[14th August]

"Where is Anya?" Cian entered the Lair two days after their wet adventure "Called in sick." Ben informed "Cold. Anya texted me she was sorry but puny human apparently can't take a swim without getting sick and her fever coding is worse than the sleep deprived one... her words." he grinned because he found the text immensely funny "I remember a cold not being funny." Cian scolded Ben.

"But her text is." Ben pointed out "I'll plan on leaving early today and check on her. Make her some dinner, see what she needs."

Cian raised an eyebrow "You playing nurse?" he asked in disbelief making Ben blush "She saved my life, Cian." He reminded him "The least I can do is check on her." he had found a plausible reason to convince himself he didn't worry for her because he liked her.

Cian nodded slowly "Alright. Give me a text how she is feeling, ok?" he asked and Ben nodded

Ben knocked at Anyas door, suddenly unsure if he should have called ahead. He heard movements and Anya's grumbling threats promising murder and felt sorry to made her get up. "I come in peace, don't kill me." he sheepishly smiled when she opened the door and held up the bag he was carrying. He had left the office early, like he said he would and went home to prepare a soup - one his mother always cooked for him when he was sick.

Anya looked paler than usual, nose runny and red and her eyes glazed over from fever. The bruise on her cheek nearly faded though. "Damn, you look like shit." he stated with a compassionate grin but Anya just stared at him stunned, her face softened and lost all grumble. "Ben?" she even managed a smile as she stepped aside to let him in "I am a grumpy, whiny asshole today... just you know." she said and sounded funny because of her blocked nose.

"Noted." Ben grinned and put the bag on the counter "I brought some soup, maybe it helps you." He looked at her "No garlic, no onions." He promised "It's my mom's recipe." He added.

"God, I love you so much right now." Anya blurted out which made Ben smile "That's just the fever talking." he stated "You have all the meds you need? I can run down to the pharmacy…" he offered but Anya shook her head "I'm staffed, just need a cool pack." She assured him.

"Then lie back down, take some meds and I'll bring you a cool pack and warm up the soup." Ben commanded and Anya went back to the couch, where she had a pillow and a blanket, and snuggled into it.

When Ben brought her the cool pack and she placed it on her forehead, tears started to flow - her fever must just have had reached a certain level. Ben squatted down beside the couch "Anya, you are crying. Have I done something wrong?" he feared and felt a bit helpless "No... God, no. You did nothing wrong... It's just the fever... it will stop in a couple of minutes." she assured him. "This is so embarrassing" she mumbled.

"It's not." Ben sat down beside the couch and started to caress her shoulder and arm, handed her tissues until she stopped crying some minutes later. "Better?" he gave her a smile "Yes, thank you..." she assured him, eyes still fevered and Ben went back into the kitchen "Never heard of that before." He called over his shoulder and Anya huffed a laugh "Yeah I'm weird." she admitted.

Ben came back with two deep plates filled with a soup Anya could hardly smell "No one ever cooked for me since I was seventeen…" she looked at him and tested it "This is good." She smiled "Thank you, didn't know I needed this." Ben chuckled "You are welcome."

When they were done eating they decided to watch a movie together during which Anya's cold meds kicked in and she fell asleep. When Ben noticed it, he tucked her into her blanket and put the stuffed tiger sitting on the backrest next to her. He caught himself nearly kissing her forehead and drew back scared. What was he doing?

He carried the plates and cutleries to the sink in the kitchen part of her living room and cleaned them. After that he put the container with the rest of the soup into her fridge. His thoughts stayed with the sleeping woman on the couch though. He leaned on the counter and watched her sleeping form for a second. Her soft features, even in her sleep a smile on her face, her steady breathing - maybe a bit fast due to the fever. She was beautiful. He realized how much he had grown to like her. When had she become more than a friend to him? Two days ago? Last week? Last month? He couldn't remember. The smile on his face froze and all the old memories crawled up to haunt him. How he was laughed at, beaten, dumped when he had no more use... He needed to go. He had become way too invested with Anya.

He grabbed a scrap of paper from her desk and a pen, scribbled a note "I'll call you in sick. Sleep. Rest of the soup is in the fridge. Get well. Ben." He put the note on top of her phone within reach and silently left her apartment.

Outside he leaned against the closed door for a moment, eyes closed, just breathing.

When Anya woke up the next morning, she felt much better but startled when she realized she slept through her alarm. She grabbed for her phone and noticed a note on it - Ben's handwriting. 'I'll call you in sick. Sleep. Rest of the soup is in the fridge. Get well. Ben.'

She smiled when she remembered the day before. He had been so caring. She blushed when she realized something. Never in her life had someone cared that much for her like Ben did. She remembered how much she enjoyed the hugging after their unwilling bath and how he changed to leopard to keep her warm or the caressing yesterday when she had involuntary cried. She realized, she actually felt more than friendship for Ben. She wasn't sure if Ben reciprocated that feeling but he definitively did care for her.

She reached for her phone, texting Ben. 'Thank you!' read the first 'Feeling much better.' followed. After a moment she added 'No more fever - still love you.' She stared at the screen in silence for a second after she had sent this last text and groaned - she shouldn't have sent that last one.

'Glad to hear. Thanks for letting me know.' Anya frowned on the answer. She had expected some joking… teasing because of her last text but this? This was the same cold professionalism she knew from when they started working together. He had closed off again.

She felt a pang in her chest. They had shared a moment in that cave two days ago. And how he cared for her… and then she remembered something he told her about half a year ago when he saved her on her birthday 'Usually in my experience women are all smiles and sweet until they have what they want or you have no more use for them. Then they disappear or try to ruin your life' He never told her what had happened - and she never pushed - but something she had said or done yesterday must have scared him into closing off again. She forced herself not feeling hurt about it - he probably didn't even realize he did it. 'See you tomorrow.' she texted back.

She decided to give him a couple of days and then see how she could approach the matter. Maybe she could bring him to tell her what had happened to him so she could understand it better?

[16th August]

When Anya came into office the next day she found not only Ben waiting but also Cian, Tamara and an unknown man. "Anya, you feel better?" her Boss asked.

A slight smile showed in her face when she side-glanced at Ben. She knew him well enough that he wouldn't appreciate it if she 'outed' him for cooking for her in front of all the others - especially not after something scared him into closing off. "I am, thank you. Someone brought me a magical soup which helped." She answered mysteriously.

The man Anya didn't know rose and offered her his hand "I'm Detective Novac, hello." He introduced himself "I just showed Ben pictures of the suspects we arrested and who could be your attackers." He explained. The pictures still lay in front of Ben.

"That one is definitively the one who tried to smash my head with the baseball bat. The other one I'm not sure." Her coworker stated, holding up one of the pictures before he turned all of them towards her. Anya looked at the pictures "That one here." She held up a picture "That is the one who grabbed me and whom I head-butted." She was sure

"They belong to an anti-shifter group 'Peaceful Existence'." Novac explained "It looks like they are responsible for the murder Ms. Rixley helped us investigate too." He glanced at Tamara who had been quiet the whole time. "But that one…" Novac pointed at the picture Anya still held "…seemed to have a personal motive too… you sure you don't know him?" she asked.

Anya looked over the picture again. "Huh… He did ask if I remembered him, called me 'beautiful' like it should ring a bell…"

"Wait…" Ben stood up to have another look at the picture "… is this the dipshit who spiked your drink and then hit on you on your birthday? I heard him call you 'beautiful' over the phone." he looked at Anya who squinted "Maybe… Memory is very blurry. Jean… Gene…" Anya tried to remember the name but again Ben could help "Sean… that's how he introduced himself."

Novac nodded "That is his name." he smiled "He seems to be pissed on Shifters for 'stealing their girls'." He explained.

Ben frowned "Hadn't recognized his scent… Neither did Snow but I had been a bit caught up in preventing my head getting smashed in." he shrugged.

"Snow?" Tamara and Cian asked the same time. Ben blushed lightly "We named my beast. So?" he looked challenging at Tamara, who sneered, and Cian who just shrugged.

Novac clapped his hands drawing the attention back to the case "Maybe the murder and the attack on you are connected. We will look into those guys social connections. We need to prevent further violence." He collected the pictures "I'll better get back to work." He bid his goodbye.

"I see if I can help you." Tamara followed Novac out. She had wondered if there was something going on between Ben and Anya the moment she saw her glancing at him when she came in and Cian asked her if she was better. She took it as a given he made the soup for her. And now they even named this beast of him.

Maybe she should hit on Anya. Not that she was her type - she had too much in common with Ben - but maybe Ben would see how it felt when your girl goes off with someone else.