Hello!
How are you? I have to say i've had a hectic week, i got really sick over the weekend, so bad that my parents came down to pick me up so i could go see my usual doctor that knows my history. I'm back at Uni now and i'm completely fine :) then i had to catch up on the couple of days i missed along with preparing for the exams which are next friday. Oh well, i'm treating myself to a night out tonight at a wonderful cocktail bar, if you read GotD i'm sure you've heard of my love of cocktails that i recently discovered. I'm already perusing the online menu to decide what i want.I also spent a painfully cold day on a farm yesterday playing with calves which was learning how to handle cows! Well, it was supposed to be if we could have stopped making a fuss of them.
Speaking of GotD it was lovely to see so many familiar people coming back for another of my adventures :)
Now next week, because of the exams I won't be around so i'll be posting on thursday.
I want to say a massive thank-you to my betas campyrs and Trajedy99, they're amazing and they've both helped me with my writing so a big round of applause for them.
Also, i have a one shot that i've entered into a contest. It's still in blind judging at the moment but it will open up to the public vote in a couple of days, Monday the 7th to be precise, so it would be wonderful if you guys could head over there and show a little support. I don't know the link but i'll post it on my profile when i get it. The title of the contest is Valentine's Fae Tales.
Now, on with the chapter! I hope you like it, Sookie is quite different in parts of this. Oh, and the wonderful Charlaine Harris owns the wonderful Southern Vampire Mysteries.
I really shouldn't have been surprised when I ended up at Fangtasia; I hadn't been kidding even myself successfully when I left home that I was just going for a drive, quite late at night on a Friday. Let's set the reason for me going to Fangtasia, alone, to see if I could get the attention of Eric. Amelia had gone back to New Orleans precisely two weeks ago tonight, having stayed with me for over two months, so I was feeling lonely, rattling around in my big old house by myself. To make matters worse on the loneliness front, Amelia had told me with absolute delight that she'd been seeing a guy since the day after she got back; they'd already been on five dates and she now officially had a boyfriend. She did, however, feel bad about breaking our pact which I had faithfully stuck to. I had no doubts that it wouldn't have lasted much more than a couple of months after she got back home but a day? To be fair even if I had wanted to break the pact there wasn't exactly a queue of guys waiting to take crazy Sookie out. I suppose I could have gone out with someone, JB for example, if I was just interested in sex. That, right there, was the issue because I'd pushed aside all my morals and good sense to do pretty much exactly that.
"Sookie Stackhouse," the vampire on the door greeted me before I even had a chance to begin pulling out my driver's license. I recognised her instantly as the striking blonde that I'd seen here last time; she'd been one of the lucky two to actually get warned about the impending raid. The raid itself had been a bit of a letdown for the police; it was only the couple in the restroom that had been doing anything wrong and everything between them had been consensual. All they had was feeding in a public place on a human charge for the vampire which was just a hefty fine at the most. "Eric will be pleased. Tell me how you knew." She was smart and it wasn't phrased as a question.
"I overheard the undercover cop in the restroom that's all." It was the truth, just not quite all of it since I'd overheard her with my mind and not my ears. Things would get bad very quickly if vampires found out about my ability.
"Hm, well that's boring. In you go." I stepped inside the club, having the distinct impression I'd only been dismissed so swiftly because my answer had been so mundane. The only real difference I could see in the club that was immediate to me was that I didn't stick out quite so much as last time; I was wearing black shorts, black vest top and a loose fitting button down shirt partially open at the top. I wasn't exactly looking my best but something had deterred me from really dressing up. Probably a last ditch effort by the still rational part of my brain to stop me from going to Fangtasia.
"Double archers and lemonade, please." I told the bar tender after I'd fought through the milling crowd to get a drink, only to discover it was the same vampire as last time too. I handed over my cash and took a large gulp of the sweet liquid. It probably wasn't the wisest decision in the world to get an alcoholic drink, especially a double, since I still had the possibility of having to drive again tonight. I believe I have already told you that I wasn't quite functioning at my best on the decision making front. Besides, I was really hoping to not have to drive again.
I made my way over to the dance floor. In vampire terms the night was still young, I had plenty of time and I didn't want to seem too eager. The music soon took a hold on me; it started with my hips and feet until, only a song later, I was in the middle of the floor, surrounded by other people, dancing to my heart's content. When I felt my heart pounding in my chest, never mind the flushed heat on my cheeks, I allowed myself to move to the out skirts of the dance floor where there was more cool air and I could easily scan the room for a certain vampire. It didn't take long to find him.
He sitting in the same booth that he'd occupied previously, watching me quite intently from his comfortable seat. He had his long legs stretched out in front of him under the table and he was slouched back slightly into the cushions. Yet he still managed to look quite imposing. Tonight his hair was pulled back from his face, tied loosely at the base of his neck; he looked utterly masculine with something most men wouldn't have been able to pull off at all. From what I could see, my eyes did quite a lot of roving, he was wearing head-to-foot black again except instead of a vest he was wearing a baseball fit t-shirt with sleeves that ended midway down his fore arms. I threw him a smile and slowly began to wind my way over to him.
"Hello Sookie," Eric greeted me as soon as I was close enough to him for me to be able to hear over the music. My heart had returned to a somewhat normal pace now and I had a good chance that my flushed cheeks had calmed.
"Hi," I replied back, thankful that the nerves I'd felt when I first walked into the bar weren't anywhere to be found. He stretched an arm out, inviting me to take a seat opposite him at the booth.
"What brings you back to Fangtasia? On your own this time too." His eyes were sparkling this close up, full of life which for someone that's been dead for centuries is an amazing trait to have. There was some slight stubble over his chin, but that wouldn't ever change, he could shave it off but it would always grow back again to the exact same length by the next night. I hoped he liked it because he would be sporting it for the rest of his undead life; personally I liked it, something to run your fingers over. It gave him a rugged quality and a slightly more human side to him too, although I wasn't sure why because the beginnings of a beard wouldn't mean he'd be any less ruthless.
"Amelia is back in New Orleans and I was feeling a little lonely in my house, so I came over here, I wanted to dance." He flashed me a slight grin and then signalled for a waitress, not even waiting for one to pass by.
"So you came to a vampire bar?" The edges of his lips were twisting as though he was finding me highly amusing. I simply nodded my head in answer. "What would you like to drink?" The waitress he'd summoned was standing expectantly beside the table, completely ignoring me in favour of staring at Eric. I couldn't really blame her.
"I'll take a hard lemonade please." He stared pointedly at the waitress who smiled in return and sprung around to rush off toward the bar.
"So, how have you been? Up to anything interesting since I saw you last?" There was nothing strange about his words and nothing particularly insinuating at all, yet he managed to give me a slightly leering look that made me think naughty thoughts.
"Not at all, I'm a waitress, it's a boring life." Saying I was just a waitress was a little of an understatement, I'd become sort of what you'd call head waitress over the past couple of months. Arlene, who was the only person that had been working there longer than me, had left last month on maternity leave that she'd extended to packing in her job. I'd been in charge of hiring a new waitress and covering Arlene's shifts until the new waitress was employed. Sam Merlotte, my boss, had recently decided that I was more than capable of helping him in a managerial capacity which meant he could actually take a day off every now and then. "What about you?"
"Oh, I always have fun." He grinned at me, wide enough to show off his fangs which gave a very mixed image; it was simultaneously a little scary and a little hot. "Is there anything in particular you are wanting tonight?" I didn't have the guts to give a real response but I'm sure he saw straight through me because a small smirk crossed his lips.
"I just thought I'd check out the bar again. There really isn't much to do in Bon Temps."
"You have a bar," he replied easily. I hadn't known that he'd known any specifics about Bon Temps, not many people did as it wasn't exactly a popular place for people to visit.
"Yes, but I work there. It takes the fun out of hanging out there. Defeats the purpose of getting a wage if I just give all my money back."
"So you waitress at Merlotte's. Working for a shifter." I stared straight into his eyes when he mentioned Sam, indirectly, but he still knew more about him than most people did.
"How do you know?"
"I am Sheriff of Area Five, it is my job to know all the shifters in the area, especially if they own a business. Have you never thought about swapping over to work for vampires? The pay is better."
"Not really my thing," I replied as the waitress, who appeared very nervous about the amount of time she'd taken to get my drink, placed it in front of me. I waited until she was out of earshot, which was really only a few feet away considering the volume of the music. "I don't like the outfits, they wouldn't suit me."
"Well I think they would be very flattering." His eyes roamed up my torso and down my arms to where my fingers were playing with the glass bottle.
"Do you really dress like this all the time? Most vampires I know just dress like everyone else. Like average humans."
"Shall I let you in on a secret?"His eyes sparkled even more if that was possible and I knew he was planning some form of mischief.
"Sure." He motioned for me to lean forward, just a slight beckoning motion with his hand, so I moved so that my folded arms rested on the table top and I was leaning at least half way across it too. Slowly he moved forward until his mouth was level with my ear. If he'd been breathing I would have been able to feel it tickling my skin there.
"I prefer to be naked." I couldn't help the swallow that I reflexively did at his words and the heat that spread across my cheeks which he would surely be able to feel. When he relaxed back into his seat I gave him a broad grin that he returned with a smirk, while his eyes showed nefarious thoughts running through his mind that I blissfully couldn't hear. We sat in silence for a couple of minutes, there was a tension between us but still, it wasn't an uncomfortable silence, and we were both somewhat deep in thought as we stared around the room. "Come with me; I have something to show you." He stood up from the booth and started striding across the room, his confidence so high that he didn't even bother to check whether I was following him. Of course I did follow.
The crowd moved aside from him as he walked and their gazes followed his every move. I barely managed to move in his wake, slipping through the gaps before the people returned to exactly what they had been doing before. We ended up by a door that led to the staff quarters which he swiftly opened for me and slunk inside, telling me to make sure it shut firmly behind me. He didn't stop walking until we reached his office which was at the end of the quite short hallway. I never got a chance to actually see what the office looked like because as soon as I'd crossed the threshold inside the room he had me pinned up against the wall, my hands above my head and lips on mine. I kissed him back ferociously, leaning into him slightly as I couldn't touch him. I struggled against his two handed grasp, which was of course futile, but made him tilt his body into mine so I could feel his muscled torso pressed into mine.
"Do you want this?" He whispered against my lips, pulling back just enough that I couldn't recapture his lips but I could almost feel them against mine. His eyes stared into mine from mere inches away, such a darker blue, clouded with lust that it made me growl in frustration that he was still so far away.
"Yes." I replied huskily, staring right back at him. We remained like that for several moments; the only sounds my panting breath and pounding heart. My chest was already heaving in anticipation. Suddenly he dropped his grip on my hands, letting my arms fall with the unexpected need to support them. I wasted no time in threading my fingers through his hair, yanking the tie out quite unceremoniously, so that it fell free around his face. Then I yanked him towards me, stood up on my tip toes and pressed my lips to his, revelling in the feel of his fangs.
His tongue worked its way into my mouth where we fought for dominance, each wanting to be the one to do the exploring. My arms wrapped around his neck, letting go of his hair, so that I could pull myself flush up against him, feeling his excitement pressed firmly into my lower stomach. His hands began to wander across my body, starting at my shoulder blades and working down, his fingers splayed, until her reached the hem of my shirt. I was engrossed; teasing my tongue over the tips of his fangs to register the sound of material ripping, nor did I even realise it was my shirt until I felt cool air against my exposed skin. I drew back to figure out what was going on, but all I found was an irresistible smirk on his face that was inviting me to kiss him again.
"Come with me." He moved away completely, leaving me missing his touch, to yank open a door on the adjoining wall to the one I was still somewhat pressed up against. I followed straight away so that I was only a couple of steps behind him as we travelled down the staircase hidden within what I had first assumed was a closet.
"What is this?" I asked as we took a bend in the stairs so that we were going directly underneath the bar, his office somewhere above our heads.
"My secret quarters; I have rooms here so it's safer if I ever have to spend the day." We reached another door, this one secured by a pass code lock. It opened up to reveal a quite expansive bedroom; king size four poster bed in the centre of the far wall, couch, arm chair, bookcase and a larger, shaggy rug to give the black furniture a little colour of deep crimson.
He spun around to face me and closed the distance between us in a single stride, sweeping me up into his arms so that my legs wrapped around his waist. His hands caressed my bottom, kneading the flesh there slightly. I brought my lips down to the edge of his jaw, kissing a line down toward his neck where I started to nibble his skin, bringing it into my mouth slightly with my teeth. A deep, shuddering growl was my wonderful reward.
He walked us toward the bed, his movement smooth and effortless as though he wasn't carrying me. It was when we reached the bed, his knees knocking into the plump mattress slightly that he stopped. The next thing I knew I was falling through the air, a squeal of panic and surprise emanating from my mouth. The impact wasn't hard, his arms braced to take the forceful impact that never arose due to the softness of the duvet to break our fall. His face was suddenly above mine, preventing me from going back to kissing his neck. It was his turn now to trail lingering kisses along my neck and to breathe softly against my ear, sending shivers down my spine. His hands worked continuously on my clothing, pulling the shreds of my shirt from my arms and rolling my vest top down to my waist. The front clasp bra didn't last two seconds before it was lying uselessly by my side, shoulder straps still in place.
"Not fair," I mumbled, slightly incoherently as I tried unsuccessfully to suppress a moan. He seemed to be everywhere at once and it still wasn't enough, I craved more contact with him.
"Better?" He asked with a slight chuckle after he'd knelt up to pull his t-shirt off, throwing it to the floor by the bed.
"Much," I replied with a smile as I tugged on his shoulders, pulling him back down to me. We kissed again, tongues tangled together and with such a heat that I didn't even know it was possible. His hands never rested, one second they were massaging my breasts and the next they were unbuttoning my shorts to push them down over my hips, taking my tights and panties with them. As soon as my skin was exposed his fingertips were running over me, tracing just hard enough not to tickle and in a way that set me groaning in frustration; it just wasn't enough. "More." I muttered against his lips, not bothering to pull back enough to speak properly. My own hands began to trail down his chest, feeling the hard muscles that went all the way down to a six pack of well defined abdominals and a deep v that continued into his jeans.
I deftly unfastened the buttons and pushed the thick fabric down over his hips, revealing his commando state. Even naughtier thoughts flooded my head and I pushed the jeans down with more strength, desperate to feel his naked body against mine. I eventually got them down to mid-thigh where he decided to take matters into his own hands and pulled them off the rest of the way himself. On his way back up my body he grabbed the clothing that was bunched around my thighs, pulling them off and tossing them in some unknown direction, not that I cared, leaving me completely naked.
He grasped my wrists, pulling my arms above my head in just one of his hands meaning that I was completely exposed to him. His mouth was instantly on my neck, exploring every inch of my skin as he trailed down, alternating his kisses there between nibbles. A moan escaped my lips which only worked to spur him on. His pelvis pressed into mine, unmoving, yet just enough to show me the strength in his body and just how much he wanted me.
"More," I rasped out, having had enough with the teasing. I even wrapped my legs around him to give him the full extent of the need behind my begging. It worked and he was inside me with one deep thrust that sent me moaning again.
His lips moved back up to my neck as his hands finally let mine go so that I could run my hands over his back and feel the wonderful muscles in his butt. I could feel his fangs pressing down into my skin as though he was toying with the idea of biting but always pulling back before he broke through the skin. I could feel his growling moan vibrating through his chest we were pressed that close together.
"Bite me," I whispered into the night, knowing it was something that we both wanted. I'd never been bitten before, not in this way by a vampire, and I wanted to experience it. It was a night of firsts. I let my head fall back; the pleasure that was beginning to flow through me threw my head back on to the pillow. He drew my flesh into his mouth for a second, gave my neck a sweet kiss and then bit down, his fangs instantly sliding through my skin.
The pain was sharp at first but then it gave way, almost immediately, to another form of pleasure. I had never known that it would feel like this. I could feel him sucking my blood into his mouth, taking the very force that was my life, into his body while filling me with a pleasure I'd never before experienced. My hands roamed back up his body to his head, where my fingers threaded through his hair and held him in place, encouraging him.
"Mm, Sookie." He mumbled as he retracted his mouth from my neck, his nose still buried in my hair since he couldn't pull back. He had never let up his rhythmic thrusts while he drank. "Look at me." He commanded as he pulled back as though my hands holding him in place were nothing so that he could stare into my eyes. He knew I was close. I could see his still elongated fangs, covered in a slight red sheen of my blood which sent the muscles in my stomach clenching madly at the thought of how it had got there. All it took was one more thrust and the deep smouldering of his eyes to tip me over the edge into wonderful oblivion.
I tugged on his neck again in my throes, pulling him back down to my neck so that he could bite again. He didn't bite though, he simply licked at the wounds he'd created not minutes before, and sucked deeply, dragging the last few drops from the bite marks before they healed too much. It was with that final act that he went spiralling down into bliss with me.
My eyes sprang open and I was suddenly wide awake, staring into the darkness of an unfamiliar room. I blinked slowly, trying desperately to clear my head and everything came swimming back to me in glorious Technicolor; I couldn't help but shudder slightly at the memories, they were that good. I could feel Eric's naked body still lying next to me; we weren't exactly snuggled up, our arms weren't wrapped around each other or anything, but his chest was pushed up against my back so that we were connected from shoulders to hips. I had no idea what time it was, a rather daunting thought, all I knew was that it must be before dawn because I somehow just knew that Eric was only in down time as I called it, not his day time slumber.
As slowly and carefully as I could, I began to slide across the soft sheets to the edge of the bed where I could hopefully, if there was enough light, begin the search for my clothes. Last night had been spectacular but I wasn't exactly looking for a repeat performance, well it would be nice.
"No." I whispered to myself, stopping my thoughts from disappearing in the wrong direction before I could stop them. The word worked on keeping my mind in control yet it also managed to work in startling the dozing vampire awake beside me. His arm snuck around my waist and clamped down, holding me in place in a rather awkward position considering I was already a good foot away from him by this point.
"Just where do you think you are going?" He asked, his voice deep with what I could only assume was tiredness. I didn't bother to turn around; knowing that if I did it would be much harder to keep my resolve to leave.
"I'm going home," I replied as I began prying his fingers from my stomach where his hand was now resting; his grip had relaxed when he'd become fully aware of the situation. After a second's contemplation he let go of me completely and I felt the duvet move, signalling that he'd rolled over onto his back.
There was just enough light in the room, the small bedside lamps had been set to dim, for me to see the chaos that was on the bedroom floor. Items of clothing were strewn everywhere, no two pieces were in a pile which was somewhat miraculous since a lot had been removed in quick succession. I managed to find my panties first. "What are you looking at?" I asked, trying to keep the edge in my voice but failing miserably; I sounded more mischievous than anything.
"You. It is quite the wonderful sight." I gave him another glance, taking in his position; he was lying on his back with the pillows plumped behind his head and his arms folded there too so that he was practically sitting up. His hair was completely messed up and still loose, falling around his gorgeous face, the best part was that he just didn't care that it was in a mess which made it look good. The smirk that I had seen plenty of earlier was back in place on his face. I just shook my head at him and continued in my search.
I quickly found my shorts and bra, but my tights had been lost somewhere in the darkness so I gave up on them. My vest top however was on the seat of one of the armchairs, looking almost as though it had been placed there. I pulled on my shirt and pulled everything into place, hopefully so that I looked somewhat presentable; my hair would have to wait until I retrieved my bag which was still upstairs in the office before I could fix it.
"That is my shirt." I sent him a curious look and glanced down, sure enough I was wearing his black baseball t-shirt that he'd been wearing last night. It was only then that I remembered my own shirt had been ripped beyond repair as we'd begun to attack each other. I pulled it off and I was about to throw it back at him, wadded up in a ball when he spoke up again. "Keep it." I growled in frustration and yanked it back on. "I enjoyed the show." At least he was enjoying my attempt at getting dressed; he still didn't seem all that bothered by me leaving him and I was sure that the girl wasn't usually the first one to leave where he was concerned. "Why are you leaving?"
"Because I have to. Last night, well it wasn't a mistake and I don't regret it, but I don't want anymore." A bemused grin crossed his face then and I could have sworn he was about to laugh out loud. "Relationships for me don't usually go so well."
"Have you been hurt?" I thought I detected a bit of concern in with his curiosity.
"What? No." There was nothing truly traumatic in my past, no cheating or abuse, my boyfriends just didn't seem to stick around for very long. I had a feeling that was due to my telepathy. "It just gets complicated."
"What are you Sookie Stackhouse?"
"A waitress," I replied easily, not pausing at all which was what probably gave me away.
"There is something more to you and I will find out. I will also see you soon."
"If you're so sure how come you aren't stopping me?"
"It is dawn and I am confident I will see you soon."
"Too confident and thanks!" I shot back as I walked briskly from the room, through the locked door that simply opened from this side, and up the stairs to the office. I had to be honest with myself; he was fun to be around.
My bag was found dumped on the floor just inside the main office door, next to my shredded top. I bent down, retrieved both things and dropped the latter into the trash can before walking out, trying to tame my wild hair as I walked.
"What have you done now?" That was the greeting I got from Amelia as I called her. I was sitting in my car in the staff parking lot at Merlotte's, just before my lunch time shift was due to start. I'd already been home, showered and changed for work.
"How do you know..." I didn't even get to finish my question before she was answering it.
"I tried calling your house several times and no response, I even tried Sam, and he hadn't seen you either. So you, missy, were up to no good." I giggled at her deduction because of course she was correct.
"I think I did something wicked."
"Well come on, spill the beans, I've been waiting years for a conversation like this." I shook my head at her, even from clear across the state she could read me better than anyone else I knew. Although I'd visited several vampire bars down in New Orleans over the years, I'd only ever been to bed with two people and they'd both been shifters. How she knew, at least in part, what I was going to say before I said anything was beyond me. "Who was it?"
"Eric."
"Who the hell is he?"
"You know the vampire..."
"Oh my god, you did it with buttlicious!" I laughed aloud at her nickname for Eric, before quickly sobering up.
"Yes."
"Well, was he good?"
"You have no idea. Now shut up, and let me speak!" Being blunt was sometimes the best way to be with Amelia; she had a tendency to go off on one if given any slack. "I'm beginning to wonder if I did the right thing. I've never done anything like this before. What do you think I should do? I don't want a relationship, not that I think he would have one anyway."
"Well, did anyone get hurt last night, at all?" her tone changed instantly to one of caring practicality.
"No." I replied quietly, the doubts still eating away at my mind.
"Then there's nothing to regret hunny. You just went out and had some fun, let your hair down for a change. I don't see the harm in that. You don't have to do anything at all, just let everything play out naturally. If you see each other again, that's cool, if you don't, well that should be cool too. Now get your butt into work."
"How did you know?"
"Remember I spoke to Sam last night? He said you were on the lunch shift. I've got to go too. Speak to you soon."
"Thanks Amelia, see you soon." We both hung up and I got slowly out of the car, feeling quite a bit better than I had just five minutes ago. There had been no need for her to tell me to go to work, I was still ten minutes early and I prided myself on my work ethic. Then again, that was probably why she'd told me, to earn herself a little giggle.
"You had sex." My eyes were wide as I stared into Sam's knowing face. He was sat behind his desk in his office and I was bending over to put my belongings in the large drawer he kept free for such purposes.
"How did you know?" I asked, not bothering to deny it. He was a shifter, and if he'd smelt it like I suspected, there was absolutely no point denying it at all.
"Your scent and you look happy."
"Erm, thanks, I think maybe." Sam wasn't being malicious in any way, just observant like he usually was and he was also looking out for me. I gave him a quick hug and then I turned to leave him along in the office, dealing with the order he was about to place.
"Do I want to know who?" He called out after me just as I was passing through the door.
"Nope," I replied back and went to grab my apron so I could start my shift which was to be a mix of waitressing and bar tending while Sam was in the office. With it only being a lunch time the bar work should be light.
My shift went wonderfully, even though I had to stay on for the late shift since the new girl had to take the day off because her little boy was sick, which by my standards meant that no one gave me dirty looks although I did get a couple of odd glances. When things like that happen I just turn up the wattage on my smile and pull through. However, tonight everything just went smoothly; I got all the orders right, I got some very nice tips and best of all Sam was in a good mood which meant that we were laughing and joking all night. I loved Sam, there was no doubt about it, he was a very good friend but it was these light hearted moods that suited him best, made him seem younger. So it was with a genuine smile still plastered across my face that I returned to my car late at night to go home to the one thing that would be waiting, my sweet little cat.
It's the good times that really show you how horrible the bad times can get and just how swiftly they can arrive. In my case, everything changed within a couple of days.
So, what did you think? You know i love feedback almost as much as i love certain Viking vampire. (I really should come up with something new for there, i've been using that for ages).
I forgot to mention earlier but did you see the images of the new Aston Martin Virage? *drools* that is a gorgeous car. A 6.0 litre V12 and 490 bhp, now that really is what you call a car. I'd be putty for anyone who had one of those.
Okay, so thanks for reading and have a very good weekend :)
