It rained a lot the day Eliza took on a hunt solo at Mac's request. She took down the bounty in a less than graceful way, slipping on wet asphalt and colliding with the man. It worked out in the end. The man's head smashed into the ground and knocked him out. She was concerned about seeing a little blood, but he was still alive. She was soaked through by the time she made it to the police department where Mac greeted her with a grin.

"Looks like he took a spill," the cop said.

Eliza showed the ripped arm of her shirt where dried blood sat on her irritated skin. "I took a spill with him."

"You need to get that looked at, Liz." Mac put the dripping bounty head over his shoulders.

"I'll be fine. I can check it over once I get home."

Mac smiled. "Okay. When do you want another bounty head?"

"Not for a while, Mac. I won't be around here to help out anyway." Eliza started toward the door. "I hope you'll come to visit soon. I know someone is eager to catch up with a certain cop."

The older man's ears turned red. "I plan on it."

"Good. See ya later, then."

Eliza waved and left for her apartment. Being soaked already, the rain didn't do much to bother her on her jog. She had a few residents of the apartment building stare at her when she walked into the lobby, but she smiled warmly. She took the elevator up and sighed when she entered the room.

Stripping on the way to her bathroom, she hummed a tune she heard earlier in the day. The sound of the water hitting her body muted her voice slightly, so she started singing. Her body soaked up the warm water, relaxing her sore muscles from the chase. Eliza carefully rubbed her loofah over the scrapes on her arm and on her leg, making sure they were clean.

Minutes after her shower, Eliza's communicator went off. She slipped on her shirt before picking it up. Her face visibly brightened at the sight of Ares on the screen.

"Hello," she said.

"Hey. Are you almost ready?"

Eliza nodded. "Packed and everything. Just waiting for this cute guy to come and pick me up."

A charming smile appeared on his face. "Aw, you think I'm cute?"

"When you're on time, I do."

Ares laughed. "Yeah, yeah. I'm pulling into the hangar now."

Eliza hung up and scampered to Ares' hangar. She opened the door right as he parked and shut off his ship. As he climbed down the steps, Eliza jumped into his arms and hugged him tightly. Her grin was wide when she left several loud kisses to his face and lips. It made him chuckle and hold her closer.

Every time she was in his presence, she made sure to take advantage of their relationship. Their night taking on Ezra Logan was nearing the first-year anniversary, but Eliza still thought about Ares lying on the ground while blood pooled around him. She refused to miss any chance to love on him.

"Where are your bags?"

"Inside." The lady hunter held his face in her hands. "I set them by the couch."

Ares placed his partner on the ground. "Get in the ship and I'll grab them for you. Mom has a great dinner waiting for us."

"She's still okay with us crashing there for a couple of weeks, right?"

"Of course, she is. Knowing that Mac will show up is an added perk to our stay."

With a nod, Eliza kissed Ares' again. That was when he noticed the scrapes on her arm. He took the limb in his hands and frowned at his girlfriend.

"What did you do now?"

She shrugged. "I slipped on the asphalt chasing a guy down. I made sure to clean it well when I showered. Don't fret over it. I'm perfectly fine." Ares kissed the wound, his lips soothing her skin. "Well, when you do that there's no need for me to feel any pain anymore."

Ares chuckled and gave her a gentle smack on her butt. "Get in the ship, weirdo."

"Yes, sir." She winked and climbed in, watching Ares shake his head before running inside to get her things. Eliza was so excited to see Katie again and have time to really relax.

Dinner was amazing, just like Ares said. Eliza was stuffed and happy. She helped Ares with the dishes while Katie took a call from a certain cop back on Mars. The hunters smiled at each other, loving how the two most important people in their lives were investing in each other. Eliza's heart warmed.

When 10 p.m. came around, Eliza crawled into bed with Ares. He read something on his tablet, oblivious to the woman tucking herself under the sheets. She grinned wickedly before she went back under to press a soft kiss to the scar on his leg below the hem of his boxer briefs. She laughed when he jumped. She poked her head out, resting her chin on his stomach.

"You are a little devil, Lizzy," Ares said, setting his tablet aside and running his fingers through his hair.

"I had to get your attention somehow."

"And now you have it. What do you need?"

Eliza resituated herself so she was curled up against his side. Her fingers played with the hair on his chest while she kissed his shoulder. "I just want to be close to you."

Ares gave her a soft look and pressed his lips to the top of her head. "I'm here and I'm not going anywhere."

"As long as Mae doesn't come back from the dead..."

He chuckled and wrapped his arms around her. "Zombies aren't real, you know."

"Doesn't mean she wouldn't try, Ares. She's resilient."

"We're safe, Lizzy. Both of us have taken a step back from hunting, the Scorpions are nothing now, Terrance is suffering the consequences of his actions, and we don't have to watch our backs for any more of Ezra's schemes."

Her nose nuzzled into his shoulder. "I'm aware we're safe, but for how long? Now that we don't have the Scorpions to deal with, someone is bound to rise up to their level."

In a swift move, Ares flipped her onto her back and stared down at her serious face. His lips connected with her forehead and he smiled at her. "Let's not worry about that, okay? We have these moments right now to cherish. Don't let your worries prevent you from seizing today."

Eliza pressed her hand against the side of his face, staring lovingly into his amber eyes. "I still don't deserve you."

"That is where you're wrong, Eliza." He captured her mouth in a strong kiss, interlocking their fingers together next to her head. His lips brushed against hers when he spoke again. "You deserve much more than me and I'm going to do everything I can to show you what that looks like."

She let a gentle laugh leave her and kissed him again. "Thank you for never giving up on me and for bringing me back from the dark place I resided in."

"Anything for you, Lizzy."

They kiss again, Eliza's hand finding purchase on his shoulder and then his hair. A thought crossed her mind and she started to laugh into the kiss.

He paused. "What?"

"Can you imagine Mac and your mom like this in the future?"

Ares' face paled. "That is not the image I want while kissing my girlfriend."

She cackled and pulled him back in.

In the end, Eliza guessed she had to thank Terrance, Ezra, and the Scorpions as a whole. Without them, Ares never would have entered her life and changed it for the better. If Mae still lived, she would thank her, too for starting the growth of her emotions toward the obnoxious bounty hunter.

Bounty hunting and Mac were all she had and then Ares Matthews managed to wiggle into her heart. He took away her pain and helped her move on from her past. He turned her into the Eliza Kane she always wanted to be.

"I love you," she said against his warm lips.

Ares pulled back to stare at her flushed face. His smile made her stomach twist eagerly. "And I love you. Don't forget that."

"Never."