Hades patiently stayed with us while Chill bought his new treasures, all while tapping his foot, looking at his watch (who wears those in this day and age?), and muttering under his breath about the time. After the tenth time he checked his watch, I might have lost it a bit. Okay, I lost it a lot.

“Look Mr. Wizard, you really do not have to stay with us. I think we're perfectly fine in finding our way from here,” I pointed towards the cash register, then to the exit which was maybe five feet away, “to there, without falling into the clutches of some big evil thing.”

The big man just glowered at me and raised an eyebrow. I mean, how the hel- hades (with a lowercase h) does someone glower and raise an eyebrow at the same time. It should be physically impossible. I just gave him a scathing look in return and raised my own eyebrow, which is totally possible.

“With my luck you'd trip and find a portal to under-hill.” he groused.

“And if I did find a portal under the hill, would that be anything you'd be responsible for if you weren't even here?” I crossed my arms and added a bit of a sneer to my scathing look.

He stormed closer to me, making me have to crick my neck to look at him. He bent over and put his face next to mine, reminding me I'd just accosted him with said face. I lost battle points when I started to feel a blush creep over my cheeks.

“Yes. It would be my responsibility. I said you were under my protection. That means twenty-four, seven, protection. Not, when I want to do it protection.” He spat out, luckily, he didn't spit anything else since he was an inch away.

“Oooh are the two of you getting close again? Do I hear wedding bells? Do I need to get a tux? Hey sis, can I be your best man?” Chill came up to us, swinging a bulging plastic bag. We turned - his glower and my scathing look - my brother's way and he paused mid stride. “Never mind.” He squeaked.

The three of us made our silent way out of the goblin's thrift shop and stopped next to my true love. “Baby did you miss me?” I crooned to my car.

Hades huffed and I rounded on him. “Hey, don't discount my baby!”

“It's just a car.” He rolled his eyes.

“I bet you drive a motorcycle, don't you?” I narrowed my eyes.

His blush came back. “And if I do?” He growled.

“Nothing, I just get that whole freedom and wind flowing through my hair thing with the top down on my car. It has the added bonus of not having to hold my vehicle up with my foot.” I put my hands on my hips and growled back.

“It's just a junkie old car.” He said, “My bike is cheaper to drive and looks more cool.”

I sputtered for a moment, then pointed at him as if I were pointing him out of a lineup. “I could probably take your stupid bike apart, and put it back together- making it run better, in a single day. I spent a year lovingly restoring my baby. You sir, are a plebeian!”

Chill whistled long and low. “Wow, you ticked her off. She's using her big words on you. You've just become enemy numero uno.” He shook his head. “Talk bad about her clothes, her brother, anything at all... except her car.”