*is dead* Dear God this chapter took a lot out of me -_- One reason it's a quite a bit shorter than the norm...
On another note, once again you marvelous, amazing, outstanding, mind-blowing people gave me a staggering amount of reviews and I love you for it. I really do. But I'll abstain from spazzing out like I did last time and just know that I am indeed spazzing cause I was honestly not expecting such a huge response again. Thank you!!!!!! You have no idea how encouraging it is *rib-bruising hugs* ^_^
Disclaimer: Kubo owns the characters, but I own what I make them go through XP
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Ichigo gripped the armrests of the chair until the wood creaked under the pressure. The name pounded against his skull over and over and over.
Inoue.
Inoue.
Inoue.
Dammit!
"My lord…"
"Leave me!"
"Yes, my lord."
But before Renji's hand could reach the door, Ichigo spoke again, "No. Wait. Wait just a moment." Confused and concerned, Renji waited loyally as his employer and friend fisted his hands into his hair and wildly paced the room.
Ichigo forced himself to stop moving. He had to think.
All right, just because she has the same last name…that doesn't mean anything.
No, his brain forcibly remembered, no, it means everything. Her brother's name was Sora.
Sora Inoue.
Dammit.
How many times had she said 'Sora this' and 'Sora that'? How many times had he been subjected to hearing that sickening name? How many times had he pushed away his feelings of hatred because he hadn't wanted to hate her brother just because he shared the name of his enemy?
He let out a short, ironic laugh. But he did hate him. Hated him with everything he had to the point of wanting his own hands red with the monster's blood…
No. No, he pleaded in his mind, it couldn't be. It just wasn't possible. Her brother was for peace. He was an enlightened man who'd preached of the evils of blind prejudice. He hadn't been a fighting rebel.
She wouldn't have lied to him…
Orihime…
He whirled to face Renji, "Are you sure that's her name?"
Renji hesitated, deeply troubled by the wild look in his eyes. But the duke didn't have time for hesitations. In two long steps he was growling into his butler's face with his fist clenching the jacket's lapel, "Answer me!"
Keeping his eyes steady with Ichigo's, he answered, "That's what she told us, sir. I heard it from her own lips"
The duke released the dark fabric and resumed pacing back and forth. Dammit. His head felt as if it would explode from the fury and confusion. He had to do something. Nothing was making sense.
"Bring her here."
"Miss Inoue, sir?"
Hearing that blasted name again tore a roar from his chest, "Who the hell else?! Go!"
"Yes, my lord."
The door clicked shut and Ichigo dropped into the chair only to immediately rise to his feet and start pacing again.
He needed to see her face. He needed to hear it from her himself.
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"Orihime."
"Yes, Renji?" The unsuspecting girl smiled brightly at the tall butler.
"Er…his grace wants to see you. He's in his sitting room." He winced when her smile grew radiant at the mention of the duke wanting to see her. As she sprung from Rukia's side, he wondered if he should warn her of the duke's present mood, but before he could say a word she'd already run out the door.
After considering going after her, he forwent the idea deciding it might be better if she wasn't nervous before she saw him. Besides, surely the duke wouldn't lose his temper with her.
Not her.
But even so…he couldn't shake this strong feeling of apprehension.
"Renji, what's wrong?"
He looked down to see Rukia looking up at him with a rare expression of tender concern. Christ, he must look more uneasy than he thought. He's turning into such a damned worrywart in his old age. He forced a half smile and placed his hand on her head. "Nothing, Rukia."
His evading words made her frown fiercely and she punched him hard in chest. "Ow! Dammit, Rukia! What was that for?"
Her eyes narrowed. "Idiot." She tried to turn away from him, but the hand on her head slipped down to the back of her neck and held her in place. She gritted her teeth and glared up at him only to have her face immediately soften upon seeing the pained look on his chiseled face. "Renji?"
He said nothing, but pulled her head into his chest. She clutched his jacket in her tiny fists and silently waited. A moment later she could have sworn that she felt a small pressure on the top of her head, but then she felt him sigh and then he let her go.
A sudden surge of anger and frustration almost made her pull him back, but her fists loosened and she let him back away.
Because…
Because he wasn't the only who was a coward.
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Orihime bounded up the stairs, unable to wipe the grin off her face even when Ms. Unohana saw her and gave her that gentle but normally very effective stern look of hers. After tripping up the stairs twice and nearly knocking off a large urn sitting precariously on a small table, she finally arrived in front of the large door that led into his sitting room.
She lifted her hand to knock but paused instead and then let it fall back to her side. She bit her lip thoughtfully and then finally decided to let her hair down before going in. He liked it better that way.
He had just seen her not an hour or two ago and now he already wanted to see her again. She could hardly contain the shivers of excitement that ran through her body.
After shaking her hair loose and pinching her cheeks, although they hardly needed it since she was already so flushed, she finally knocked rapidly on the door. She quickly swept in after hearing a gruff voice answer and stood with her back to the closed door, her hands clasped tightly in front of her.
"You wanted to see me, my lord?" She grinned at his back and waited for him to turn and greet her with that unusual soft but frowning smile of his. Several long moments passed before he faced her, but she didn't have the presence of mind to consider it odd as she was too busy letting her eyes drink him in.
As usual he was dressed in slim dark trousers, completely relinquishing the old style of knee-length breeches that still lingered on the streets of Paris. The sleeves of his crisp white shirt that were rolled up to his elbows and the front that was most likely open at the throat would have made him look more like a clean blacksmith than a duke were it not for the confident, aristocratic air he wore like a second skin. She smiled to herself as she let her eyes take in his unusual hair. But put it all together and he was the kind of handsome that tugged painfully on a girl's heart and made her dream. And she was in love with him.
Finally she noticed that he still had his back to her and wondered at his actions, or rather lack thereof. Then he suddenly turned slightly, but he barely glanced at her and there was no smile. The scowl was in place and his face was a stone.
"Yes. I need to ask you something." He seemed to be forcing out every word with great effort. She felt the brightness of her smile fade and the elation of her heart slowly sink.
"Anything, my lord," she answered softly.
A moment passed and she noticed that his jaw clenched tightly before he faced her fully. His frown was so deep that she could barely see his eyes burning into her. But they weren't burning with desire as she'd seen so many times before; they burned with something else entirely. Fury? Hurt? Betrayal? Surely not, surely she was imagining things.
The smile was completely gone from her face and her chest tightened as she waited for what he was going to ask. What question could he possibly have that was putting such an expression on his face? What was keeping him at such a distance from her?
"What is your name?"
Her eyelashes fluttered in surprise and she felt a rushing wave of relief wash over her. Her name? That's all he wanted to know? He must be playing some joke with her. She gave him a jaunty smile and replied teasingly, "You know my name, my lord."
"Answer the question!" he commanded. Her smile dropped and her relief left as quickly as it had come.
"Y-Yes, my lord. I'm sorry. Orihime Inoue."
Her reply contorted his face into even greater blazing, furious pain. Her heart was bumping slowly and tightly against her chest. She was in pain because he was in pain. But why was he in pain? Why?
"And your brother's name?" She blinked at the way he uttered the word 'brother' as if it were a curse, but she dared not delay answering him for long.
"S-Sora Inoue, sir."
This answer gave her his back again. His broad shoulders were rigid and yet trembling with rage. And then suddenly they stiffened completely and she felt a chill slice through the charged air.
"Miss Inoue." Her body shuddered at the quiet coldness in his deep voice. She decided she preferred it when he was roaring at her. "Miss Inoue," he said again. "Since I haven't been murdered in my bed are you slowly poisoning me into my grave?"
Her eyes snapped wide open with shock and horror. What was he talking about? "My-"
"No. Probably not. Murder is too messy for your delicate sensitivities, isn't it? Perhaps you were planning on seducing my butler or even my valet into doing the deed for you."
The sword that had pierced her heart was twisted sharply by his next words. "No, you're very skilled at seduction, as I well know. You would have bedded them by now. But perhaps you have already done so but only for amusement's sake and that's not your intention at all. Dear God, don't tell me you actually deceived yourself into thinking you could break my heart!"
Why wouldn't he look at her? All she could see was his back. She couldn't be hearing these cold words. Not from him. He wouldn't say these things to her. Unless she saw his mouth moving and the words being uttered from his lips she wouldn't believe them.
As if reading her mind, he turned sharply and let out a short, empty laugh as he stared straight into her face. "Don't be naïve. A peasant girl like you break my heart? You're nothing but a little maid."
His cold declaration that she would forever been incapable of breaking his heart sent hers shattering into a million pieces. She didn't want to break his heart. What was he talking about? Why was he saying these things?
Why?!
She clutched her hands against her ears as if blocking the sound waves of the words would make them disappear. "Stop it! Stop it! Don't say anymore! Why are you saying these terrible things? You can't mean them! You can't!" Tears rolled down her face as she begged him with her eyes to wake her up from this nightmare.
He sneered in disdain at her pleas, "Yes, it is rather heartbreaking that all your plans have been futile. But don't cry, I'm sure you can find another 'cream puff' to twist around your little fingers. For Christ's sake stop sniveling!"
"Why?" The question tore from her throat in anguish.
"Why must you stop sniveling? Because it's revolting and your tears will stain my rug."
She barely heard him. "Why do you hate me?"
His eyes froze into piercing shards of amber glass, "Why do I hate you? You dare to ask me that? You whose brother murdered my family!"
Her body froze in shock. What? What was he talking about? Sora? But Sora wouldn't. He wasn't that kind of man. "You're wrong!" she cried.
"Get out!" he shouted. "Get the hell out while I decide what to do with you!"
No. She wouldn't go. She wouldn't. She couldn't leave him like this without explaining that he was wrong. So terribly and completely wrong. "No! Listen to me! I-"
"GET. OUT!"
Her body whirled around in terror. She tore out of the room and kept running until she had slammed her own door behind her. Too brokenhearted to think and too shocked to cry, her body slid down the wooden door as she stared blankly towards her window.
It had been such a beautiful day. A perfect day that was now in shambles. She squeezed her eyes shut and laid her head on arms that were folded across her bent knees.
You whose brother murdered my family!
His words echoed in her mind but she shook her head violently against them. Sora wouldn't have murdered his family. He only fought against the corrupt. He would never have led an attack on a peaceful family like the Kurosaki's. Not on beautiful Clermont.
Clermont.
Her head snapped up and she suddenly felt dizzy. Clermont. Oh God! Please no!
The memories from six years ago that she had carefully stuffed away came rushing back in excruciating vividness…
"Carignan. Clermont. Carignan. Clermont."
"Shh, brother. You must rest. Please rest."
"What have I done? Oh God, what have I done? It's all my fault. All my fault."
Sighing, Orihime gave up trying to shush him and gently ran the cold, wet cloth over his feverish skin, letting him mumble and rant nonsense. Sora had been brought back from his latest raid with a deep wound and although the bleeding had stopped, infection had set in and a fever was raging through his body. But he was strong, he would survive this. He survived everything. She refused to think that he might die. She would not let him die for them.
She hated that he had to fight. And she hated the rebels who compelled him to not only fight but to lead them into battle, if you could even call their unorganized raids battles.
She had once told Sora this and he had smiled gently and patted her head. "Orihime, don't hate them. They're passionate, desperate, starving people that want to give their families better lives, and they're doing it in the best way they know how. However misguided they are, the best I can do is make sure they at least strike vengeance upon those who deserve it. That's my duty. To make sure the innocent, the ones who got caught up in the awful prejudices, are safe while those who destroyed their reputation and destroyed the lives of hundreds of peasants get what they deserve."
"But I don't see why you have to be the one to do it! Let somebody else do it! Stand on the street corners and give great speeches like you used to!"
"Ah, Orihime. If my words changed anything I would, but the reality is that in a rebellion that is backed by such a mob as this one, actions really do speak louder than words. My actions have been more effective in changing the thinking of our class than my street corner speeches ever did. It would be different if there were more that thought like us, but we are so few that we have to do more than make ripples in the water with our words. We have to flail and splash and make people see our actions before they will listen to our words. Do you understand?"
She had pouted but nodded reluctantly, "I suppose. I don't like it. But I suppose."
He laughed and hugged her close, "That's my little sister."
But now as he lay fighting for his life she wondered if it was really worth it. For all his splashing, how much had really changed? Was it really worth all this?
The mumbling and thrashing that had subsided began again, "Murdered. I murdered. Family. Clermont."
What on earth was he talking about? She wished he would hurry up and break the fever so this nonsense would cease.
And three days later the fever broke, but the 'nonsense' did not. Her brother fell into a deep depression, staring blankly out the window beside his bed. She thought maybe he was just weak and was simply recovering. But weeks later the depression had not lifted.
He'd finally been able to move about and do his usual menial jobs and occasional political meetings, but his heart wasn't it. It was as if her warm and passionate brother had died weeks ago and what was moving about their small home was merely a shell that took breath in and let breath out. She felt grief in her heart as if he were really dead.
Finally one day she snapped. She yelled and screamed, trying desperately to get some kind of reaction out of him, even if it was just a flicker in his eyes. And then she got one.
"I murdered them, Orihime! I'm a murderer!" he suddenly cried out. His eyes showed the first emotion they'd had since he'd come home, and they were drowned in pain.
She felt so much relief from finally seeing a spark of life in him that she forgot to ask him what he meant and threw her arms around him. But he shoved her to arms length and told her anyway.
"Clermont. They were innocent, Orihime. They were peaceful. They gave regular donations to the poorhouses for Christ's sake! But I stormed in there with my guns and my men and we murdered them. Slaughtered a family. Husband, wife, daughters. All of them dead. Good people. And now they're dead."
His face fell in his hands as he groaned in inner anguish and she reached out a hand to comfort him. "What are you talking about? You're not a murderer. I know you're not. What really happened?"
He looked at her for a moment and then dropped his eyes to the floor. "You have such faith in me, Orihime. But you shouldn't. I made a mistake. Our sources were faulty, our intelligence was wrong. We were supposed to attack the estate of a greedy Marquis that lived alone. Our source said the place was Clermont. But it wasn't Clermont we were supposed to attack, it was Carignan. Carignan, dammit! If only they hadn't shared the first letter and then I would have realized our mistake. But that damned gate with its huge iron 'C' led us into innocence and we brought them hell."
"Brother! That wasn't your fault! You didn't know! How could you have prevented it?!"
His eyes went wild and he began shouting, more at himself than at his sister, "Yes I could have! I should have checked the intelligence. I always check the information. But I didn't this time. I'd gotten so Goddamned cocky that I didn't confirm the intelligence. Oh God, what have I done?! I tried to stop them. I tried. When I saw the family in the house I knew we'd made a mistake and I tried to stop them. I shouted at them. I threw fists at my own men. But nothing would stop them. Some of them heard me but they didn't care. They tore that family apart. They wouldn't even stay to help me bury the bodies. All my work. All my actions. All my words. They were all for nothing. Nothing has changed. Nothing!"
Nothing Orihime said would console him. It was as if he couldn't even hear her. It was as if he didn't see her.
Later that evening he left, never to return.
For the first time in his entire life he'd gotten himself involved in a drunken brawl. She learned that he hadn't even had that much to drink and she never found out what the fight had been about; most likely he'd looked at someone funny or said something in the wrong way. The fight hadn't even been that violent, but his body had been extremely weakened by infection and fever and depression. He'd never had a chance.
News of his death came as a painful shock, but the blessed numbness soon set in. For weeks her brother had been dead or dying. She'd been prepared for this even though she hadn't known it at the time.
And she was able to move on with the help of Tatsuki. It hadn't been easy, two fourteen year old girls out on their own in the midst of the Revolution. But they'd made it, and it had made them stronger. And soon she forgot those painful final weeks with her brother and remembered only the good times they'd had, the years upon years of good times.
She had forgotten everything, until now. The memories resurfaced and piled heartbreak on top of heartbreak. Her heart ached so severely she felt a sudden urge to tear it out just to be done with the pain.
She didn't how long she sat there staring at nothing. Her eyes wouldn't let her cry. Her head wouldn't let her think; it only replayed those painful memories of her brother over and over. It threw in her face the harsh words of the duke time after time. She could only sit and stare.
A mistake. It had all been a mistake. How would he react to that? How would he react to the news that the murder of his family had been a mistake? How would he feel if he found out that his pain, his curse, all of it was a result of a mere case of miscommunication?
And then the tears came. She wept for his sake. For his family. For the sickening waste of it all. Time passed and when she could finally cry no more and her mind was cleared of some of the blinding pain, a small thought flared.
Carignan. Where had she heard that before? She didn't feel a familiarity with it from memories of her brother, but something else. What was it? Carignan. Carignan.
And then she realized with a jolt and a horrified gasp. Carignan. The Marquis of Carignan was Sosuke Aizen. The duke's uncle was the one who was supposed to be dead. Oh God. Does it never stop?
She hung her head and cried more tears she didn't think she had.
Why is fate so cruel?
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When Orihime didn't appear at dinner Tatsuki volunteered to find her. She knocked on the door and after receiving no answer she decided to crack it open and see if she was asleep.
Her heart stopped. On the floor in front of her, Orihime was lying just inside the door curled into a ball. "Orihime!" She dropped to her knees and gathered her friend in her arms.
The look in Orihime's eyes was a horrifying déjà vu. It was the same look from six years ago. The same shocked lifeless expression.
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You're wrong!
"Dammit!" he yelled into the empty room, slamming his fist into the wall. Why wouldn't her words leave him alone? The lying words that his treacherous heart was aching to believe in.
He'd trusted her. He'd broken his chest open and let her dig around as she pleased and what did she do? She crushed him. Broke his-
No! No, he was determined not to let her. He willed the icy walls to form around his heart, but every time he built them up her face would float in front of his eyes and melt them again, letting in the sharp sting of betrayal.
She'd swept into his room and he could feel her presence sweeping over him in warm waves. He'd finally been able to steel himself against that but she once again broke through his walls when he glanced at her. Her luxurious hair falling around her shoulders, her soft cheeks flushed pink, and her smile overwhelming the bright lanterns. She looked like a goddess who'd descended to earth in the form of a maid simply to meddle with mortals and alleviate her boredom with the celestial.
Every word she spoke was painful and warming at the same time. He silently begged her to deny it. Tell him her name was Smith, Hammel, Reynolds, anything but Inoue! But she didn't.
Orihime Inoue, she'd said. She'd stuttered, most likely suspecting that her plans were crumbling. And then, damn him, he'd foolishly hoped maybe he'd heard wrong when she'd said her brother's name was Sora. So he asked her to name her brother.
Sora Inoue.
He couldn't deny it any longer. He fought to chill every fiber in his being against her until finally he couldn't bear her presence any longer and ordered her to go. But her absence made little difference. Her hair, her scent, her voice, all of it haunted him, damn her!
Her brother had killed his family. And now she was here. It couldn't be coincidence. And even if it was, it mattered little. It didn't change the fact that her brother was a murderer.
He'd thought her to be honest, but she was a liar.
He'd thought she was innocent, but she was a whore.
He'd thought she was intelligent yet sweetly scatterbrained, but she was pure cunning.
She had deceived him so completely that his heart was warring against his mind. But he would cling to the rational truths in front of him. He had to.
And he had to think about what he was going to do with her.
Idly he noticed the sun was almost set and for once he welcomed the excuse to let loose the violence that festered inside of him.
That night his roars echoed into the night, mixing with the sounds of crashing trees and the cries of dying animals.
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"Your grace, you have visitors."
The duke slowly lifted his head to glare in disbelief at his butler. "I'm not in the mood for jokes, Abarai."
"I'm sorry, sir, but they come with a note from your uncle."
Ichigo's eyes narrowed and he rudely swiped the small paper from Renji's hand and ran his eyes over it. His butler noticed three long gashes on his forearm and his eyes widened, "My lord, you're injured."
Ichigo glanced at the wound on his arm that he'd received the night before from a bear who hadn't wanted to give his life up very easily. He sneered at Renji and sarcastically replied, "Thank you, my observant butler. What did I ever do without you?"
This shut Renji up and he stood stiffly, watching a storm gather across the duke's face. Finally the duke growled, "Where are they?"
"The blue and white room, sir."
Ichigo threw on a jacket that was slung over the chair next to him and stalked out the door, letting the small note and calling card flutter to the floor. Renji stooped down to pick them up and noticed the names that were scrawled in cheap lettering on the small card.
Le Comte et la Comtesse Inoue
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Can you see why this took a lot out of me? lol. I hope the emotions got across...it was painful to write so I didn't write much. Serves me right for getting into Kubo's characters -_- Anyways, let me know how I did with all that. I know you will, not only do you give many reviews, but they are quality and I know you'll be honest me if I totally crash and burn XD This is mostly a means to an end and I realize it's not a particularly pleasant chapter, but life isn't full of pleasant chapters either...ooohhh look at me all philosophical *rolls eyes at self*
The translation on the card is just 'Count and Countess Inoue'
And tiny similarity to Disney BnB. When he yelled at her to get out that was just like when the Beast yelled at Belle to get out when she went into the forbidden west wing...yeah...very tiny similarity *dodges rotten tomatoes* But I keep forgetting to point out the tiny references I throw in here and there at whim...anyways...
*Urahara sing-song voice* Review replies! Review replies! Lovely, lovely review replies!
(oh, and I was looking back over my review replies for whatever reason and omg I'm a rambling random idiot on those! Lol, sorry about that! No guarantees that will improve though XD I'm feeling really tired though so they'll probably be shorter...and probably more random and spaztastic)
Sweet Yet Painful: lol! Traditional sex! What a novel idea! Glad you like where I stopped, I always feel a liiitle cruel ending at cliffies.......only a little though *evil laughter* Thank you for your reassurance and your wonderful review!!! :DDD
Vampyre Heartbreak: *nods solemnly* Yes. That is my purpose precisely. I can recommend several nice facilities as I've often visited them myself XD And oh how very modern of you! *stage whisper* Just don't tell the others that you're my number 1 *gets shot* Oh God, your review had me laughing my ass off and grinning like a fool until my friend walked in and was like, ok seriously...wtf are you on? And then you made me blush like a jr high girl fangirlling over the Jonas Brothers. Thank you sooooooo much. I always look forward to your reviews. They're the best :DD And thanks for the warning so I didn't freak out when I had this eerie feeling and "I always feel like somebody's watchin me" kept playing in my head...wait...that was you right? Right?!! But I hope this was fast enough to prevent too many machete murders! The next should be fast too because I need to shake this one off -_- Thank youuuuuuuuuuu....uuuuuuu!!! :DDDDDDD
princesss-myu: haha, well Ichi and Hime will have to keep prayin' for a while. Lemons still in the fairly far future XD Thank you for your review!
elmosrevenge62: Oh goodness, thank YOU for your ever amazing and encouraging reviews that leave me grinning like the village idiot. This one was a little quicker, but it was shorter -_- Ah well, Thank you again for your fabulous review! I lurved it XDDD
ei-chan91: I'm afraid your fears were well founded *nervous grin* But it won't be heartbreaking forever I promise! I don't think yours truly could stand it...I loved writing something I don't normally write about, but a part of me misses fluff T_T And of course I will marry you! For giving me such wonderful reviews you definitely deserve marriage status XD Thank you a million times over!
Miss L: haha, I love your theorizing! They make me think and give me ideas of my own. But no, definitely no blood relation. That's not my style *wildly shakes head* And I know! It's so frustrating...the drama...I feel the pain too XD Anyways thank you so much for your review and encouraging words!! :DDD
Emuri: *grins sheepishly* I love cliffies, they get such funny reactions from my readers XD And yes you were very right in your predictions as you can see ^_^ One reason I went a little overboard on the cuteness of the last chapter was to prepare for the upcoming drama and I'm glad you liked it!!! Sometimes my inner girly girl takes over and it gets too fluffy XD Thank you so much for your review and continued support!!!! *hugz*
chuchootrain: *more sheepish grinning* Is it bad that I take some delight in my readers' frustrations over cliffies? lol. And I put another one your way... *cowers at shaking fists* But I'm so happy to hear you love it anyways!!! Thank you!!!!! *glomps*
Blitch: Oh Blitchy I already replied to you...but...you haven't updated yet *eye twitch* you better not be lounging on the beaches of Australia with some sexy Aussie man right now *shakes fish* XD Ah well...bring back a sexy Aussie man for me? :DDD
hikari-hime 01: *nods* Your feeling was correct. I didn't try to hide it from the readers too terribly much. Thank you for reviewing! ^_^
Madhvija: Hehe, I don't mind you guessing plots! It gives me more ideas or lets me know I'm clearly not as clever as I think I am XD But I won't tell you thing of course XD Thank you for your encouraging review!!! :D
Inimi: lol, I didn't try to hide it all that well...maybe I should have...meh *shrug* Yay! I'm glad you liked my IchiHime fluffiness!! I'm never quite sure if I go overboard with it xD hahahaha, I was snickering to myself imagining Isshin walking around with a quizzing glass, maybe Kubo should read my story and use the idea :D *is shot* Thank you so much for your review. I love them so *happy chipmunk cheek grin*
moodycrab3: Yup, yup. Good guessing :D Glad you enjoyed it so much :DDDD Thank you so much for reviewing ^_^ ^_^ ^_^ (seriously...that's how much I'm smiling...I'm such a goof xD )
JoDutZ: :D :D :D :D :D :D Hehehe, as you can see yours truly thinks that you are fantastic at giving feedback! Thank you oodles for your review!!!! *glomps*
Cophy: WAH! Thank you for taking the time to give all that feedback!! :D Well, I watched Secret Garden over and over when I was little so I was probably influence by it so you're not weird at all for thinking that xD And you should definitely read Dangerous Liaisons! Or at least watch the movie of the same title or Cruel Intentions. All are very good, lots of drama. I'm glad you're enjoying the story so far and got a few surprises along the way and I hope you enjoyed this cliffie as well!! Thanks a lot again for all your reviews!!!! *hugz*
BlackRoseInc: lol! Sorry about that and then I have to pull your teeth again xD Thanks for reviewing!!!
clow-san: I'm seriously beginning to think I'm a sadistic author cause every time a reviewer says something about the cliffie I grin, lol. Thank you so much for your wonderful review!! It's very encouraging and I'm so happy you are enjoying it :D
sly_kitty: Oh God I know right?! I think that's why I'm so darn picky because the real ones have no chance of living up to the ones in my head! *is shot* XD Hmmm...a ring...would you perhaps except a 50 cent ring from a vending machine? They come in really cute little plastic egg shaped things! *nervous grin* I'm glad you're enjoying it so far and thank you so much for your review!!!!! *glomps*
Faver thank yous!!!!: chuchootrain . moodycrab3 . The Lord's Fallen Angel . clow-san . Ookami Kangen
And thank you for putting this on your alert!!
I think I got everybody...sorry if I didn't! My brain is so weird right now XD
You guyz are so amaaaaazzzzing! I think I had more to say...but I can't remember...I'm gonna go sleep now...it's six in the evening...I'm such an old lady XD
TTFN!! TaTaForNow!!!!