Kate and the Bloody Veil

Chapter the Sixth

Kate couldn't recall another night in her life when she was so happy to come back to the dead – or rather strangely comforting – silence of home. Even before she changed and climbed into bed, she found herself envying her family and friends for sleeping soundly while she knew it would be far too long before she managed to catch even a moment of rest. And as she lay in her bed, she shifted time and again, trying to get a comfortable position where she could drift off into her much-wanted sleep, but it wasn't long before her wishes proved to be in vain, and she gave up. All she could do, at least for now, was to stare up at the ceiling, and replay the night's events over in her mind. She knew that would only ward off sleep further, but she was to tired to fight it.

Even in the dark, and even though she'd only see them once, the faces of Drinker and Angry Eye had been stamped into her memory. When she found enough strength to do so, Kate turned slightly to one side, pulled the covers up to her chin, and slowly closed her eyes, but to her dismay, the faces of those murderous men with no thought of killing anyone, even someone like herself, still haunted her. They seemed to slowly eat away at her sense of safety like parasites until she wished she could simply let out a deafening scream. But with that option clearly out of the question, and with no strength left in any part of her, Kate's body and mind responded by sending her into a rather uncomfortable and unsatisfying version of sleep.

When her eyes opened, she frowned when she saw only mid-grey light seeping through the blinds adorning her bedroom window. Fearing the time but yet desiring to know it anyway, Kate turned to her bedside table and sighed in dismay at the bright red digital numbers. Six-thirty in the morning. She usually woke up at this time, even on the weekends, as she had to if she wanted to arrive at school on time. But now, she turned over on the other side in an attempt to ignore it. And yet, how could she when her sleep-patterns were so drilled into her that she couldn't even fall back asleep?

Before long, she decided it was no use trying to resist, and reluctantly climbed out of her bed. She yawned and stretched as she walked to her bathroom and then to her sink, and even managed a small smile as she splashed the surprisingly refreshing cold water against her face. But as soon as she opened her eyes and looked at herself in the mirror, she caught a mark of black face paint she missed from last night, immediately causing her to hang her head and close her eyes again, this time in the greatest disappointment. Ever since she awoke, she'd been hoping silently and wildly that what happened the previous night was just a horrible dream. But now, she had undeniable proof that it was indeed real, that it had happened, making her wish that she could simply forget about it altogether.

As she splashed her face again, Kate also hoped desperately that her family wouldn't notice something was up. She wasn't the only one in the house with a keen eye for details, and she knew it. That, and with a heavy sigh – as much as it killed her to admit it – she knew Rose was right. This case was becoming more dangerous than she wished, and liked. Suddenly, she wanted to slap her seemingly stupid self. Why did she ever think she could do this all by herself? Even Sherlock Holmes had Dr. Watson to watch his back. Fortunately, Kate restrained herself before her hands could reach her face, and she released another sigh to let the issue go. If she truly could not do this alone, at least she too had a support system. She still had Rose and Lucy. But, if this case was only going to remain, if not get more dangerous, could she really involve them and risk their safety along with her own?

Well, there was only one way to find out, she determined. But, then again, right now might not be the right time. It was still too early, and on a Sunday morning. She'd have to wait at least two more hours, even if the pressure to cave in and do it now seemed to press down on her like a heavy weight. Still, it was only two hours, and there was no chance of her climbing back into bed. But what exactly was she going to do while she waited.

The answer soon came when Kate heard something that sounded like scratching at her door, followed by a drawn-out meow she had long since learned to recognize. And she couldn't help but roll her eyes once she heard it. "Alright Zeus," she said in the form of an exasperated sigh, "I know you want breakfast. I'm coming."

After she fed both Zeus and Missy, Kate couldn't help but stretch her arms and rub her eyes, not only because she was still tired, but she never realized cats could be so demanding. Still, it was far more preferable than the near fiasco of last night. And as soon as she remembered it, Kate almost lost control of the use of her hands, so radical was the way her nerves reacted to the chemicals released from her shaken up brain.

Deciding she could probably use caffeine as a way to cope, she thought to fix herself up a cup of coffee. But the rest of herself didn't immediately agree. She got out the coffee maker and the coffee itself, but managed to drop the creamer – which was, fortunately, closed – the moment she got it out of the refrigerator. Even so, before long she had a cup fixed the way she liked, with both cream and sugar, and soon sat at the nearby table, ready to taste the sweet morning goodness and forget, even if only for a moment, the distasteful events of last night.

But before she could take her first sip though, she heard her aunt's voice along with her footsteps enter the room. "You're up early," she said curiously. Kate turned to see her in her white nightdress, her short, dark brown hair showing obvious signs of her previous sleep, as well as the shadows under her eyes. Her eyes themselves, though, were bright, and on her face she wore a smile that Kate couldn't help but return.

"I couldn't sleep," she replied as she then took a drink, closing her eyes briefly to savour the excellent taste.

"I don't know why," her aunt continued, taking her place by the coffee maker to brew a cup of her own, "Considering the amount of hours you spend at school, and weekly at that, you should be taking all the rest you can get."

Kate was about to object, to say that she was getting plenty of rest, when a sudden thought came to her mind, making her stop and say instead, "You should probably take your advice to Dad instead, since he needs it much more than I do. Where is he by the way?"

"Still asleep, I believe," her aunt replied as she put a new set of coffee inside the maker, her head turned away from her niece, allowing her to let a chuckle escape her lips.

"Then he's probably taken your words before you could offer them," she teased her.

Turning to look at her with another good-natured smile, her aunt only said in a matching tone, "Perhaps he is."

Again, Kate returned her smile. As bothersome as her aunt could be, she loved sharing a joke or a tease with her every now and then. Perhaps they weren't that different after all. No, that was going too far. Instead, Kate returned her attentions to her coffee. She took another sip, letting it settle in her mouth before swallowing. But before another second passed, Kate unconsciously allowed her mind to wander back to her comment about being unable to sleep. As soon as she realised was she was thinking, she frowned. Both at once again remembering the all-too frightening events of the previous night, and the fact that she wouldn't be able to keep it secret for too long. Being no fool herself, it was natural that she came from a family of the same sort.

And, as she began to fear, it wasn't long before her aunt took notice of her present state. "Is something wrong Kate?" she asked, her tone of voice now concerned.

Knowing she could not deny what she felt, yet far from willing to give up the secret she now held, Kate quickly found a way to dodge it. Without looking at her aunt, and feeling several years younger than she actually was, she replied, "I…I had a bad dream last night." While somewhat of a lie, it contained some truth in it, since the night had been spent in anything but reliving what she'd just experienced. Still, not telling the whole truth made a tight knot of regret form in her.

"Oh, oh I'm sorry," her aunt said in a soft voice, "What about?"

That was where she couldn't say anymore. "I, prefer not to talk about it," Kate shook her head.

Silence stretched between them, making Kate wonder what her aunt was thinking of. Keeping her gaze away from her, she began to fear she may have caught on to the thoughts forming in her mind, and the way her heart began beating more nervously with every pulse. She could already see the horrified reactions from both her dad and her aunt, and even now tried her best to steel her spine in order to face them the moment they came.

Yet instead of pressing her, her aunt surprised her somewhat when she suddenly said, "Alright, you don't have to if you don't want to."

Slowly, as her heartbeat began to relax, Kate began to turn her head. She opened her mouth to speak, when her aunt continued to do so. "Kate, I know it's still hard not having your real mother around anymore," she said, her face solemn and her grey eyes becoming sad, "But, you know, I'm a mother too."

Kate gave her a confused look. "Yeah, but your kids are grown up," she pointed out. Her cousins, Alexander and Edward – or Alex and Eddie as they preferred – were eleven and eight years older than her, respectively. And after her mum died and her aunt moved in, Kate had only seen them twice a year since then, during the summer and at Christmas. Both had grown into handsome young lads, and her aunt was rightly proud of them, but Kate couldn't see why she was saying these things.

"It doesn't matter," her aunt replied, "Just because my boys are grown up doesn't mean I stop being their mum. It doesn't mean I stop loving or supporting them."

Well of course you wouldn't, Kate thought. Her mind suddenly became blank though when her aunt strode over to her side, her eyes meeting hers with an almost motherly softness, with a smile to match. And with a gentle tone she said, "Look, don't think that I came to replace your mother. But I did come for a reason. And if there's anything that's remotely bothering you, just know that you can always come to me."

If only that were so, Kate said silently, feeling the knot inside her tighten. But still, her aunt's words and the way she said them brought a wave of comfort over her, and she found that all she could do was return the smile she'd been given, if only slightly. "Thank you Aunt Georgie," she said. Then, as if on impulse, Kate gave her a short, brief hug before taking another sip of her coffee, and she thought she saw the smile on her aunt's face grow a bit.

Just then, though, Kate remembered that she had an appointment to plan for. Even so, no matter what she was planning for, she couldn't simply leave the house without her family knowing. Fortunately, this issue, such as the previous one, was simple to go around, though unfortunately at the same time not simple enough. With a clearing of her throat, Kate turned toward her aunt and asked, "Actually, would you mind doing me a favour?"

"I don't see why not," her aunt shrugged her shoulders slightly.

Putting her cup of coffee down, Kate said, "I'm thinking about calling Rose and Lucy to go out for a few hours later on. If they say yes, would you tell Dad when I leave?"

"I suppose," her aunt nodded, "What are you thinking about doing?"

"Oh, go for a bike ride," Kate explained, hoping she sounded casual about it, "go out for a bite of lunch or something. You know how we like our occasional get-togethers."

Her aunt then donned a thoughtful look on her face, making Kate again wonder nervously what she was going to say. Before too long, though, almost to Kate's relief, she said, "Then, I guess that can't do much harm. But you know if you're going to call on them you should probably do it before too long."

Trying to smile, Kate nodded and replied, "I intend to." With somewhat uneasy hands she hoped her aunt didn't notice, she then took up her cup and drank some more of her coffee, which by now was beginning to cool.

When she was finished with it though, she hurried back upstairs to her room, happy to escape the atmosphere that remained tense even after her rather moving talk with her aunt. To her disappointment, though, only a half-hour had passed since she had first come into the kitchen. And more than likely her friends still weren't awake. What could she do during the next hour-and-a-half?

Almost instinctively, her eyes turned to her laptop, and a smile of her growing interest formed on her face. She'd spent more than the amount of appropriate time sitting at it, going over Dr. Watson's blog. Kate began to wonder if he'd posted anything about the "Bride Butcher," of any of the progress they'd made since they began it. Curiosity caused her to sit down at her desk, turn her laptop on, and go to the blog. Her smile disappeared though when she saw nothing relating to the case. But it wasn't long before she was skimming over the previous ones the doctor had written about. She could never tire of reading them.

She became so lost in it that the next time she looked at her clock, her eyes instantly widened in surprise to see that it was already nine a.m. Far past when she planned to call on Rose and Lucy. Quickly, she reached for her phone, and even faster dialed Rose's cellphone number, since this was obviously a private matter. She bit her lip as she listened to the ringing, hoping for a response no matter how long the passing seconds seemed, until she finally heard her good friend's voice. "Hello?"

Instantly, Kate's smile returned. "Morning Rose, bright and awake I hope?"

A few brief seconds passed, probably due to Rose releasing a yawn, before she replied, "Uh, yeah, I woke up just about an hour ago. What's up?"

Kate bit her lip again, knowing the weight of seriousness of the things she wished to discuss. Still, she managed to find her voice and say, "Um, listen I know it's early but, I think it's time for another one of our important chats."

"Oh," Rose replied somewhat uneasily, "and I suppose it's about this case then?"

"Yeah," Kate nodded, feeling her friend's uncomfortable state become her own, "so do you mind if we let Lucy join in?"

"Oh no, not at all," Rose replied, "I'll wait while you get her on the line."

Content with Rose's response and with no desire to keep either of them waiting, Kate quickly dialed Lucy, and it wasn't long before they both heard from her.

"Hi Kate!" she exclaimed, "What brings you here this early? Wait, let me guess, one of our world famous chats?"

Knowing her ability to guess with ninety-five percent accuracy the reason for each of her calls, Kate nodded. "Yeah, I've got Rose on the line too."

"Oh that's good," Lucy said, "You know I've been jotting down notes on our case on my phone."

"Really?" Kate asked with raised eyebrows. Though she knew she shouldn't have been surprised since Lucy was their secretary.

"Yeah, in fact I was putting some more down right when you called," Lucy explained.

"Well, she's probably got more you can add," Rose added, "And I'm guessing it's quite serious."

Kate could only press her lips together and sigh. "Indeed," she agreed, "and, I don't think it's safe for us to discuss it while we're at home."

"We can't just leave," Lucy pointed out, "Our families would know."

"Yes," Kate replied, stifling a chuckle, "But what would you all say to a few hours out in London, just like we do every other weekend?"

"Now that I can probably say yes to," Lucy said, "What about you Rose?"

Both she and Kate waited with an intense curiosity until their third friend gave her response. "Oh why not? You're going to need a chaperone anyway."

Kate and Lucy both immediately released a small laugh. While Rose was obviously the big sister of the three – which made sense because she was the oldest of them – she had her own unique sense of humour which often surprised her two friends. But all three, especially Kate, put their initial humour aside and promptly got back to business. "Alright then," Kate spoke up, "Can you both meet me at Charleston at about twelve-thirty?"

Despite their good natures before, at saying those words Kate began to wonder what they would say. What then made her comfortable and uncomfortable at the same time though, was when they both said "yes." "Good then, there's no time to waste though," she said as professionally as she could, "I'll meet you later as soon as I can."

Both her friends agreed, and they all quickly said their goodbyes before they hung up. Right after, it wasn't long before Kate went into preparation mode. It was only nine in the morning, she still liked to be ready a bit early, even if her track record suggested otherwise. Still, as she quickly rationlised, this was more important than a mere outing.

After hopping in and out of the shower, Kate quickly dried her dark brown hair and styled it, putting it in her signature ponytail and headband. As for what to where, the question remained in her mind until she went with an initial idea to get creative. She opened her closet and chose a pale pink, long-sleeved blouse, and pulled on a pair of white straight-legged jeans. Fortunately, the moderate temperature outside afforded her the opportunity to dress as such. She then pulled on her favourite boots, short, black, and decorated with metal bits that jingled as she walked. By the time she went over to her vanity mirror, she had to smile at what she saw. While not a fashionista by any means, she liked clothes as long as they fit her standards. And she was going out to lunch with her friends after all.

At about eleven-forty-five, she headed quickly down the stairs and then went for the kitchen, and immediately came upon the scene of her dad and aunt having coffee and apparently also having a discussion, at least until she entered the room. Though both of them looked questioningly at her, Kate forced a smile she hoped looked genuine enough, and ignored the nervousness in her chest when she walked by them and said, "Talk to you later." And before either of them could say anything, she opened the back door and descended down the steps into the basement before entering the garage.

Before long, Kate was rolling her bike up the driveway. After double-checking to make sure she had all her essentials, she breathed a preparatory sigh, climbed onto her bike, and began her way down the asphalt road toward London, just as she had just over twelve hours ago. And as she passed the landmarks that were now flooded with daylight, it wasn't long before Kate began to feel the anxiety within her chest grow with every heartbeat, not only at what she was going to reveal to her friends, but also what she was planning in her mind, and the growing guilt she was feeling for the way she was hiding all this from her family.

How did Sherlock Holmes keep himself emotionally together through these dangerous cases? Experience was an obvious answer. But it was clear from the comments he left on Dr. Watson's blog that he cared for those around him. Would it be better for Kate, when she became a detective, to just live alone? Before long, after some serious thinking, it became clear to her that that was not an option. Even Mr. Holmes had people helping him, and that help even saved his own life on occasion. So she obviously needed the help she was soon going to ask for. But that did not mean solving this case would be simple, one way or another.

Before Kate knew it, she had arrived in London. She knew it because she was snapped out of her thoughts by the loud honk of a car. Her reflexes kicked in and she quickly swerved out of the way, before she saw another car in her way and skirted to the left toward the sidewalk where she skidded to a halt. As she took the next few seconds to catch her breath, she hoped that the rest of the city wasn't terribly busy in terms of traffic. It was Sunday after all. And she had to get to her location before the idea that was continually growing in her mind threatened to get too convoluted and out of control.

Eventually, and fortunately, not long after she set out on the trail again, Kate's eyes spotted the Charleston cafe just across the road from where she stopped, and she instantly smiled. Though small, the modest diner was a place she and her friends frequented when they weren't at school or home, usually to discuss issues only in each other's company. And this issue at hand was definitely one she only wanted Rose and Lucy to know of. The moment she saw the bikes she instantly recognized sitting near the front door, she mustered up her courage, crossed the street, and stopped her own bike next to them.

Through the windows, she eyed Rose's signature auburn hair and Lucy's rubbing her glasses before putting them on, and Kate knew she was in the right place. Still, how would they react to what she had to say? True, they were friends, but friends could still be blown away at the slightest problem. Even so, she was the one who asked them out here. It was too late to turn back. Gathering even more courage then before, she stood straight and walked through the door, which let out it's trademark bell-ring signaling her entrance. A few heads turned her way, but she turned hers toward the one who called her name.

"Kate!" Lucy smiled, "Over here!" She eagerly waved her hand for her friend to join them, and Kate, despite her previous uneasiness, couldn't help but smile back as she made her way over to the table. As soon as she grabbed a chair and sat down, a fourth person walked up to their table. All three looked up to see a familiar friend of theirs.

"Jake!" Rose grinned, "What are you doing here? I thought you didn't work on Sunday."

The boy their age returned her grin before replying, "There were some changes in my work schedule." He then turned to the girl beside her, and with a small voice and somewhat awkward smile, he said, "Hi Lucy." Lucy, in response, chuckled slightly as she pushed her glasses back up her nose.

Just then though, Jake turned his head around when he heard someone clearing his throat behind him. Realizing it was his supervisor, he slowly turned back around, his lips pressed together, before he resumed his pleasant manner. "Back to business," he said, "What'll you girls have?"

"Oh, I'll just have a cup of coffee," Kate replied, "You know the way I like it."

"I'll have one too," Rose spoke up.

"Me too," Lucy added.

"Alright then, three coffees," Jake said, "I'll get back to you all soon." He then turned and started walking back to the counter. As he did, he gave a glance at Lucy, and turned his head quickly when she returned it. As soon as the boy left their sights, all three girls couldn't help but giggle at what they had just experienced. They had known Jake for a while now, and it was no secret among them that he might have had a crush on Lucy. Kate and Rose wouldn't have blamed her if she returned it. He was kind of cute, with reddish-blond hair and large blue eyes. But that was not what they had come to discuss, and they all knew it.

After they got themselves together, Rose and Lucy eyed Kate with concerned gazes, both with a hint of interest.

"So," Lucy said as she slightly leaned forward, "Tell us what happened."

Looking first at Lucy, then at Rose, Kate let out a sigh. The time had come to tell them, and she wasn't going to hold herself back. The truth had to come out. After quickly looking around the place to make sure they weren't being watched, Kate bit her lip nervously before she finally said, "Okay. But, you've both got to promise me not to flip out."

Rose raised an eyebrow at her. "We'll, do the best we can," she said, obviously eager to know what happened due to her intense concern.

After receiving an additional promise from each of them not to interrupt her until she was finished, Kate breathed another heavy, weighty sigh, ignored the way her heart beat anxiously, and began telling her two friends in a small voice about the previous night's adventure, or escapade. Not willing to interrupt her own story, she quickly related about how she'd left the house late at night, arrived at the chapel, discovered two suspicious men conversing in the gardens, ran off from them as soon as they discovered her, and even managed to fend them off and intimidate them before she left for home. Both girls listened the entire time with immense interest, even after they received their requested cups of coffee. But as soon as Kate was done, Rose began fishing through her purse.

"This is too much," she said as soon as she pulled out her phone, "I'm phoning the police."

"Wait Rose!" Kate exclaimed as she threw her hand up, "I'm not finished!"

"Well then hurry up and finish before she picks up her phone again!" Lucy urged her. She then added, with a mischievous grin, "Besides, I'm interested."

"Thank you Lucy," Kate attempted a smile. Then, addressing both girls, she asked, "Do either of you remember the last of the rules we brought up at the first society meeting?"

After donning their thinking expressions, both of them eventually shook their heads no. "I'm afraid you're going to have to remind us," Rose said.

Kate wanted to roll her eyes, but she stopped herself. They were supposed to be her vice-president and treasurer and remember important things like this, but at the same time, she reminded herself that they were still human. Changing her original tone of voice, she decided she would refresh their memories.

"If a case gets too dangerous or out of hand, we go to Sherlock Holmes."

Almost immediately after Kate told them, she received almost a surprise of reaction from Rose, who first raised her eyebrows and then tried to suppress a chuckle. "Kate, you must be joking!" she accused her, "You honestly believe Mr. Holmes will even seriously consider helping us? We're only kids!"

"Well," Lucy smiled as she spoke up, "I heard he did help that eight-year-old girl find her escaped glowing rabbit."

"And besides," Kate added, "he's probably already looking into this case. Think about it. Three women, probably four, dead within just a few months, all of them brides? The Bride Butcher is obviously a serial killer, and Mr. Holmes is drawn to those cases like flies are to honey."

"But that doesn't mean he'll help us," Rose pointed out.

"Oh come on Rose," said Lucy, "We've got to at least try."

"You do have a point though," Kate added in response to Rose, "We will have to remain as anonymous as possible."

"So what did you have in mind then?" Rose asked, "Simply give him a phone call and not let him know who we are?"

Now came the other part Kate had been nervous about. She'd considered a way she, and possibly she alone, would have to contact Mr. Holmes, and an idea had been floating around in her mind all morning. The question of how her friends would react to it remained unanswered, but it looked like it was now the time to receive that answer. "Um, I'm afraid we won't be able to do that," she replied somewhat uneasily, "Not only is there a chance that he'll find the number, but he's also deleted his phone number from his site, and I can't remember it."

"So what else is there left to do?" Rose asked.

Once again, after attempting to put her still growing anxiety to rest, Kate let loose a sigh and bit her lip before she started telling the girls her plan. Even to her, it initially sounded complicated, and had implications that made her think twice about it, but trying to think of an alternate idea hadn't worked for her, so this was all she had. And, as she expected, the reactions of both her friends started with wide-eyes and open mouths.

"Now you've really got to be joking!" Rose spoke up first, "That's crazy Kate! We'll practically be breaking the law!"

"Well, actually," Lucy interrupted her, "technically we'll be bending it more than breaking it."

"Oh so you're actually supporting this idea?" Rose asked her, her eyebrows raised in surprise.

"I never said so," Lucy shook her head. Turning back to Kate, she added, "Honestly, even I'll admit this is not as easy as you make it out to be."

"I'm not trying to make it sound easy," Kate replied, "I knew just thinking this up it wasn't going to be. But…" She paused for a moment to let out a soft sigh before continuing. "I'm afraid I can't think of anything else." Then, looking both her friends plainly in the face, she asked with a matching tone of voice, "Will you help me or not?"

For a moment, Rose and Lucy only looked at each other, their uneasiness about the choice before them clearly evident on their faces. Kate hesitated to bite her lip, nervously anticipating what they were going to say, whether for or against her proposition. She wouldn't have blamed them for saying no, but the other part of her still wanted them to say yes. She raised her eyebrows when Lucy finally turned to her, a small smile on her face, and said, "Alright. If you think this'll help us catch this bloke, I'm in."

Kate nodded, and then turned to her other friend, a questioning look on her face. "Rose?"

Rose leaned forward in her seat, put her head in her hand, and sighed before looking back up at her. "I'll go too," she nodded, not even showing a hint of a smile, "But I'm only going to give you back-up if your plan fails."

Having expected an answer like that from her, Kate nodded back and tried to give her a smile, which Rose only partially returned. The only question that still remained though, was how she and her friends were going to pull this off, and if they could even try. Well, she was sure Sherlock Holmes took his fair share of risks in the name of solving a crime, and if she was going to follow in his footsteps, she might as well start off from where she was now.

But suddenly, her eyes settled on the clock above the counter, and they instantly became wide with alarm when she saw it was already close to one. "Oh no," she shook her head, "Is it that late already?" She then turned to Rose and Lucy, and quickly replied to their unspoken questions. "We'd better hurry." She pushed back her chair and stood up, but was interrupted by Lucy.

"Wait!" she cried out, "What about my coffee?"

That immediately reminded Kate that they had to pay for their drinks, but Rose gave voice to her accompanying frustration. "Well, take it with you!" she suggested.

Lucy quickly did what she said, and the three girls then paid by leaving money they had each brought on the table, along with a tip for Jake, before they all hastily hurried to the door. Once outside, they hopped onto their bicycles, and Kate took the lead down the road while Rose and Lucy followed her. As far as she knew, Kate was the only one who remembered where Mr. Holmes lived. And as she led her friends through one of the busiest cities in Europe, and the world, she began to have reluctant second thoughts about her idea she'd posed to Rose and Lucy, wondering if they should try to go through it at all, let alone if it would actually work. But if there was even the slightest chance for her, all she knew was that she was willing to take it.

Reviews would be appreciated.