This way you can get some more help becoming a better person, and I will be able to see the changes for myself. If things go well and I think you are well enough only then will I talk to Akeelah about letting you into your child's life.”

[Guillotine]

The hair on the back of Gil’s neck began to bristle when John informed him that he was not about to go to Akeelah. Flustrated, Guillotine would fold his arms in front of his chest and looked away from John. The human was starting to get on his nerves. They were both trying to find a simple solution to this problem. Gil had given him one, but John quickly denied it. The human forbid Gil from going to where Akeelah was staying. Really now, what was stopping him from doing so? The hound leaned back against the couch and flashed John a challenging clance. Guillotine had the nose of a bloodhound. If he wanted to he could attempt to find Akeelah on his own. However, John was totally against the idea. He did have a point about their roommates not knowing about the supernatural world or the PIDA. If he showed up ranting and raving they would be sure to question it. Suppose it would be foolish to go against TB’s wishes anyway. Especially now that he was considering letting him at least talk to Akeelah.

At the very least Gil was thankful that John had began to crack. He was considering the situation. Even then the human still looked uncomfortable about this whole situation. A frown had appeared onto Gil’s face the moment John spoke again. Maybe he was right. Guillotine wasn't meant to be a father. Sure, he was pretty good at making babies. He just couldn’t take care of them. Akeelah hadn’t been the only woman Gil had gotten pregnant after a few unprotected rumps. Guillotine had quite a lewd life even before he’d met the shifter. However, that was no excuse. Because of this the hound did have another person to bear his child. That person was a half demon named Rose. Both Guillotine and Rose had kept this a secret from everyone but her fiance. Wey had actually started treating little Anna as if she were his own flesh and blood. Yet, Gil had tried to kill the little child on more than one occasion. Thinking back to this only caused the hound more inner turmoil. Little Anna needed a father and he hadn’t been there for her.

John would find out about his secret child eventually. Until then Gil would keep doing what he had been doing this whole time. Keeping his mouth shut. As far as he was concerned no one else needed to know about Anna. She fit in perfectly with Rose, Wey and her brother Felkin. Hell, the last time he’d seen her the toddler had been at the park with Rose. He could remember the smile on the child’s face when he approached them. She’d made a comment on how pretty his eyes were. At the time Gil was just surprised at how big she had gotten. Anna would surely grow to be a remarkable adult.

How could he have been such a dick? He’d abandoned her when she needed him the most. Guillotine continued to sit there, looking a little spaced out. Memories of Anna had continued to flood into his skull until John snapped him out of his day dream. John went on about the sacrifice one would need to make when raising a child. Gil cocked an eyebrow. He had experience with this? Did this mean he had a child of his own? This was possible. The man did have a mate. Guillotine just couldn't picture a little TB running around. “Wait, you have a kid?” Guillotine asked, his deep voice filled with confusion. Well, this was surprising to say the least. Gil knew John had a mate, but a kid as well? This made Gil smirk. The information had humored him greatly. The tall hound chuckled and ran his fingers through his black hair. “ I never took you for a lover, John. I didn’t think a man like yourself was capable of taking care of babies.” Back when they had first met Guillotine would have used this new information against John. If pissed off he could have easily threaten to kill his family. Still, in this situation he could very well threaten to kill them if John didn’t let him see Akeelah. Luckily for John Gil would be a good dog today. John continued by stating that Gil wasn't as mature as he thought he was. After stating this comment John received a snort from Gil. Was the human being serious? John also mentioned that the hellhound was selfish. Hearing those words caused Gil to grumble and look away. His happy demeanor was gone now that John was beginning his faults up.

There was a glimmer of hope at the end of this winding tunnel. If Guillotine was willing to sacrifice John mentioned that he would help the hellhound with his parenting. Looking up at his ex partner Gil gave John a nod. Though the prospect of having to take parenting classes did sound a bit stupid. “Parenting classes? Are you kidding me?” Guillotine barked, his voice sounding a bit harsh. “What are you going to do? Teach me how to change a fucking diaper? If my kid is a hellhound-leopard thing they could very well do their business outside like a normal pup.” Man, this was dumb. What was John thinking? Well, at least what he said after that made a bit of sense. Having John as a psychiatrist would help the two better understand one another. Leaning back against the couch Gil began to relax. “ Yeah, I will agree to that. This whole human thing isn't as easy as I had thought. I do need help in that area. -The parenting lessons sound stupid though.”

[Agent 00 Biscuit]

If John had to be honest about this situation he would say he really hated having to do what he was doing right now. He didn't like having to treat Guillotine so harshly, now that he didn't hate the young man he didn't take any joy in being seen like a dick to Gil. But what could he do? He couldn't just let Gil see Akeelah as how he was. The situation was complicated enough as it was. The little shifter was not likely to take coming face to face with Guillotine again too well. It was impossible to forget that the only reason he and Nova had found the girl in the first place was because Gil was the one to put her in the hospital. All he wanted to do was avoid having to put that girl, and his own friends in there, or worse, having to see their corpses taken to the morgue. That was the reality of the situation. Whether Gil realized it or not he was still a ticking time bomb that could blow up at any minute, and when he did he always ended up harming those he cared about the most. Not only did it hurt his friends and loved ones, it hurt him as well. What would happen to to Gil if he ended up killing his ex? No good could come of this as things stood now and he knew it.

But if Gil could somehow change that was a different matter. He hadn't improved much yet but he couldn't deny that there was some change going on. It seemed that the therapy and medication Gil had been receiving were working on the hound. He was making enough progress for John to stop calling Jesse to make sure his friend was still alive. Well, it wasn't completely his idea to do it. That was Jesse, John still worried a little about his friend but could trust the man's judgement enough to leave him alone on the matter. If Jesse could trust Guillotine then why couldn't he? It was at least worth the shot to give Guillotine the chance to improve. To do that though he couldn't be soft. If there was one thing he knew about Gil it was that the hound needed a firm hand to guide him down the right path, otherwise he would go back to his old and violent ways. So John did the one thing he knew would help get them started. John went harsh. He didn't spare the man any kindness at all. He pointed out every flaw he could see in the hellhound. His irresponsibility, immaturity, selfishness, anything at all that he considered a major flaw that needed to be worked on.

Of course Gil didn't seem to be taking those points well. He looked away as John spoke, looking a little annoyed and upset with what he was saying. John paid no attention to the hound's attitude. This was just another one of his flaws. The day he could say something like this and Gil would not act like a pouty child then he would know that the hound had truly changed. This was just the beginning of a major reform that had to be done. At some point he was able to catch Gil's attention with the least likely thing that he thought he would, the fact that he had a child. “Yes...I have a kid.” he said, giving Gil a questioning look as he did so. Did it really surprise him that much that he had a child? Then again, Gil had a similar reaction hearing that he was married. “Technically speaking he's not biologically related to me. Genna had him before we met, but when I married her he became my son and I don't think of him as anything else but my child despite that.” What Guillotine said next made the man laugh.

“You know Gil, just because I seem like an asshole to you doesn't mean I am one in reality. Yes, I have a family, I am a married man with a loving wife and stepson. I even have pets, a pair of chinchillas and a dog too. I'm passionate and dedicated to my work, not what I am doing here currently but what I was doing long before I got tied up in the PIDA. The only reason I even joined this job in the first place was because I knew Jesse would wind up getting himself into trouble if I left him to his own devices. I can't just leave the people I care about to get hurt and do nothing. And as of right now I am even willing to waste my time helping a former partner of mine solve his own issues so he can get back to the woman he loves. That is the kind of man I really am and now you know it.” John had no idea what kind of person Gil thought he was but whatever it was he had it wrong. Dead wrong. It didn't matter in the past what Gil had thought of him, but now if they had to work together once again he had to clear the air. Gil needed to see that John wasn't trying to mess around. He was being honest about his desire to help and if he could just accept that it would make both their lives much easier.

What he said seemed to be working at least, Gil looked like he was considering what he was saying. Well...most things anyway. When John mentioned parenting classes Gil's reaction returned to what it was before, that of annoyance and disbelief. “No I am not joking. If there is anyone that needs to actually learn to be a parent its you.” Still Gil seemed to be reluctant about this, he even went as far as saying he'd let his own young do their business outside. John shook his head, felling a little disappointed by the man's reaction. He shouldn't have expected any better from Guillotine yet a part of him still wished that the hellhound had some common sense in him. He was wrong. “This is exactly why you need the training. Hellhound, leopard, or not you can't have your child shit and piss out in the backyard. Think about it for a moment. Besides the fact that they will be too young to even hold their head up properly let alone walk, if they are spotted pissing in the yard you will have social services knocking on your door ready to take your kids away because of neglect. And don't you even bother saying you will scare them off. The second you do our employers will drag you, Akeelah, and your kid back to headquarters and lock you up for good.”

“There is more to child care than just changing diapers. You need to know how to properly handle them. Do you have any idea just how fragile a newborn baby is? Just dropping them once can kill them or do serious brain damage. Even shaking them too much or too roughly can kill them. And as they get older you need to keep them away from dangerous things that could kill them. Babies don't understand the concepts of right or wrong, or even what might be dangerous to them. If anything poisonous, sharp, or small enough to swallow and get caught in their throat gets in their reach you will have to rush to the hospital so they don't die. That is just with human children, just think about how much harder it will be to keep a half hellhound half cat child away from things like that. That's just the start of it. The biggest problem you will have to deal with once they got older is discipline. Like I said before, children aren't born knowing right from wrong, they need parents to teach them things. Your kid will have to learn to listen to you and Akeelah, how to behavior around others, and to hide what they really are from other humans. Some kids listen better than others, and when your kid misbehaves you need to discipline them. If you go too soft that kid will walk all over you, but if you go too harsh not only might you end up killing that child, but you could physically or mentally scar them for life. Assuming that you don't get them taken away from you for abuse.”

“You might think that this is stupid now but in the long run its for the best for both you, Akeelah, and that child. If you want to be a part of your future child's life you will do this. If you refuse, or I feel that you aren't taking this seriously enough I will refuse to work with you, and at that point you can kiss your chances of ever seeing Akeelah or your child goodbye for good. I am not suggesting this, I am demanding you do this. You can hate me for it all you want, you wouldn't be the first person to hate me for a stupid reason. But know this, I am doing this for not just your own good but for everyone elses as well. Do you understand?”

[Guillotine]

Guillotine had changed somewhat throughout this experience. He wasn’t the monster he used to be. The young hound wasn’t out chasing tail and killing those he came across. Best of all, he didn’t get into fist fights with every guy he met. The beast that came to this world with his hellish pack was gone now. Oh, if Gil’s master could see him now. His own bloody creation had neglected his one true purpose in life. Gil, like his other pack members, were created for the sole purpose of killing. There wasn’t a doubt in Gil’s mind that he was indeed bred for that purpose. Even now he got urges to take another’s life. He just didn’t act on that instinct thanks to his new medication. It dulled the effects of the instinct, but didn’t get rid of it completely. The PIDA had been smart to give Gil such a tool he could use to battle his hellish instinct. Unfortunately, his addicting ways made it hard not to abuse this wonder drug. Gil of course wouldn’t bring this up with anyone. Not Jesse, Peter and sure as hell not John! No one would know of his addiction. If they did he would get his medicine taken from him. Then what? He would go back to the way he used to be. Gil could then kiss his life goodbye.

When John explained the situation about his child it got Gil thinking about his own daughter, Anna. Wey had done the same for the poor half breed as John had done for his son. His compassion for his stepdaughter seemed to know no bounds. She been Guillotine’s biological daughter, and yet the hound didn’t want to have anything to do with her. The shadow cat was kind enough to step into the role when Gil outright refused. He could remember telling Rose that he didn’t want to have anything to do with Anna when she was born. On two occasions he attempted to murder the child. Once when she was still inside of her mother.The other time had been after she was born. What had prompted such hate? Fear, Gil feared Anna would ruin his relationship with Akeelah. Why would the shifter want him if he already had a child with another female? Granted, it was unintentional. But it would surely leave a lasting stain on their relationship if she did find out. In the end, Gil fucked up his own relationship without Anna’s help. On top of that he didn’t even give the child a Chance. How could he have been so selfish? It took Gil being locked away and put on medication for him to realize just how fucked up he was. A slight feeling of guilt began to stream into the hellhound’s mind. Here he was wanting to be with Akeelah and his child when he already had a child that needed him. Would he abandon this new child once he got bored of it or even reject it like he had done to Anna? TB was right about all this. He wasn’t meant to be a father. Looking down Gil had thought long and hard about Anna now that John explained his own life situation. Guillotine truly wanted to change. Maybe it was time to grow a pair and be apart of Anna’s life? Perhaps.

Gil was pulled from his thoughts when he heard TB laugh. Man, the human was really getting a kick out of his question. Looking back up at TB Gil managed to crack a smile of his own. It was great seeing John like this. TB didn’t appear to be as uptight when he had a smile on his face. It was hard for Gil to stay in his depressed state when the usual cold hearted TB was having a good laugh. The human then went on to explain his homelife, his reason for being at the PIDA, and even the fact that he was helping Gil return to his mate. This made the hellhound’s smile grow. John wasn’t so bad. Even if he was an ass from time to time. With a toothy grin Gil said, “Now I know.” I appeared that TB was far more noble than Gil had thought. Sure, he may have been an uptight ass. Under all that he was a kind gentleman with a heart of gold.

Soon, John grew serious about the touchy subject of babies. Gil had went on a rant before about how he would take care of his child. Needless to say, it was far more easy than what John had explained next. Guillotine wouldn't admit it but John was making him feel a bit nervous as he went through and listed all of the possibilities of trouble a baby could go through. Man, taking care of a child would be harder that he thought. There were so many dangers in just a house alone. If he ever made the kid go outside it could very well be killed. Not only that but people could take it away from him. There would be nothing he could do about it. As John explained, they would lock Gil away for good if he tried fighting with this mysterious organization called child services. When John said that this was just the start of a long lie of troubles Gil’s eyes widened in shock. Really, there was more? What more could there be? When John brought up discipline Gil gave him a nod. Ah yes, that was right. Discipline. Not only would they need to learn right from wrong, but they would also have to keep their true forms a secret from prying eyes. Gil knew how to handle and discipline a pack. Those tactics would be far too rough for a child. His pack was a group of gown individuals. This would be an all new experience for him.

“I-I didn’t realize that much work went into taking care of a pup. I could end up killing it...” Gil said as his pale hand scratched his ear nervously. Again, TB was right. This was going to be difficult. Apart of Gil wished he didn’t have to go through all of this just for some pup. He didn’t really want to do it for the pup, but rather, for Akeelah. It took some convincing, however the hellhound finally gave in. “V-Very well. I will join your parenting classes.” Guillotine wasn’t looking forward to it. If he could learn a thing or two all of this wouldn’t have been for nothing. At least he had John here to steer him in the right direction. Hell, he was lucky the man even helped him at all. With a serious look Gil glanced up at John. Clearing his throat he said, “L-Listen, John I want to thank you.” The hound then looked down suddenly. “Don't get used to me saying that!” Gil quickly snapped. He didn’t want John to think he was going soft, but soon that side of him surfaced, "But I do appreciate what you and Jesse do for me. No one, aside from Akhtar, has ever put in the effort to actually take care of me.”

[Agent 00 Biscuit]

It would be an understatement to say that John had his work cut out for him in this case. Out of all the things that Johnathan had ever had to do in his time with the PIDA this was by far was the hardest. That was saying a lot concerning the kind of crap he had to deal with in this place. John could handle babysitting his fellow agents, he could deal with dangerous cases where both his life and the life of his partner were at risk, but this? This was something else. The agency could call him a psychologist all they wanted but that didn't make him anywhere near qualified to be psychologically treating patients, especially people like Gil. If there was anyone with serious emotional problems it was Guillotine. The poor guy had a lot of baggage that came with him, he had a bad tendency for violence that stemmed from basic instinct, he was childish, self centered, and too much of an animal for his own good. This was the man that he was agreeing to help see the woman he both loved and nearly killed.

If he really thought about it (and he had spent a lot of time thinking about this) what he was saying now was madness. What would a real professional say in this situation? What would they do? Logically speaking his former plan, while flawed, might have been the safest option. Why take such big risks when it was not needed? John was only trying to do the right thing, and at the time that choice had felt like the right. But now things had changed. It wasn't just his personal feelings about the hellhound now that he had gotten to know him. There was something in Gil that he could see that had changed. He was growing up. Slowly, but surely Guillotine was growing up as a person. One day he could become someone who was worth keeping alive, but only if someone could give him the chance. It took till today for John to realize that Akhtar, and even Jesse had been right on this. It wasn't the easiest thing in the world to admit that you were wrong about something, but when John realized he was wrong not only did he admit it, but he did what he could to make amends for his mistakes.

In this case in order for him to make amends for his own folly that meant doing the best he could to help make Gil into a better person. It would be a hard task, he knew the moment he agreed to it that it would. But he was willing to give it a try. The question that was still on his mind though was if Akeelah would be willing to do the same. John had no intentions of getting the shifter and the hound back together. As far as their romantic relationship was concerned its fate was in their hands, he wouldn't intervene in something like that. But allowing Gil to be a parent was different story. If Gil was no longer a threat to the child and its mother then he wanted him to be a part of his child's life. But Akeelah might not feel the same way. He couldn't blame her for that if she didn't. No matter how much Gil changed that would never erase history. In the end he was still the one that almost killed her. What would she say if he told her what he was trying to do? Would she refuse? Would she give him a chance? He didn't know and that made him worry. He could very well be doing all of this for nothing if Akeelah refused to let him back into her life. There was nothing that John could do about it then. As much as he wanted to help Gil be a man now he couldn't refuse to listen to the one party that stood to lose the most out of all of this if he failed.

John said nothing about this fear though. He had already told Gil up front that none of this would be possible if Akeelah refused. With any luck Gil would remember that part of the conversation in case the worst thing happened. Right now what was more important was convincing Gil that everything he was asking of him had a point. Though Gil said he wanted to be a part of his kid's life it was plainly obvious that he had no bloody clue on how to handle the child. For christ's sake he was willing to put his child out in the backyard to do its business if no one stopped him. John nearly face palmed at that, but held off. This was Gil he was working with here, he always had to keep in mind in just how naive the hellhound was about pretty much everything. All Gil had ever known in his life was violence, that was why pretty much everything that he did ended in a fight. So long as everyone treated him like an idiot he would never know anything else. So with that in mind John tried to explain just what Gil would really be dealing with when it came to taking care of a child as calmly as he possibly could.

Now that caught Gil's attention. The hellhound didn't even try to argue back with him as he laid out every little detail he could think of about the kinds of dangers a child faced in the world. He wasn't exaggerating either with the things he listed out here, most of what he said he knew based on common sense, things he had read, or learned from others with children. It was amazing even to him on how much trouble caring for an infant could be, and all of that was just with human children, just how complicated would it be for a nonhuman child? It was bad enough that what Gil would be dealing with was not a human child, but something that was technically not natural even by supernatural standards. John and Gil had something in common there, neither of them had the slightest clue what the hell they could do about a leopard-hellhound hybrid. Now that John filled Gil in on how important child care was Gil seemed a lot less confident about taking care of the kid. “Don't worry Gil, you won't.” John said when Gil said he was worried about killing his own offspring. “So long as you keep the lessons I give you in mind you will be fine. If anything if I think you really are going to kill your child I won't let you near it. But I am sure things won't have to come to that.”

Maybe this whole meeting wasn't so bad after all? Now that the two were able to clear the air things were beginning to change with them. Both John and Gil's opinions about one another were beginning to change. It was pretty surprising for John to have his thoughts on the hound change as much as they did. When they had first met John had thought Gil was nothing more than a monster that had almost killed his own girlfriend and the brit's best friend. Now he was beginning to see who Gil really was. It was a little surprising, but it wasn't nearly as surprising as Gil's feelings towards him now. What Gil said next completely caught him off guard. Did...did he just say thank you? John looked surprised just hearing it, but when Gil tried to brush off his own embarrassment he couldn't help but laugh. “You're welcome.” the man replied with a smile. “For what its worth, I think you are worth helping out. You aren't as bad as you think you are. You are worth saving. Neither me, Jesse, or Akhtar would ever do as much as we have to help you out if we thought otherwise.”

[Guillotine]

“I am happy we had this talk.”

It felt as if a weight had been lifted from Guillotine’s shoulders. After all this time he was able to get all this shit off his chest. It had been quite some time since he’d been this worried about anything. Hell, just the night before he had lost sleep contemplating how this whole meeting would go down. He was sure John would refuse his request and send him on his way. Thankfully TB had actually been more understanding than Gil had anticipated. He was even willing to help Gil out. This talk had meant a lot to the hellish beast. Now that he got his worries out in the open he felt so much better about the situation. This was a far better method of getting his flustrations out. Usually, the hellhound would use killing as an outlet, among other things. Guillotine was starting to learn he didn’t have to kill to make himself feel good. Thanks to John he was able to overcome this fear; the fear he’d never see Akeelah and his pup.

John was kind enough to help him out, and for that Gil was grateful.

Guillotine was surprised how much things had changed. It wasn’t too long ago that he had been a free man, out killing with his pack of hellish beasts. Back then Gil didn’t have a single care in the world. The only responsibility he ever really had was walking his territory and defending it with his pack by his side. Ah yes, that was the life. Now he was being tied down to a job and a child of all things. He would have never seen this fate coming. So many changes were happening so fast it was making his head spin.

Guillotine was positive he wasn’t cut out to be a father. That much he was certain. He was a killing machine, unfit to even have a mate. How would he do when a child was involved? Hell, he was a tad fearful that he would end up killing the child. With John here to reassure Gil the hound did feel a bit better. He wouldn’t let that fear stop him. The beast was hell bent on helping Akeelah with her new pup. After all, if it hadn’t been for him she wouldn’t be pregnant and alone in the first place. “I’m sure I will learn a thing or two from you.” The hound then shook his head. He didn’t want John to get weary of his promise. “As long as I have my medicine I will be fine, Chief” Guillotine replied in an attempt to reassure his partner. The last thing he would want to do was sabotage his own chance at seeing Akeelah.

Now that everything was out in the open Guillotine appeared to be more relaxed. His tall frame was far less tense. The male released a long sigh before leaning back against the couch. After all that had happened in his life he was positive nothing could top loosing his mate. Sure, coming to this planet in the first place and even losing his pack was traumatizing enough. But for some odd reason losing Akeelah had left more of an impact on the helhound’s life than anything else. I was far to say Gil could take a hit but if something were bothering him mentally it would completely destroy him.

What john said next brought a smile to Guillotine’s face. The man was being far too kind. Just what had gotten into John? Where was the stubborn man Gil had seen before? Well, it appeared that John was returning the kindness that Gil tried to exude. He even commented that Gil was worth helping. This comment along had brought a smile to the young hellhound’s face. John then went on to say that Jesse and Akhtar also felt the same way when it came to helping him. Gil was really feelin the love. A light blush had appeared onto Gil’s cheeks. Feeling a bit embarrassed, he looked away. The male wasn’t quite sure what to say after hearing all that. “Um, thanks, Chief. It really means a lot...” The hound said as he looked down. He then mumbled, “-especially coming from you.” Who knew a couple of humans could really cause this much change in him? The beast let out a light chuckle. This human wasn’t so bad after all. It was a shame he had tried to eat both him and Jesse before he got to know them.

It didn’t take long for Gil to gain his confidence back. He was ready to take on any challenge John would give him. The human had done a exceptionally good job of stroking the male’s over inflated ego. The hound looked back up at John and said, “Okay, I think I am ready for those parenting classes. When do we start?“ The beast seemed far more eager about this than he had before. Possibly because John had talked him into it. “The sooner we get started the sooner I can apologies to Akeelah.”

[Agent 00 Biscuit]

“And I am sure that I will learn some things from you as well.” John replied. In truth the two men would definitely learn a thing or two from one another. For Gil being a first time parent there was a lot that he could learn from John. As for him, well teaching anyone else how to actually be a parent was a first for him. Who would have thought that he would ever be in a situation like this? Especially in the PIDA of all places? Johnathan Blaine had considered many possibilities before he agreed to work as a special agent, he knew that the job would be difficult for him to manage along with his other career, he knew that he'd be risking his life along with his friends, he even knew at some point he would have to tell his wife the truth about what he was doing when he left the house all the time. But once he joined up some of the things that he had to deal with went beyond his expectations. This just happened to be one of those times. At least it was all for a good cause. In the long run helping Gil would help improve their own relations, as well as maybe make amends with Akeelah.

If things went well who knew where those two would end up. That was still a big if though. John still wasn't confident enough in his own decisions to say without a doubt that getting those two anywhere near each other was a good idea. There was just so much that could go wrong even with him there to intervene. Guillotine tried to reassure him that at least on his side he wouldn't go out of control thanks to his medication. “Maybe one day you won't need that anymore.” the man mused. “The drugs seem to be helping you with your basic instincts, but there are more and maybe even healthier ways to learn self control than relying on medicine for it.” John knew that in the case of those with serious mental issues that sometimes medication was the best method of dealing with the worst of it, but could the same be said for Gil? Gil had problems but his man problem was his anger, anger was still something that could be dealt with the proper training. “I know the agency thought it was best to medicate you, but I want you to know that there are other ways of learning to control your impulses and anger. I think that in the long run its best for you to learn how to gain control over yourself than rely on medication to do that for you. I'd love to try some anger management with you for that. But that can be a task for later.” John would be a fool to take Gil off his medication now in the state he was in. One day he might be able to take Gil off his drugs but today was not that day.

So the man let that part of the conversation drop to move onto something else. Interestingly enough the next part of the conversation happened to be Gil trying awkwardly to thank him for his help. John had to try not to laugh at the blushing hellhound sitting across from him. This was a side to Gil that he had never seen before, and oddly enough he found this side of him kind of amusing. He guessed the same thing could be said by Gil. When had he ever offer to seriously help out Gil, or ever tell him something positive before? John had been a hard ass with him at the start because of his feelings towards him. But as time passed those feelings changed. It was safe to say that John didn't hate Guillotine anymore. The bastard hellhound that had tried to kill his best friend had disappeared, and in its place stood someone that John could actually give a damn about, maybe even call a friend?

“No need to thank me, this is the least I could do for a friend right?” The man replied. It was kind of funny the thought of calling Gil a friend, but he really meant it. Both of them had come a long way from when they first met. At the start John was sure he would never like Gil but he had been wrong, like how he had been wrong in wanting to bring Akeelah into the agency when he and Nova had first met her. It took a lot to admit one's mistakes but John was man enough to accept when he was wrong and correct his mistakes. In the end the things he ended up doing in the agency despite his initial feelings had turned out to be the right choices. John wasn't perfect and neither were the people he worked for but that didn't mean that he couldn't do something to make things better. John focused his thoughts back to the current task at hand when Gil asked him when they would start his parenting lessons. John thought for a moment, when would be a good time to start?

“It won't be any time soon.” John admitted. “First I will have to go brush up on the basic material before I can make out a lesson plan. Then I have to figure out what time is available for us based on our schedule. At least the times that I have off from the PIDA can still be used for your lessons. Give me a week at least, I will contact you once I am ready. As for meeting with Akeelah, you don't need to start your lessons first before you can meet her. If you want to apologize I will ask her if she is fine with seeing you and try to arrange something from there. You don't need to worry, I plan to tell her about the meeting we had today and what I am trying to do with you so she is at the very least informed.”