May 2nd 2168

The floor was cool against her feet as she lowered herself off the bed. After the first week and a half of being confined to the uncomfortable slab, the feel of walking around was freeing for Amber. The view by the window was a wonderful one, a view that drew her breath upon her first glimpse of it. The rains of April had melted the thick layers of snow away, leaving the surface of the city bare, allowing the small patches of green to bring a sense of life to the streets. The buildings were shimmering spires, stretching upward to the heavens, shining illustriously in the sun. There were trees scattered across the sides of the streets, providing ample shade for passers-by. Shuttles and skycars stormed through the sky, but they only accented the tranquility of the city itself, allowing a glimpse of the activity and hectic lives people lived. At night, when Amber had snuck out into the city before, life only trickled past her, if at all. In the light of day, it astounded her to see how many people lived in the city. The mere thought of what those people did with their lives was staggering, but comforting.

There are so many people out there living just basic, regular lives. I think that finally, the odds are with me this time. She thought, returning to the window for another view. The clouds had begun to blanket the sky as twilight crept westward.

"Hey Mel, ever give a thought to what you want to do when you get older?" Amber asked. She knew her friend wanted to get out to a colony, but nothing too specific was shared.

"Hrm." Melody sat up at the end of the bed, tilting her head sideways. "I dunno. Maybe a farmer. Then I could have all the food I wanted! Or maybe…" Her voice trailed off as she lost herself in her thoughts.

Amber turned from the window to look at her puzzled friend, who recoiled a bit one realizing she was being stared at. Weird. Mel's usually pretty up front with me. "Or maybe…what? Come on, I'll tell you if you tell me."

"It's nothing." The red-haired girl said, shrinking into herself a bit. "Besides, I already know you want to be a farmer or a cook, so you won't tell me anything I don't know." Melody stuck her tongue out mockingly at Amber, but the brunette knew her friend was hiding something.

"First you won't tell me your birthday, and now you won't tell me what you want to do for a living? I'm not gonna make fun of you or anything." Amber said as she crossed the room and laid herself beside Melody. "I promise."

The girl looked down at Amber with a serious look on her face. "You better not."

"Cross my heart." Amber said, offering a kind smile as her friend sighed loudly.

"I kind of…I sorta…" Melody gazed nervously at her friend as she collected her thoughts. "I was thinking I might wanna be a writer or something. Hal would sometimes bring these datapads filled with books from the library, and I liked reading them sometimes. But it's a stupid idea."

Amber gave Melody a light jab in the side. "Mel, don't be so down on yourself. You've got a great imagination, unlike me. If you can write as well as you can draw, you'd be great at it. If you want to write when you're older, then you'd better start now, though. All you need is a little practice."

Melody fell onto her back with a loud thump, and a grin half formed on her face. "Yeah, I guess I should. I was thinking stories for kids, but I didn't know where to start."

"I hope you're not asking me for a bed time story, I think you're a little old for that." Amber said, her light laughter filling the air.

"Nah. I did like hearing them when I was younger though. One of the older girls would read to me and some others every once in a while. It was nice…she'd borrow one of the teacher's books and tell us about these amazing adventures, or these funny little stories. I always liked the one about the mouse and the lion…reminds me that no matter who you are, if you're nice, good things will happen." Melody turned her head, looking at Amber inquisitively. "What was your favourite as a kid, Birdy?"

Amber knew the answer before the question was even asked. "There was this one…"

The small brunette scampered aimlessly down the hall, clutching her pillow in both hands. The building was new to her, unfamiliar, and even less so tonight. Her mind was still caught in the last gasps of her nightmare; the crackling of embers echoed around her, an invisible heat rushed through her body as the shadowy rooms and halls emanated a faint orange glow. Tears burned in her eyes as she stumbled around the corner and through the door, into the chapel.

The room was not comforting; the stained glass windows were dark and high, out of reach. The cross at the front of the stage held itself halfway up the wall, its dark golden shape ablaze in the child's frightened eyes. Despite that, she found some solace there; the screams were muffled, more distant, and the room was cooler.

The brunette ran down the aisle before dropping to her knees and crawling beneath one of the pews, her pillow dragging across the old, wooden floor. It was dark under there, and all she could hear was her own labored breathing as she hugged her pillow to her chest tightly, trying to forget the screams of her friends. Trying to forget the flames and the scorching heat amongst the wintery cold. Trying to ignore the guilt. Every night had been the same since the transfer, and more often than not she would cry and wait for the sun to rise before she slept. Everything had seemed more real, more pronounced tonight, and that had sent her into a panic.

She almost didn't hear the footsteps progressing slowly down the aisle toward her hiding place, but a loose board in the floor signaled the approach of another individual. The person broke off from the aisle and slowly made their way to the pew behind where the girl lay, quietly sitting down. The room was silent for what seemed like minutes before the brunette's curiosity had her peeking her head out from underneath her hiding spot.

A young looking woman met her gaze with a warm smile. From the girl's point of view, she was incredibly tall like most of the nuns that worked the orphanage, but her shortly cropped black hair set her apart from the others. The woman also wasn't wearing the traditional black and white, but rather wore a soft grey and white ensemble that was more rarely seen around the building. The girl paused for a moment before crawling out from under the pew, nervously gripping the pillow in one hand. The woman lightly patted the area beside her, and the girl cautiously obliged.

"I think you've visited a few hours too early, child. The chapel looks finest in the morning light." The woman said, lowering her gaze to the girl's possession. "I hope I wasn't disturbing your sleep. I heard you running down the halls and thought it was strange that someone would break curfew alone at such an hour."

The girl remained still on the pew, looking down at the floor in front of her.

"Am I in trouble?" she squeaked out, her jaw digging into the pillow resting against her.

"Far from it. Of course, we prefer you all get a good night's rest, but we will not punish anyone for seeking solace in a more comfortable place." The girl's brow furrowed a bit, wondering how someone could find a hard wooden pew more comfortable than a soft bed.

"Is something troubling you, honey?" the woman asked, her voice smooth as silk. The small child beside her was persistently silent. "Sometimes, when I'm scared or worried, I find a friend to talk to. It usually helps me feel better."

The young girl turned her head sideways slightly. "I don't have any friends left." She mumbled into her pillow, her eyebrows peaking upward.

"You must be a recent transfer. I'm sure in time that you'll find new ones. There are plenty around your age, and they're all quite nice." The woman rested a hand on the girl's shoulder, noticing the girl was quaking slightly. "I can be your friend, if you'd like. My name is Emily."

The girl slid slightly further away from the nun, but kept her eyes locked on the woman's face. "Can talking make it go away?" The words were pleading as tears brimmed in the young girl's eyes.

"Make what go away?" Emily asked inquisitively.

"The screaming." The girl spoke softly, her words barely a whisper as she fought the tears. "The heat and the fire scares me too, but I don't want them to scream at me. I know what I did was bad, and I'm really sorry, but they won't listen." The girl choked back a sob. "I'm so sorry. I didn't want them to die."

The nun sat on the pew, taking in the view beside her detail by detail. Her face fell slightly as she realized the situation. "You're the girl from St. Paul's." The words came breathlessly from her mouth, as she tried to think up a solution to the child's plight. The small girl nodded slowly, drying her eyes with her pillow.

Emily watched the young girl shake as the sobs erupted from her tiny, frail body. Hher heart ached at the sight in front of her, wanting to ease the young girl's mind. "It's not your fault. No one would blame you, I'm certain."

"Yeah, it is!" Amber huffed indignantly, her face transforming from a state of woe to unbridled frustration. "I didn't help them! I wish I did, but I didn't. I was a bad friend…" With that last word, she pulled the pillow up to cover her face, squeezing it tight against her.

Emily recoiled from the overwhelming sense of guilt that emanated from the young girl, and felt herself awash with pity. The woman shifted herself slightly closer to the child. "Well, from what I can tell, you're a good friend. I'm sure your friends would forgive you."

"Then why do they scream at me?" The voice was muffled and quiet, but firm.

"Honey, they don't, they're in heaven now. I'm sure they forgive you. You probably hear them because you feel guilty, because you think it's your fault. You're still scared about what happened and you're blaming yourself. It's not your fault. No child has that responsibility."

Amber slowly lowered her pillow, her eyes visibly red and puffy from crying. She peered nervously at the raven-haired woman from behind her cushion; her hazel eyes held the gaze for a moment before shame darted them away.

"What if you're wrong?" she whispered. "I'm nearly ten, I should have helped them. They would have helped me."

Emily reached over, wiping the tears from the child's face with her thumb. The girl looked curiously at her, but didn't slide away from the touch.

"May I tell you a story?" Amber kept her eyes on Emily's face, and gave a nod, shrugging her shoulders slightly.

"There was once a Shepherd who watched over many flocks of sheep. He was a good shepherd…he knew each of his sheep by name, and they knew him as well. He helped feed them when they were hungry, and sheltered them when the weather turned poor. So long as he was their shepherd, they would have all they needed."

"There were other Shepherds in the land, though," she continued. "Yet they did not truly care for their sheep. They watched over the sheep because it was their job as hired hands, not because they loved the sheep. When wolves and thieves would attack and scatter the flock, these men would run away."

Amber winced, withdrawing herself slightly from the older woman, but her hand gently graced the smaller girl's wrist. Emily smiled apologetically. "Please, I am not blaming you. Child, you are no hired hand. You cared for your friends, did you not?"

Amber's mouth twisted to the side as she nodded slowly. "I knew their names. All of them."

Emily offered a smile at the girl's certainty, and clasped a hand over one of Amber's. "Now, the good shepherd was not fond of these happenings, and many sheep from all over would ask whether or not he was like the rest. He would reply 'I am the good shepherd. Just as I know my sheep, and my sheep know me, so too do my Father and I know each other. Sheep not of this pen, I too, will watch over; there shall be one flock and one shepherd. Although my Father has bestowed upon me free will, I will lay down my life for my sheep. This, I give of my own accord; no man may snare it from me. After I lay down my life, so shall I have the power to take it back, as my Father has granted me. Listen to my voice and I shall not lead you astray.' And the good shepherd would continue to increase his flock and watch over them. He would know their names and love each and every sheep who heard his voice."

Amber sat silently, her face slowly showing a pained expression. "I don't have a father, so I can't be a good shepherd, can I?"

Emily raised her hand to gently stroke Amber's cheek, hoping she could will the girl's self-defeating attitude away. "God is everyone's father. He loves you more than any other in this world."

Amber twisted away slightly, sighing. "I'm not a man either, so it doesn't matter."

"Perhaps when you're older and have more responsibility, you may follow in his footsteps as many men and women have." Emily said, hoping to soothe the mind of the young girl. "Come here." The raven haired woman reached out for a hug, but Amber quickly slid away.

"I'm eight years old; I don't need to be carried back to my bed. I can walk." Amber said, her face twisting in slight disbelief at the arms outstretched in front of her.

Emily laughed lightly, tilting her head to the side. "Don't tell me you've never been hugged before...and I thought you said you were nearly ten!"

"Close enough." Amber grumbled, crossing her arms as she slid herself closer to Emily. "I guess…if I'm supposed to know what it is…I guess you can show me or something. I don't like not knowing."

Emily couldn't help the grin that slid across her face. The brunette was rigid, her face showing her uncertainty and fear, while her eyes darted around nervously.

"Honey, you're safe here." Emily whispered, gently pulling the thin brunette into an embrace. The two of them rested there, unmoving for a short time. Emily felt the girl's tension ease with each passing second. Amber thought back to the story the nun had told her and made a promise to herself.

"Thank you." Amber whispered back sleepily, nuzzling her head into the crook of Emily's shoulder. "I'm kinda tired though. I should go to bed."

Emily paused a moment, expecting the girl to remove herself from her arms, but Amber remained there. "Do you want to walk? Or…" she asked quietly, hoping the girl was in better spirits. The sound of a light snore was all the response she needed.

Amber crawled over to her side of the bed and propped herself up against a pillow. Melody smiled back at her from the foot of the bed.

"You never told me you were religious, Birdy." Melody said, her face rife with curiosity.

"I'm not sure I am. I mean, I know now that she was talking about Jesus, but…I kinda just want to be good enough to help people. I mean, yeah, farming and cooking seem fun, but something in the back of my mind just wants to do something…bigger. I'm not sure what." She said, glancing over at the window. I'm not sure if I can, either.

Melody made her way up the bed enough to start repeatedly poking Amber's leg. "But…why were you never around anyone else at the orphanage? Why didn't you have friends? If that's what you want…"

Amber felt sweat form on her brow at her friend's rambling. It's dark outside. Maybe if I close my eyes and pretend to sleep she'll … no, she'd see right through that, and she'd poke me until I talk to her. Maybe If I push myself out of bed and pretend to fall, maybe then she'd…no, she's just make fun of me. Maybe…

"Are you religious Mel?" It was a simple question, one which Amber hoped would sidetrack her redheaded friend.

Mel cast her eyes upward in thought and scrunched her face a bit, trying to put words to her ideas. "I don't really know. I always liked those stories where a person would come back to life as an animal or whatever after they died. Not sure that's a religion, but that's about the only thing I'd like to believe about any of that. I dunno, I'm not even fourteen. Got lots of time left to think about that. Besides, you're just avoiding my question."

Amber smirked and twitched her leg around, failing miserably to avoid Melody's poking. "When is your birthday, anyway?" Amber asked.

"I'll tell you some other time." She said, curtly. Melody knew Amber was hiding something, and she decided she was going to poke it out of her. "Can you answer my question now, or do I have to keep poking you?"

Amber's leg twitched at the poking, but she let her friend continue. "I guess…" she started unsure of how to answer. Should I tell her the truth? Can I really justify hiding away from my issues? She's my friend, right? So… Amber lowered her head a bit, staring off into the corner of the room. "I guess I was scared I wouldn't be strong enough to help them, like last time. That I couldn't keep them safe." She was surprised at her own words, and how candid they were. It made her feel uneasy, but slightly lighter.

Melody immediately scooted herself up to what she had claimed as her side of the bed and poked Amber on the forehead. "All you need is a little practice." She said, flashing her trademark toothy smile. "Lucky for you, I'm here to help!"

"That's kind of why I worry, you know." Amber gave a strained smile, remembering what she could of the beatdown that had hospitalized her.

Melody knew when Amber drifted off into her own thoughts, and knew that her mind wasn't likely in a good place. She playfully grabbed both of Amber's cheeks, which quickly brought the brunette back into the present, and also rewarded Melody with a look of great disdain.

"Mehw, wet go ow mah cheewks." Amber attempted, before Mel's grip released.

"We're gonna leave this place tomorrow and we'll be in a school, learning…stuff, I guess. You don't need to be such a worrywart. I've told you a million times before, you saved me that night. I don't know how, but that man just…I dunno. He just wasn't. And you were there in the pile of bricks, but you weren't messed up like him." Melody yawned, noting Amber's story had kept them up later than usual. She threw an arm over Amber's stomach and nestled against her friend.

"So we'll be fine. Don't worry. Besides…" the redhead said sleepily, as another yawn crept out of her. "I know you'll always be there for me. So just close your eyes and sleep, you goof."

Amber didn't need to be told twice, as she'd been barely able to keep her eyes open. She pulled the sheets up and over the two of them, and wondered about what the next day would bring.

I'm holding you to that promise Anderson.

The shuttle has windows! The thought bounced around Amber's head excitedly as two Alliance soldiers escorted herself, Melody and their belongings out of the hospital to the platform where the shuttle awaited. It rested among numerous other shuttles, but Amber was immediately taken by its traditional Alliance blue and white paint job. It looks like a blue jay, she thought, allowing a giddy smile to erupt on her face. As much as she scoffed at the bird jokes Melody would pepper her with, she admired the creatures. I wonder how high we'll fly up… I can't believe I'm finally going to see the city from above!

The shuttle wasn't particularly large; she had been in larger ones when moving to other orphanages. It looked more like some of the skycars, in shape, but was much larger. The soldiers ushered the two girls into the seating area in the back, where Amber and Melody immediately grabbed window seats across from each other, waiting eagerly for the shuttle to ascend. One soldier sat in the front with the pilot, and the other grabbed a seat in the back, making sure the girls had their safety harnesses on before liftoff.

The sun had just begun to rise by the time their escort had arrived at their room that morning, and after a short dispute over taking their bag of belongings with them, they had been in the clear. As she sat in the shuttle, Amber realized that she hadn't felt so free in a long time. That feeling was only accented by the slow ascent of the vessel, the platform slowly shrinking off into the distance as it soared higher.

The view was magnificent as they flew amongst the upper levels of the city. Amber had known Ottawa was large, but it seemed to stretch on for tens of kilometers, across two rivers that she'd never known existed. With the shuttle heading toward the sun, the girls were able to get a clear look at the city they had lived in all their lives. From here, you can't even tell there's a speck of dirt on the ground! This is so thrilling! Everything's so shiny and green…I wonder what this looks like from space…I wonder what the wind would feel like all the way up here…

Amber glanced over at Melody and noticed the girl had been staring at her. The redhead was smiling ear to ear, her face rife with amusement. "You enjoying your first flight, Birdy?"

She gave a soft laugh and smiled back at her friend. Am I that obvious? "You know, I really am. This is more amazing than I thought it could have been."

The soldier behind Amber leaned forward. "This isn't your first time in a shuttle, is it?"

"No, but it's the first time I've been in one with a view. The city's so amazing…" she spoke, her voice trailing as a plethora of questions filled her head. The soldiers were nice enough to escort us, should I really bug them with questions? "Um, excuse me, but…have you ever been to space?" The words escaped Amber nervously. The soldier just chuckled.

"Yeah, most of us have been out there at least a few times. Why do you ask?"

Amber rubbed her neck, feeling awkward and intrusive. "Is it…is it as amazing as people say?"

The soldier's hand reached over the seat and patted her on the shoulder. "Yeah, it is. Don't worry, though, I'm sure one day you'll see it for yourself."

Just as the words left his mouth, the shuttle dipped unexpectedly, knocking the passengers a bit off balance in their seats as the vehicle attempted to stabilize itself. The soldier unstrapped himself from his harness and made his way over to the cockpit entrance. Both girls looked at each other, worry etched on both their faces. Nothing's ever easy, Amber thought to herself as she reached across the aisle to grab Melody's outstretched hand.

"Nothing's going to hurt us, I promise. We've come too far." Amber whispered, hoping she had enough conviction in her voice to reassure her friend. Melody nodded solemnly and squeezed a little harder.

"How in the bloody hell did we lose a power core and our comms? How in the hell does that even happen, Chief?" the soldier they'd been sitting with ranted. The other voices were muffled, the girls unable to hear the other half of the conversation.

"Drop to a lower traffic level and keep en route at sixty klicks. We'll crawl there, but at least we won't cause any accidents closer to the surface. Just try and make sure this piece of crap doesn't fail on us any harder."

The descent was fairly exaggerated as they made their way to the much less populated lower traffic lanes. The buildings went by quickly at this elevation, seeming much more familiar, and much less interesting to Amber. Well, there goes the view. I'm sure I'll see it again.

As the shuttle leveled off, it quickly sideslipped hard to the right, toppling the standing soldier over and pushing the girls hard against their harnesses. Before they could recover, the shuttle made a hard left and descended quickly toward the surface. This time, a voice came loudly from the front of the shuttle.

"Sir! There's a few skycars dropping EMP charges at us! They've got shit aim, but I'm not sure how long I can dodge them in this brick!"

The fallen soldier scrambled over to the back of the shuttle quickly, where his assault rifle hung snug against the wall. "Find a place to land ASAP, Chief." He said, pausing as he checked over his rifle. "This is fucking ridiculous."

The shuttle ducked low and to the right, but it was obvious from the immediate darkening of the shuttle that the pilot hadn't been elusive enough. The soldier in the back pulled himself to his harness and scrambled to secure himself. "Brace for impact!"

Suddenly unable to defy gravity, the construct of metals and ceramics lazily rotated, accelerating its descent toward the quiet street below. The right front tip of the shuttle hit the ground first, gouging open the old asphalt and buckling the pilot's compartment as the spinning vehicle tumbled past scrambling pedestrians, eventually pancaking against an aging building.

Amber's vision was blurry; the impact had shaken her around, and had it not been for the harness, she knew she would likely have been broken against the wall of the shuttle. Her body ached, though she'd grown familiar with it from her stay in the hospital. Not the best way to recover from an injury, she thought to herself, groggily working her harness off. She slid off her seat and started on Melody's. The redhead was equally dazed, but seemingly unharmed. The harness came off with a mechanical snap, letting the two girls dizzily move about the grounded vessel. Sparks were shooting from panels in the wall, and only one of the soldiers in the front was moving. Amber grabbed the bag of their belongings and turned toward the young soldier coming from the front of the shuttle.

"Lieutenant Gosselin, Reynolds is out cold in the front. I patched up his head wound with what medigel we had, but he's not responsive. What's our next move?"

"We keep these kids safe is what we do. Anderson trusted us with this, so that's what we'll do. You go with them to find an evac route, I'll scope out any hostiles." The soldier in the back said, his tone more upbeat than Amber had expected. "Keep silent on comms unless you get cornered and need support. I'll try and give you as much time as possible."

"Sir," the younger soldier stammered. "I'm sure there's a terminal nearby for us to call for assistance."

"They used damn EMP charges, Flores. Our Omni-tools are browned out for who knows how long. They've got expensive shit. There's a good chance that any major terminal will be watched or guarded, so just get them hidden away and safe. Now go, they'll be on us quickly." The older soldier remarked, pulling on his helmet and kicking open the door. "You girls will be fine, you hear?" He stepped away from the shuttle, out of sight. The younger soldier grabbed his own rifle and ushered the two kids out of the vessel.

The shuttle had crashed into what seemed to be an old retail store. It was abandoned, nothing on the toppled shelves, and dust billowing in the air. The soldier grabbed Melody's hand and sprinted through the aisles toward an old exit sign, leading them both out a door and into an alley. Gunfire rang out nearby, but the soldier was unfazed, rushing them down alley by alley.

Skycars could be heard overhead, swarming the area, masking the sound of the gang members who rounded the corner in front of the trio. The soldier shoved the girls lightly behind a dumpster and dove into a small descending stairwell as he rolled a small object along the ground. The approaching gang members were caught flat-footed as the grenade erupted mere inches from them, the carnage turning their bodies into unrecognizable masses.

The soldier quickly emerged and pulled them from cover, again sprinting down the alley. Amber's footing held this time, even as she struggled to keep pace with the two others. Her lungs would have screamed were they able to, and were they not being chased by the same thugs that had incapacitated them before. Luckily, the soldier slowed to a halt and knelt beside a nearby building, quickly assessing the state of its window grating. He knocked a few stray shards of broken glass from the window behind the grate onto the floor inside, and bent the grate open further, providing enough room for the girls to squeeze through.

"You two, crawl in here. I'll close it up after you." He urged, motioning them to move in through the window. Amber tossed her bag in and helped guide Melody in quickly afterward. Shouts rang out from somewhere nearby down the alley, and the soldier held Amber firm against the wall, trying to obscure the both of them as best as possible behind some debris. Two gang members were visible, but it wasn't difficult to imagine more were nearby.

"Look, if I shoot them here, they'll know you were near here. I'm going to sneak backward and make some noise down that side alley and draw them away. I want you to crawl in there as soon as I move." He whispered, before pressing a pistol into the brunette's hands. "In case they find you. Some protection." Amber nodded, grimly. He's going to die, just like the other one. Why are people always dying around me? I… She felt a light slap on her face as the soldier quietly pointed to the window and counted down with his fingers. As his hand became a fist, she slowly eked her way into the window, and the soldier gently guided the grate against the wall before escaping from view. Moments later, the gang members rushed past, yelling, gunfire ringing out soon after.

And then there was silence.

A/N: So I'm sorry for the long wait…a deadly combination of writer's block and working extra shifts kind of did me in for a bit. I'm still not happy with the whole shuttle/escape segment, but that probably comes with the fact that I had to rewrite it twice, and I kind of forced it out this morning. It's not my best writing, but I've been sitting on this chapter for nearly a week now. That segment was the only thing holding me back, so I just needed it out of the way so I could move on. I apologize for how poorly written it is, I just kind of stopped caring enough to keep fixing it.

So thanks for your patience :) I hope some of your interest in further Amber backstory was sated a bit.

Again, I must thank everyone who's been awesome enough to read my story and provide feedback. Despite that last scene, I feel I'm getting a better handle on writing this story, and that I'm improving, albeit slightly. Couldn't do it without you, so thanks to Ankamius and Shadowblazer for your in depth critiques, which have helped me get a better grasp on writing effectively, even if I may not have showed it consistently throughout this chapter. Thanks again to Salser, Helljumper 1337, Theodosius, Exar Kun IV, Theodur, dpmeggers, ObsG, gearseffect and PMC65 for your feedback and inspiration! You all keep me motivated, and I can't properly put into words how much I appreciate your support and the fact that you take time out of your day to read my crazy little story.

So yeah, thanks! I hope to have another chapter up fairly soon. Should be a slow week. Who knows, though. *shrug*

Also, thanks to Salser and ObsG again for pointing out some minor issues, which I've since amended a little :)