Masks She Wore CHP2

Category: Games » Persona 3 Portable
Rating: Rated: T
Shipping: Akihiko Sanada X Female Protagonist (Named Kieka Arisato)
Genre: Romance/General



Masks She Wore

How far would you go to save the one you love? Would the secrets you unveil piece by devastating piece break away at your resolve? Would the truth beneath circumstance change your perspective and your overall decision to bring your beloved back? With doubt and uncertainty clouding your heart, would you be able to follow one simple rule?

Chapter 2: Semblance of Normalcy

Yellows and pinks were slowly bleeding through dark blue clouds, the pale hues hinting at the leisurely ascending sun, heralding the start of the hustle and bustle of the city. Frosty air bit at Akihiko's chilled cheeks and reddened nose, his steady breath misted around his mouth in cloudy puffs as he jogged through the early wet winter morning. Akihiko felt great. The light rain continued to drizzle as cars drove past, each in their respective crowded lanes. A bicyclist or two passed his way, and there were a few dog owners about walking their pets despite the morning chill.

There was nothing he loved more than a quick morning run to start his day.

Running down an incline toward the end of the block, the neighborhood flowering before him flourished with activity despite the early hours of the day. Window washers were out and about scraping off snow from shop windows, washing the glass beneath. The local pastry chefs were in their shops, hurriedly preparing today's quota of needed delicacies. So much was happening and the day had barely begun. His grin was that of satisfaction. It marveled him how people continued on, oblivious to the impending doom that had literally hovered over them nearly a year ago. January 31st 2011 was closing in fast.

Junpei had wanted a quick get together to celebrate the coming anniversary. The "We Faced Death and Kicked Its Ass" party he declared; his excited and shrill voice through the phone had sent Akihiko's ears ringing. Yukari, Fuuka, and Ken had said they might attend, though the original S.E.E.S. members had politely declined.

Mitsuru Kirijo was overseeing the Kirijo Group, a corporation that had its hand in most things that dealt with the man-made island of Iwatodai. She handled the reins as her father would, seeing to it that her status as a woman could not be used to "undermine her authority." Despite her rejecting the invitation, as Akihiko understood it, she did feel a bit of regret. They had all been comrades, but most of all they had come to share a bond that could not be severed.

Shinjiro Aragaki, not one for crowds anyway and some would argue not a people person, had culinary school. He had never been one to think of himself as anything particularly significant or talented. He had been fine lurking in the shadows, watching and standing up for those if he needed to. Cooking had come naturally, and even then it didn't seem so huge a deal. Proper nutrition and a good meal was something everyone should have and should know how to prepare. To him, it was just as simple as that.

And then there was Akihiko. It had been at least two weeks since his last nightmare and finally being able to face the final resting place of Kieka Arisato. Life had meaning and he was no longer struggling to focus ahead while only wishing to gaze at a past he could not hope to correct. He finally attained a peace of mind he hadn't thought possible. Life was moving on, just as it was meant to.

In memory of a girl who had saved the world, someone who had managed to touch their hearts with but a hint of a smile, they had both silently agreed from that night onward to visit her. Shinji would prepare a meal and from Akihiko's apartment they would make their way to the grave apartments beside Naganaki Shrine to pay their respects. With each visit and onward, the weight of his burden slowly began to ease.

-!-!-!-!-

His philosophy professor closed today's class with a few statements, today's topic being "What defines a personal identity?" Akihiko's final class finally came to an end. Aki began to gather his heavy textbooks into his leather book bag and already he could feel lingering eyes travel up and down his form, girlish whispers and quiet giggling mingling with mindless chatter.

He sighed inwardly.

Akihiko was by no means an unattractive man. His hair was a nice shade of white and in the sun it gleamed as if it were spun silver. His skin was pale despite how often he trained outside and, of course, due to his dedication to training his physique was to be admired.

Expertly, he dodged and deflected his way past his admirers, he had come to notice, much to his exasperation, that college women were much more persistent and much bolder. There had only been one instance where he had nearly lost his calm demeanor. One of his admirers, a pretty girl with confident green eyes who linked her arm with his, dared to ask if he was still pining for that dead girl. He had looked her square in the eyes, doing his best to fight off the sneer that hinted in his features as he detached her arm from his, replying that he had yet to meet a woman that could be her equal, least of all herself.

Since that day the amount of admirers had dwindled down, but there were those that were quite pleased to admire him from afar.

From the university he would jog, though in this instance walking suited him just fine, toward the substation. The ambience of the train always seemed to sap what strength he had. The chatter among people, the dulcet tones of the announcer when destinations were seconds away, to the random cry of the tracks as the train braked would always send his thoughts far off. To the past, the future, never looking at anything in particular… Life was so ordinary.

Hagakure was to be today's destination.

A female announcer's cheerily spoke over the train's intercom, "We are arriving at Iwatodai's Central Station. Those on standby please clear the exits. Passengers please exit to the left."

The metal doors swooshed open and the passengers poured forth, eager to head home and call it a day. With his bag in hand he disembarked.

"Ah, hello Sanada-Senpai."

Akihiko pivoted on heel, facing the young boy who had called out to him. The little boy's dusty brown hair shined in the sun and his eyes matched the color of his hair. Ken Amada, now twelve years of age, greeted the boxer with a smile. He had grown a few inches, his face was slightly thinner, and yet he still carried himself with a maturity that could rival other adults; Junpei came to mind.

Ken wore an orange hoodie over a cream colored sweatshirt with jeans and a pair of worn sneakers, and his back pack was held tightly in his small hands. It dawned on Aki that Ken was now in his last year of elementary school; the age of middle school was fast approaching, as was the change of seasons.

"I almost didn't recognize you," Akihiko said approvingly with a lopsided grin.

The young boy's eyes grew almost as wide as his smile, "Oh yeah?" If there had been one constant poor Ken had struggled with, it had definitely been his small stature. Milk had been his choice of beverage with most meals, and sometimes in between meals as well. Aki had remembered hearing low groaning on the other side of the door to the poor boy's dorm room from time to time, sometimes with the pained words "I hate milk." At the time, Akihiko could only shake his head and walk on, sometimes thinking he should devise a work out regime for Ken.

But then a rivalry for the lovely Kieka's affection between the two seemed to appear out of nowhere and so he had dropped those plans altogether. Akihiko wasn't one for sharing, joking around or not.

"Yeah… you've grown quite a bit over the year," Akihiko pulled the leather strap of his bag farther up his shoulder, the weight of his college textbooks refusing to be forgotten.

Despite the awkward rivalry they had shared, Ken had always regarded Akihiko with awe and respect. Such praise from the undefeated boxing champ of Gekkoukan High meant the world to the young boy; his smile certainly showed it. "R-really? I, I mean well that's certainly nice to hear."

Akihiko couldn't help but grin, "How have you been, Ken?"

"Well… It's my last year as an elementary student," Ken crossed his arms, his brow furrowed as he looked to the side in thought. "I'm pretty interested in seeing what middle school will have to offer," He smiled as he looked up to an amused Akihiko. "And it'll be nice to change to a more mature environment."

Aki arched eyebrow. "More mature, huh?"

Ken shuffled from side to side, shifting his weight from foot to foot, in embarrassment. His cheeks colored as he stammered on, "W-well it'll be nice to be away from the younger group of kids anyways."

Ken Amada had always been trying so hard to grow faster than he could. It had not only baffled Akihiko, but the other member of S.E.E.S. He seemed right at home at the dorm as the only elementary student surrounded by High schoolers. Since the Nyx incident, he had thankfully began to relax a little, watching anime from time to time, and once Aki remembered catching Ken reading manga while he carried off the last of his belongings that fateful day he moved out of the dorm.

Akihiko noticed the Featherman R keychain dangling from the pocket of Ken's hoodie, "I'm sure you'll do fine." The boxer simply smiled as he tilted his head.

Ken shoved his hands in his pockets, eyeing the toes of Akihiko's shoes. They were brown and polished. "Have you've spoken with Aragaki-san?"

"Shinji?" Akihiko's brows rose, surprised at the change in subject. The history between the two had been as turbulent as one could get. Three years ago Shinjiro Aragaki had lost control of his Persona, Castor, while battling a stray shadow in an urban area and Ken Amada's mother had paid the ultimate price. A shaken Ken had watched the entire tragedy before his eyes. He had vowed revenge and when it finally came down to it, my how the tables had turned. Akihiko continued on, resting his bag on the floor with its strap still in hand, "Yeah he's comes over and helps cook a meal and then we head on over to visit her."

Ken blinked up at Aki; his brown eyes were so big. "Kieka?"

"Still calling her that, eh?" Akihiko feigned a glare as he placed his hands on his hips, tapping the toe of shoe on the pavement, people fumbling toward the trains before they departed around them.

"Let's not argue over this. The past is the past, right?" Ken meekly smiled as he ducked his head, clutching the straps to his backpack tightly.

Akihiko merely nodded in agreement, his smile growing dim. "That it is…"

Ken licked his lips, his eyes shyly meeting the man before him. His voice was full of uncertainty and hope. "Do, do you mind if I come along?" He bit his lip, "It'd be nice to go as a group, don't you think?"

The timidity of the question softened Akihiko's stance, the tension he hadn't been aware of in his shoulders faded away, as he regarded Ken with empathetic eyes. His smile had faded slightly, though compassion was etched so clearly in his expression. "I was going to head to Hagakure for a bite, but why don't you come over and I can whip up a snack before Shinji arrives. We can both wait for him." His smile was sincere as was his offer.

"R-really!"

-!-!-!-!-

He couldn't believe he couldn't find it. Shinjiro had torn his room up and down and yet the precious item he always kept on his person or close by was gone. Vanished. Yet, the day had to continue on.

Groceries had been bought and the method of executing tonight's planned meal had been shifting through Shinjiro's thoughts methodically as he mindlessly drove toward Akihiko's apartment. His thumbs drummed along to the bass of a song, he had noticed the time realizing he was running late. Aki could wait and once the meal was prepared he was more than sure this one minuscule grievance would be forgotten with each bite Akihiko devoured.

Aki, Shinjiro had noticed, was simple like that.

Tonight's meal, after much personal deliberation, had been carefully planned and thought out. The amount of protein, balanced nutrients, and ingredients had been meticulously considered, even the dessert. He had planned to roast a chicken with rosemary and thyme and a handful of fresh herbs he had picked up from the nearby farmer's market. As for the vegetables, he was still deciding what to do with the peas, corn, and carrots. The thought of a pea puree with a dash of mint stoked his cooking muse, for carrots he couldn't decide between a carrot pachadi or something simple like carrot rice. As for the corn… he thought something effortless would more than suffice: corn on the cob. The sudden interruption of a loud ringtone dispersed him of any delectable visions that lingered in his thoughts as he instinctively reached for his phone.

He was quite irritated. "Yeah?" Shinjiro answered, his eyebrow twitched slightly.

"Shinji," Akihiko's voice was laced with urgency.

His lips pursed in a firm line as he glared at the road, Shinjiro's grip on the wheel tightened, "Aki." The sudden sense of foreboding that made every muscle in his body tense in anticipation put him ill at ease.

"I need your help."

"What's happened? I might be a bit. Running late." Shinjiro hadn't anticipated that finding curry leaves would be such a hassle. A traffic light ahead turned red, and his car slowly and safely came to a halt. "So…?"

"O-oh that's good. Will you be here pretty soon?" There was a panicked yell in the background as Akihiko continued, as well as a muted crash, "As in walking in any minute?"

This couldn't be good. "Would I have bothered to pick up the phone?"

Weakly Aki chuckled, "Oh that makes sense. Can you get here pretty soon?" The continued frantic yelling was beginning to get on Shinji nerves. Then there was a high pitched scream among the words he was able to decipher, fire was among them.

"What's burning?" The light turned green, Shinjiro firmly planted his foot on the gas sending the vehicle screeching. His head was pounding and his palms grew sweaty. What's the worst that could happen? The apartment complex possibly burning down all around, people running everywhere, and chaos raining down all around those who stood by to watch. Shinji narrowed his eyes as he expertly weaved between lanes, carefully cutting off cars so he could be there in time. Just the thought that innocent helpless-

"Rice! I- I…! Fire extinguisher! That'll save it!" The voice through the phone sent his heart beat racing. They wouldn't! They couldn't! The sound of the extinguisher going off cracked Shinji's world in two.

"AKI, NO!" It was as if the will to live had suddenly been drained, his vehicle slowing in speed as if to match the sinking of his heart. Good food was wasted this day. Shinji raised his eyes to the heavens. The food would be missed. He would make amends.

"It's saved!" Aki sounded victorious.

Throwing his cell phone aside, the plastic practically scalding his flesh, he yelled, his voice full of frustration, "You moron!"

-!-!-!-!-

Neither Ken nor Akihiko dared to venture into the kitchen. The vengeful aura surrounding Shinjiro was enough to make the small hairs at the back of their necks stand on end. "Out of my way," he had managed to say, his barely contained voice had been one of pure ice; his knuckles had turned white from the intense grip he held his groceries in. The kitchen had been cleaned from top to bottom, and Shinji refused to cook until the level of cleanliness met his high standards. His eyes purposely averted the ruined food.

The meal he had prepared was delicious as always. The chicken had been tender and juicy, the flavor of the herbs delicately danced across their palates. The other two vigorously devoured their meal, the delicious dimension at their fingertips and plate lasting only as long as there was food to be eaten.

"So…" Shinji leaned back in his chair, arm lazily resting over the back, eyes accusingly shifting between the boxer and the young man, "someone gonna tell me how the hell someone gets a rice cooker on fire?" Aki and Ken pursed their lips together as they peered into what seemed like a bottomless void in their water filled cups. Water. Very interesting. It's very wet.

Neither one seemed to have the guts to answer the question. Frustrated, Shinji rolled his eyes as he scoffed.

Akihiko politely coughed, sipping his drink. He savored the moisture that touched his dry lips, "Sorry you weren't able to get that snack, Ken," Aki managed an apologetic smile.

"Huh? O-oh it's alright." He politely smiled as he ducked his head, his attention then turning toward the sulking man beside him. "I thought you were great before, but I guess culinary school still had a thing or two to teach you huh, Senpai?" Ken looked to Shinji with a shy expression.

"…Right." Shinjiro pushed himself away from the table, grunting as he stood. "Let's get outta here. I'd like to see Kieka before midnight hits." He turned his back to them, shoving on his burgundy coat, pushing his arms through each sleeve.

"So… you guys come visit her every day?" Ken hopped to his feet, taking his empty plate with him to the kitchen.

Aki nodded, he followed Ken closely setting his finished dinner plate in the sink. "Yeah."

"Do you think she can tell?" The young boy looked to the floor as he made his way towards a waiting Shinjiro and the door.

Gently Akihiko ruffled Ken's hair, his smile was distant. He looked up to Shinji who regarded him with a grim stare, "That I don't know, but I'd like to think so."

Ken simply smiled in response, "Me too."

-!-!-!-!-

Though the snow had melted, the chill in the air was enough to seep and settle in ones bones. Not a cloud was in the sky, and the stars were free to twinkle and sparkle for all to see. The moon was waning from being full only a few nights prior, the almost complete orb hung harmless in the sky's inky canvas.

Akihiko wrapped his scarf around his neck and shoved his gloved hands in his pockets; the dull warmth wasn't enough to fend off the slight trembling that ran through his body.

"I see you still have it," Ken's voice was soft; his words had a melancholy edge to them. He cupped his hands around his mouth, blowing his warm breath onto his flesh. The warmth fought back against the chill for only a few moments.

The boxer's fingers touched the carefully knitted scarf, unable to feel the soft fabric thanks to the thin leather of his gloves that encased his hands. "It's precious to me."

"Kinda girly if you ask me," Shinji muttered, stomping his way past the shrine toward the grave apartments. Aki couldn't help but feel Shinjiro was in a hurry. Or he was agitated.

"Don't be like that Aragaki-Senpai. Kieka," Ken glanced at Akihiko, whose silver brow was arched. Ken sputtered on, "I mean uh Kieka-San made that for him." The two widened their stride, trying to keep up with the annoyed cook.

"Ah," he took off his beanie as he entered the building. "Is that so?"

"What the hell, Shinji?" Quickly Aki firmly gripped Shinjiro's shoulder, pulling him back to face him, frustration set in his eyes while Shinji's stoically met Aki's. "What's going on?"

The atmosphere was suddenly heavy. Troubled, Ken looked between the two, not entirely understanding what had been the cause. He wanted to say Kieka wouldn't want them fighting right before they go see her, or perhaps that she said she liked it best when she saw her friends smiling. He opted to keep his mouth firmly shut, not entirely sure his words would be welcomed.

"Look it ain't nothing, so don't go making a deal of it, okay?" The cook shoved Akihiko's hand off his shoulder. "Let's just go in." Shinji ascended the stairs, his boots harshly scraping along each step, leaving behind a stunned Akihiko.

Ken tugged on Aki's sleeve, doing his best to smile, "Whatever it is, I'm sure he'll be fine. Maybe it was because we wasted so much food, but he'll be fine. I know it."

Akihiko's tensed shoulders relaxed, his grim expression fading to small smile. "Perhaps he'll tell us when he's ready…"

"Let's go see her, Senpai." Ken led Aki up the stairs by his sleeve, his small fingers gripping the cloth gently, laughing a care free laugh. The cheerfulness echoed in the tight walls and all Akihiko could do was widen his smile in kind. A child's laughter was music.

Reaching their destination, Ken triumphantly hopped over the last step, standing on the threshold of the stairs with hands on his hips. "Let's do this." Briskly he made his way to Kieka's monitor; Shinjiro was leaning against the opposite wall, hands shoved in his pockets as he eyed the monitor. His expression was unreadable. Ken looked over his shoulder, his expression was timid. "Do you wanna go first, Senpai?"

Shinji merely shook his head and gave a shrug of his shoulder. "Nah, you go first. It's been longer for you than me or Aki. Want us to leave?" His brooding eyes looked to the staircase.

Shyly Ken looked to the screen, his eyes sweetly looking at Kieka's frozen smile. "Nah… It's ok."

Akihiko settled next to Shinjiro, slowly exhaling as he crossed his arms looking to the man beside him with a sidelong glance. Shinji simply ignored him.

Ken pressed the message option on the screen. "Hey, Kieka," the young boy's ears blushed, knowing he was purposely opening with a familiarity that Akihiko did not approve of while said man was behind him narrowing his eyes despite the lopsided grin on his face. "I'm sorry I haven't visited you as often as I'd like to. I hear Aragaki-Senpai and Sanada-Senpai have been doing a good job making sure you aren't lonely. It, it makes me so glad.

"I hope you can see how hard I've been working on being a young man you can be proud of." His small hands clasped themselves behind Ken's back, "I've grown a few inches since you last saw me. I mean… really saw me." He pursed his lips together, thinking of what else to say. There was always so much.

"Has mom introduced herself to you, yet?" Shinji's eyes left the screen and settled on the crown of Ken's head. Ken continued on, "I'm sure you too are getting along fine. I hope she isn't boring you with weird and old stories." He rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly, "She always liked to embarrass me in front of the girls I always liked. Er…" Ken looked back, biting his lip as he held Aki's gaze. He looked as if he had spilled a treasured and guarded secret.

Akihiko simply cleared his throat, "I-it's okay Ken. I already knew." They all knew the young boy had had a one sided crush on the girl. Kieka had said as much, though there were times Ken would get carried away much to Aki's chagrin.

"You're not mad?"

The boxer gently shook his head, "I'm not mad." The lights in the hall flickered slightly. Perhaps the wiring was going bad.

Hesitantly, Ken stole a glance at Shinjiro who simply nodded to the boy, signaling he should continue on. He looked up to the monitor, licking his lips before he spoke. "Anyways, I hope you've taken notice of all the progress I've made. With you watching over me, I know I'll be able to do whatever I set my mind too." He laughed nervously, his face aflame and glad the older guys behind him couldn't see his blush. "Sorry for sounding so serious.

"Well," Ken rocked back on his heels, stuffing his hands into the pockets of his hoodie; his eyes lingered on Kieka Arisato's picture that remained on the lit screen. "I guess this is goodbye for now. I'll be back in a week or two. I promise." Hesitantly, he reached up with his left hand, his pointer finger lightly tapping the "end message" button.

Finished with his message, Ken looked back with a smile. "So who wants to go next?"

The older men simply looked at each other, Aki nodded to Shinji, gesturing with a hand for him to move forward. "Go on, I don't mind being last."

Shinjiro stared at the screen; the corners of his mouth were set in a deep frown. He sighed, closing his eyes. He slowly reopened them as he turned his gaze to Akihiko's. "Okay." He paused, taking off his beanie. His brown hair was slightly disheveled and wild. "I'd like to be alone though."

"Oh?" Akihiko's grey eyes flashed with worry. Ken remained silent.

"Respect a man's privacy, Aki." Shinjiro straightened his stance, his shoulders back, chin up. He wasn't taking no for an answer.

Aki slowly nodded, message received. "Alright, Ken and I will be waiting a floor down."

"Thanks," Shinjiro muttered.

-!-!-!-!-

The lights flickered momentarily; Aki rubbed his shoulder as he closed his eyes, doing his best to ignore the brief stuttering of electricity around him. Ken sat on the floor, his knees drawn in close to his chest.

"Tired?" Aki sat next to the boy, stretching out his long legs before him. Ken nodded, wiping the sleep from his eyes.

The telltale echoes of footsteps descending the stairs, stopping midway, sent the two scrambling to their feet. "Alright, Aki," Shinjiro's voice called from the staircase. "I'm done."

Aki jotted up the stairs, closely trailing behind Shinji. "Everything okay?"

"Yup." That Shinji. Always a talker.

Briskly Akihiko stepped front of the monitor, Ken and Shinjiro both leaned against the wall. He cleared his throat, pressing the message button quickly. Funny how weeks ago he had literally needed to be dragged here and now he couldn't wait for the evenings to come. "Hey, Kie-chan," his voice was full of warmth. "Ran into Ken earlier today so we thought it'd be a good idea for all of us to come together. Maybe next time we'll have the rest of the others join us." His smile deepened, "I'm sure you'd like that."

The lights flickered, Aki did his best to ignore it though he found it odd Kieka's screen was the only electronic thing in the building that remained constant. He shook his head, continuing on. "Remember how I told you I might be leaving the ring a few days ago? Well," his smile grew sheepish, "I decided it'd be best for now. I plan on keeping up with my training though, that won't ever change." He chuckled, rubbing a hand behind his neck. "Can't ever be too careful, right?"

Ken could hardly believe what he was hearing. He had always marveled Akihiko's strength and technique. Akihiko had remained undefeated in middle school as well as high school. From what he had heard, he had yet to lose a match in college.

"Shinjiro almost killed both Ken and I today," Akihiko bit his lip, trying hard not to laugh at the grunt he heard behind him. "We both broke Aragaki rule number two about cooking. Never waste food. There was no saving the rice though. You'd have laughed till you cried; it was," he laughed, "a pretty pitiful sight."

"Such a damn waste," Shinji muttered beneath his breath.

Aki continued, "I promise you I can cook, not as well as Shinji of course, but-"

"You burned rice, flaming and smoking, in a fucking rice cooker. Who the hell does that?" The memories were far, far too fresh in Shinji's mind.

"Anyways," Akihiko coughed, "we better get going." Once again, the lights began to flicker, the staccato flashing giving the boxer a headache. He rubbed his temple as he continued, "I love you, Kie-chan. And we'll see you again tomorrow." Once he tapped end message, the flickering stopped. Aki sighed, his head pounding.

"You okay, Senpai?"

"Just got a headache," His grey eyes lingered on the monitor, he thought it strange despite the odd outages that the only thing untouched would be that. "They really need to do something about the wiring here." Aki rolled back his shoulders, making his way toward the stairs. Ken and Shinji followed closely behind.

"Oh," Ken trotted beside Aki, "was there a power outage the last time you were here, Sanada-Senpai?"

"What?" Akihiko couldn't help but regard Ken with scrutiny; his brows knotted together as an uneasy feeling settled in the pit of his stomach. "Didn't you see the lights flicker just moments ago?"

Ken shook his head, a queer expression on his face. "Uh, no."

Shinjiro tapped the back of Aki's head with a knuckle; Akihiko could only look back annoyed. "Maybe you need to hit the sack and get some shut eye. It's been a little trying… At least you're beginning to have decent meals for a change."

Akihiko sighed, "Maybe you're right." Perhaps it had all been his imagination. He couldn't shake the feeling that it wasn't as simple as his mind playing tricks on him. He had worked under tight sleep hours before. Why the mind games now?

As they left, the three descending the stairs, the monitor silently displaying Kieka's picture flickered briefly. A deep blue light slowly began to glow, reflecting off the glass and marble, the mysterious source coming from down the hall. Kieka's picture continued to smile. The blue reflection seemed to caress her cheek.

---

Thanks so much for your patience! Another chapter down! /flex I hope you all are enjoying the story so far! Looks like stuff might be happening! We shall see what may transpire!

As always, much love goes out to IceyCold: my best friend and beta. She keeps me on the straight and narrow. Keeping me focused on things that truly matter. Reading, writing, drawing, and remembering to have fun while doing it. I'll try and get the next chapter out before the end of the month. /crosses fingers. Of course we all know what can happen with the best laid plans. Anyways thanks so much for the kind reviews. I'M NOT WORTHY! /bow I'M NOT WORTHY! /bow

See you guys next chapter.