Cian pulled up at the roadside and got out of the car. He had his gun ready in his hand at his side facing downwards. Anya and Ben had made themselves comfortable while waiting for him, leaning against a tree. Ben had his arm around Anya's shoulders and she rested her head on his chest.

When Ben raised his perfectly human hand and waved at him, a smile on his back to normal face, and his not fractured tattoo calm where it should be, the weapon just dropped from Cian's hand and landed on the ground with a thud. "Ben…" he whispered.

Anya slapped the back of her hand lightly on Ben's chest, crossing her arms afterwards "Told you he wouldn't believe me and bring a gun." Both peeled away from the tree while Cian rushed to them, pulling Ben into a tight hug his eyes glistening. "This is unheard of." He stated in disbelief, looking at Anya "How…" but he decided an explanation could wait and hugged her too then smacking her lightly at the back of her head with his flat hand.

"Ey! What was that for?" she rubbed the spot and felt Ben stiffen, ready to fight Cian if necessary. "For running off into a situation you had no experience with and which, under normal circumstances, would have killed you! This was pure luck!" his angry face softened again. "I don't know how this is possible but I am just grateful for it." He hugged them again.

"Snow said Anya anchored me so he could hold on until she dragged me back up." Ben gave him the short version. "But how?" he asked in disbelief "She kissed me and said she loves me." Ben smiled and glanced at Anya who did too, pulling her closer to him and kissing the top of her head.

Cian pointed from one to the other "The two of you…?" he asked and shook his head grinning when he saw Anya blushing "Well, good thing we don't have a company policy against dating coworkers, then." He teased which made Anya frown "You do remember I quit on you last night?" Anya blurted out making Cian lose his smile "You mean you were serious?" he asked which made her shrug "It was a rage quit." She admitted which made Cian pull a face "Because I was a…dipshit wanting to kill Ben." He clarified and Anya nodded "Well, yes… No… yes…" she sighed frustrated and Cian looked at her confused "You ordered me around like I fucking belong to you, Cian …" she ran her hand through her hair not sure how to continue or if she wanted to tell Cian. Her potential not-so-ex-Boss picked up on her unease "True. I unfortunately tend to do this. Especially if I'm worried for people I care about." He admitted "If I promise I'll try my best to tone this down you'll stay? You'll have to call me out if I do it again." he offered his hand and Anya took it after a second "Ok, I'll stay." She gave him a smile. She was relieved it went that way… she liked her job.

They all filed into Cian's car with Anya going into the back as the smallest person. "Tell me what happened." Cian wanted to know from Ben after he started the car and made a U-Turn.

Ben was quiet for a second, trying to remember. "I remember searching for Tamara when I was hit with somethings heavy. I blacked out afterwards." He rubbed the back of his head "After that I only remember being in a kind of meadow - the one I met Snow when he was awakened, I think - Snow holding onto me to keep me from drowning." He shrugged then smiled "And I remember Anya's presence." He sighed "That's it."

Cian nodded slowly "I'll take you to Alanis. Maybe she can help you trigger your memory and she can look after Anya's arm." Cian decided.

Doctor Alanis Parker was a woman in her fifties. Her hair was greying but the sharp golden eyes of a shifter made her look younger. While she listened to Cian and Ben bringing her up to speed to the latest events, she looked over Anya's gashes, cleaned them and put a fresh bandage around them.

"Child, this was borderline stupid… you know this, right? Running after someone controlled by its beast" Alanis scolded her. Anya sighed "Ok… fine… you are right. This was stupid." She smirked at Ben "Still, glad I did it."

"I can see that…" Alanis smiled too before she concentrated on Cian and Ben again. "I never heard of a stable beast before but I have heard of Shifters claiming they had a deeper connection to their beasts after naming them." She stated when she let go of Anya's arm and the developer slipped back into her jacket. "It is very much possible the naming saved you there." Alanis looked at Ben smiling who in turn smiled at Anya because it had been her nudge which made him do it. "But then again those already were close with their beasts when they decided to name them." She mused "For the problem you not remembering… I'm not sure how we can trigger your memory, Ben." She sighed and looked at Anya "And Snow didn't know what happened, too?" she wanted to make sure. Anya shook her head unhappy "I didn't even think of asking him. I'm really useless sometimes." She sighed.

"Not Useless!" actual growled words accompanied the Feelings, which Ben usually received from Snow. "Are you OK?" Anya was scared as he just looked ahead with unfocused eyes. Ben just held up a hand.

"I can hear you, Snow", Ben closed his eyes. "Can you do this again?" but stopped himself "Do you remember anything that happened?" Snow was confused that he could be heard by Ben, trying to replicate this without immediate success. Then frustrated, finally angry and suddenly images flashed in Ben's mind. The parking lot, Tamara's car, the warehouse, the man - the Beastlord - Tamara, a flashing pain, and how she made him drink something. How he was suddenly in control, Cian who shot at him and how he went to Anya. Anya who took care of him, how he accidently hurt her and ran away. How he hid in the little cave and how Anya found him.

Bens eyes snapped open "Holy shit…" he breathed, staggered against the bed Anya sat on "…I just could hear Snow actually speaking to me over the emotions I usually get from him…" he explained and gave Anya a faint grin "He is pissed you called yourself useless." He looked at Cian "He showed me pictures… his memories… and mine… probably of what had happened…"

Ben tried to focus and thankfully the others gave him time "I was at a parking lot in the area Cian assigned me." He started slowly "I found Tamara's car but before I could investigate more, I was hit with something…" he frowned, fighting to find words "… hard, metal… a pipe maybe?" he shrugged deciding it wasn't important "I smelled Tamara… she held me and forced me to drink something…" he broke off for a moment "The Beastlord touched me and tried to flip my balance. I grew so tired and if Snow hadn't prevented me from falling asleep I'd be gone." He remembered looking at Cian alarmed "This Beastlord flipped Tamara's balance like he flipped mine. She seems stable, Cian." He added.

"Then we can't lose any time…" Cian said and looked at the doctor "Thanks Alanis for seeing us spontaneously." He smiled and Anya chimed in "And for patching me up."

"You are welcome…" Alanis gave Anya a soft, motherly smile before she looked to Ben "Take care of her… and I'd like to interview you about what you just experienced with Snow." She winked.

"Will do." Ben promised.

"I was worried about her for a while… Tamara I mean." Cian admitted when they had left the Hospital "She wasn't at peace with her beast. She distrusted it. Was scared to lose control and rampage." He sighed and shook his head in disbelief. "I didn't realize it became so bad that she started to hate us."

"And I always thought she just hated me…" Ben finally said in the ensuing silence. Anya frowned "Why is that… I always wondered." She asked and Ben sighed.

"I once met that woman in a club… Juliet. She smelled of Tamara and claimed to be a friend of hers, visiting and staying with her. She flirted with me and when we went outside for some fresh air, we kissed. Suddenly Tamara was there, making a scene." He shrugged "Turned out Juliet wasn't just her friend but Girlfriend. Partner. Whatever. Tamara never believed me that I had no idea though." He looked at Anya with a sad smile "She used me… Juliet I mean. She wanted a shifter… Probably she meant one who didn't hate who they were." he sighed. "Story of my life I guess…" the moment he said it he looked wide eyed at Anya. Did he just accuse her of having an agenda dating him? But Anya just gave him a soft smile and now understood even better why he tended to pull away every time they started to become closer. "I think we need to rewrite this story then." she whispered and winked. Ben put an arm around Anya, drawing her closer to him in the process "So… what next, Chief?" he asked Cian.

"First, we will go for the warehouse you have been before you were attacked. I call some of the others for backup." Cian decided, glanced at Anya. He wanted her to go home and be safe but didn't know how to put it so she didn't feel commanded again.

"I guess there is nothing I can help you with…" Anya had guessed what Cian thought. She was a programmer, good at drawing and not useless with a needle but she was neither fighter or had any knowledge about supernatural stuff for that matter.

"No. In addition, we don't know what to expect… maybe we get into a fight or find nothing at all." Cian nodded and so did Anya when Ben didn't object his assessment. "Take the day off, Anya. It was a hell of a night and you are injured. You should get some rest." Cian offered and Anya nodded "I think I'll do that." Then she looked at Ben "Call me so I'll know you are safe, ok?" she asked and he nodded, his hand resting on her shoulder and the side of the neck "Will do." giving her a quick peck on the cheek before Cian and he went off.

By the time they entered the warehouse to which the parking lot belonged, two wolves, a tiger and a bear had joined Cian and Ben. Given the fact that the Beastlord overpowered Tamara and managed to get near to Ben without him noticing the wolves and the tiger already changed. Only the bear shifter - a bulky, white man, usually working in construction, called Hanson - Cian and Ben stayed human for now.

What they found inside proved a bit anticlimactic. While it definitively smelled of Tamara and the Beastlord - at least they presumed because Ben was sure it was how the one who attacked him had smelled - no one was there.

They searched the place, found the makeshift greenhouse where the Beastlord must have grown herbs but all the plants where gone. Books lay discarded around. They would look through them but had not much hope to find anything important.

"What are you looking for?" Cian asked Ben who stood in the middle of the parking lot looking in different directions, squinting against the midday sun and obviously lost in thought "Traffic cams…" he sighed "But I can't see any around here."

"But it's a good idea anyways." Cian nodded. "I'll ask Novac." He added which caused Ben to look at him with a raised eyebrow "Heads up: We can't zoom in to read the license plate." he wanted to make sure. "I know, I know... but if they have them leaving on camera maybe the car is distinctive enough to follow it around through the cameras." He wondered then looked his tired friend up and down "Sorry I dragged you here… you must be exhausted too. Go home and sleep." He offered. Ben nodded "I'll check on Anya first."

'Still awake? Warehouse was a dead end and Cian gave me the day off too.' Ben texted Anya. He was sitting in a car next to the huge bear shifter who agreed to drop him off on his way to work. He didn't have to wait long until she texted back 'Couldn't sleep yet. Breakfast at my place?' she asked causing a small smile to appear on Ben's face 'On my way.' He texted back and his smile was fading because he lost himself again in unpleasant memories.

"Give…" Hanson gave Ben a quick glance. "You just went from happy to slight panic in two seconds." He explained.

"I'm going to have breakfast at my girlfriends place." Ben put into words and let out a breath.

Hanson was silent for a second. He knew Ben well - his problems with women too - so he knew what was going on inside him now "You got a girlfriend? This is huge…" he nodded, glanced again "Who is she?" he was curious and Ben complied "My coworker Anya. We started hanging out after work some months ago, having fun and just realized this became dating somewhen along the way. We both liked the idea and decided to try it… and she saved my life… My beast Snow and her…"

Hanson smirked "She sounds like a keeper." He was silent for a second "Don't run if you get scared, Ben. Just tell her. She sounds like she'd understand." He advised and Ben nodded "That's what I'm planning."

When Ben arrived at Anya's place, she already had prepared baguettes, wrapped in a kitchen towel to keep warm, some marmalade, honey and some hazelnut-chocolate cream. A pan sat ready on the still turned off burner "You want bacon and eggs?" Anya asked him and Ben nodded "That'd be great… I'll make the chocolate?" he offered and when Anya nodded, he filled some milk from the fridge in glasses, heated them in the microwave. He knew where everything was, the same she did at his place. "Sorry if I being clingy, Benji…" Anya had her eyes on the pan melting butter while the microwave ran "I thought I lost you… still freaks me out." Ben took two cups from the cupboard then reached for the instant powder up the shelf and filled it in the cups before he stepped over to the stove and hugging Anya from behind, burying his face in her neck, breathing her scent for a second. Anya enjoyed having him so close "You are not clingy… you just care about me, love." He decided as endearment for her. Ben kissed her neck and watched the bacon sizzle for a second "This relationship thing still scares me a bit." He admitted finally "And I have no idea what you expect of me as your …boyfriend? Mate? How do we want to call it?"

Anya chuckled "I like mate…" she decided "and just be the same you always are… because that's what I fell in love with." She added taking the pan off the burner "So… everything stays the same?" Ben smiled when Anya turned in his embrace "Exactly. We just add this…" she kissed him gently on his lips and he returned the kiss.

Both their stomachs began to rumble simultaneously making them both blush and laugh "Let's eat…" Anya suggested "…and afterwards we can catch up some sleep. My bed is large enough for two." She looked at him "If you want to, I mean." Ben grinned "Sounds like a plan!"