Acheron

still only suspected about Ash. Not to mention the fact that she now knew she had people out to end her life any way they could over something she didn't even possess.

What was she going to do?

Ash returned a few minutes later. 'Kim spoke to your grandfather and Aunt Del. She said they want you to call them as soon as you can.' Ash stepped close enough that she could see him.

'Thank you, Ash.'

'You're welcome. Kim also said she'd have Pam bring your spare glasses over to you just as soon as she can.'

She put her hand over the one Ash had resting on her railing and gave a light squeeze. 'Thank you for remembering to ask about them, too.' She picked his hand up and placed hers against it. She'd always thought of her hands as mannish since they were so much bigger than most women's, but compared to his hand, hers were dainty. His fingers were long and graceful with calluses that also marred his palms. They were manly hands and she couldn't help wondering what they'd feel like skimming her body…

'Your hands are so huge.'

'Yours are soft and little.' She didn't miss the catch in his voice before he moved his hand away. 'Mine are also really rough.' He said it as if it embarrassed him.

'I like your hands. I think they're beautiful.'

'I don't know about that, but they do what they're supposed to most times I guess.'

She shook her head. 'You hate compliments, don't you?'

Ash's gut tightened at the unwanted memories her question provoked. As a human, compliments had been followed by either unwanted gropings or all-out beatings from the people who didn't want to be attracted to him. As a god they'd become extinct which, given his former experiences, was fine by him.

'You want me to get you something to eat?'

Tory nodded. 'I'm always hungry.'

'I'll be back.'

She didn't move as she watched him leave again. He was so strange and so seductive. Protective, arrogant and at same time unsure of himself. Which really made no sense to her. How could he ever be uncertain?

She lay there for several minutes as she pondered the dichotomy.

'Hey girl.'

She smiled at the blur that was Pam. 'Hey hon.'

Pam came forward and put Tory's glasses on her face. Tory breathed a sigh of relief as the world came into focus again. 'Bless you.'

'Anytime. How are you feeling?'

'Pretty good considering I just got hit by a car and died.'

Pam growled at her. 'You're not funny. And where's your delectable bodyguard?'

'He went to find food for me.'

'Ooo, good looking and he quests for food when you're hungry. He's a keeper. So when are you going to sleep with him?'

Ash paused outside the door as he heard Pam's question to Tory.

Tory made a very undignified snort. 'Sleep with him… pah-lease. Like I don't have better things to do with my day. I swear the way you have sex on the brain, you should have been born a guy.'

'Oh yeah right, Tor, look at the man. They don't make a finer model than that one. Trust me. Unlike you, I look a lot. He's without a doubt the finest thing on two legs, or three if you play your cards right.'

Tory let out a sound of utter shock. 'Stop talking about him like that. He'd die of embarrassment if he heard you.'

Pam tsked at her. 'I'm telling you right now, Tory, if you let that one get away without sleeping with him, you'll regret it for the rest of your life.'

'And given my history with men, if I tried to sleep with him I'd kill him. The last guy I tried to sleep with ended up in a body cast.'

Pam laughed. 'Look at me and tell me honestly you haven't thought about it.'

'I'm not that blind, but I don't think of Ash that way. I'm much more interested in him for his brains than his body. Now move on to the next topic before I push the button and tell the nurses I'm being harassed by an insane stalker friend.'

'You would, too.'

Deciding it was now safe to make an appearance, Ash walked in. Pam's face turned instantly red as she moved to the other side of the bed.

He set his bag down on Tory's tray table and moved it closer to her. 'I wasn't sure what you'd like, so I got some of everything.'

Tory smiled. 'There's not much I don't eat. Curse of my Aunt Del always telling me about the poor children who have to eat dirt just to keep from going hungry.'

Ash adjusted the tray for her, then opened her soda.

'Um guys,' Pam said as Tory unwrapped a hamburger. 'I don't think you're supposed to eat that right after surgery. Don't they put patients on clear liquid diets or something?' She looked uneasily out the door. 'Where's Kim when I need her?'

Tory waved her words away. 'I feel fine.'

Ash pulled the fries out for her and set them down. 'I wouldn't have gotten anything for her that would cause her more pain.'

Tory held the burger up toward him. 'You want a bite?'

'No, thanks.'

Looking at Pam, she gestured at him with the burger. 'I swear he's living proof that air has calories. Otherwise he'd shrivel up to nothing.'

'Oh like you have room to talk. If there was any justice in this world, you'd be bigger than my house. You eat like a man and you're skinny as a rail.' Pam smirked at Ash. 'My mother used to call her Jack Sprat when we were kids. Thank God her aunt owned a deli, though I swear Tory ate up all the profits whenever she worked there.'

Ash laughed.

'Only 'cause Del makes the best koulourakias, kourabiethes and melomacarinas ever.'

Pam smirked at Ash. 'Did you understand a single word of what she just said?'

'Of course he does, he's Greek. Even if he doesn't eat, he knows the cookies. I'll bet his mother stuffed him full as a kid.'

Ash snorted at the image of his mother cooking anything, other than world destruction. 'Not really. My mom wasn't the Betty Crocker kind.' Not unless it involved napalm or plagues.

A sharp gasp at the door made them all look to see Kim in the doorway. 'What are you doing eating that!'

Tory and Pam pointed at him. 'He brought it.'

Making a sound of distress, Kim rushed to the bed to take the burger from Tory's hands.

Tory pulled it away. 'Not on your life, Kim, and I mean that literally.'

'You can't eat that right after surgery. It'll make you sick.'

'Better the cow than your hand which I'm going to take a chunk of if you reach for it again. I'm hungry. You of all people know better than to come between me and food.'

Kim whirled on Ash with a malevolent glare. 'How could you bring this to her?'

'She said she was hungry.'

Kim popped him hard on his butt. 'Don't do it again! You clear her diet through her doctor or a nurse. You don't just bring food to someone in a hospital. Are you out of your mind?'

Ash was too stunned to even react as Kim went back to the sack on the tray and rifled through it.

'You two are awful, just awful.' Kim started to roll the top down.

Tory glared at her like a feral lion. 'You take that bag, Kim, and I'll make you regret it.'

'Tory, be reasonable.'

'My stomach wants food.'