Dumas tensed slightly when Mari called him ‘Baby’.  But he quickly realized that the bitch had not returned to taunt him.  Even with all her deceitful skill, she couldn’t possibly fake that level of gentleness and caring.  Somewhere in the wall which separated the two personalities, there must be a tiny crack, and it occasionally let something slip through.  That might be a problem later on.  Right now, however, Dumas didn’t mind.  As long as the word was spoken with genuine tenderness, he was glad to hear it.<br/><br/>Still, Dumas shook his head when Mari dismissed his violent outburst.  He didn’t doubt her absolution -- indeed, he felt incredibly grateful for it.  Only someone with a heart as generous as hers could forgive the blows struck against them.  Unfortunately, what he’d done was still wrong.  Dumas possessed a strong streak of old-fashioned chivalry, and he didn’t think that a man should ever hit a woman, no matter what bile she was spouting.  Considering all the female soldiers he’d undoubtedly killed during his time in the military, this position didn’t make much logical sense.  But Dumas tended to act from the gut.  Developing a consistent moral philosophy wasn’t something he’d spent much time on.<br/><br/>Her quick pecks made Dumas’s lips curl into a genuine smile.  Wrapping his arms around Mari, he pulled her close and responded with a more lingering press of lips against lips.  The warmth that filled him as they kissed made it tempting to go even further.  But Mari was right.  He felt utterly drained by everything that had just happened, and surely she did too.  “A nap sounds wonderful,” Dumas agreed.  “Let me go release Ches from sentry duty.”<br/><br/>After giving Mari a final kiss on the tip of her nose, Dumas got up and walked over to the door.  A few quick raps with his fist would presumably capture Chester’s attention, assuming that the magician didn’t already have his ear pressed up against the wood.  “Thanks, Ches.  Everything is okay.”  A deep sense of peace filled Dumas when he spoke those words.  Of course, it wasn’t really true -- they still needed to deal with Mari’s other self, and The Cards probably weren’t very happy about being jerked around.  But at least Mari didn’t hate him.  For now, that was enough.  “You can get back to corrupting innocents and planning glamorous jewel robberies.  Or whatever it is that you do with your spare time.”<br/><br/>However, as Dumas walked back towards Mari, his gaze kept returning to the bruises he’d left on her skin.  That couldn’t be allowed to happen again.  Not ever.  It was alright to fight his demons alone when he was the only one they could hurt.  But that wasn’t the case anymore.  If Mari now shared in the danger, she deserved to participate in the battle.  “Bunny Girl,” Dumas began hesitantly, as he started to unbutton his shirt.  “I swear, I’m not trying to get sexual right now.  There’s just...something you should see.”<br/><br/>This wasn’t easy for Dumas, even after everything they’d already shared.  But telling Mari about the sex had diffused its ability to upset him, and he hoped showing her this would have a similar effect.  Turning his back toward Mari, Dumas slipped off his shirt, revealing the angel wings tattooed over feathery scars and the name<span style="font-style: italic">Davy</span>written between them.<br/><br/>“I can’t explain yet.”  Someday.  Maybe even someday soon.  However, after everything he’d just been through, Dumas couldn’t face another emotional rollercoaster.  “I just want you to know that it’s there.  So she can’t use him against me.”