"Lulu…can I come in?" came Shirley's tender, concerned call, muffled through the secure door leading to Lelouch's private quarters aboard the Ikaruga. Doubtless, she had traveled there to console him – give him counsel as she had already done so many times in the few short, fleeting months since she had decided to follow Lelouch. It was something she was strangely adept at – a skill born perhaps out of the immense love she obviously harbored for him.

Lounging morose and lifeless as he was on one of the large couches that decorated the anteroom of his private quarters, Lelouch answered her only with silence, contenting himself merely to stare somberly at his reflection in the mask on the table before him. He simply waited for the inevitable pneumatic hiss of the door behind him that would signal her entry.

Truth be told, he felt somewhat guilty allowing her to console him so often − allowing her to become so involved. It wasn't that he did not appreciate her efforts to comfort him – on the contrary, he found himself quite reliant on her concern for his mental and emotional wellbeing. But, therein lay the problem. He was beginning to grow too reliant on her, allowing her to shoulder too much of the burden which by all rights should have been his and his alone to bear. It was, after all, the fate he had tried to spare her from since the beginning – it was the entire reason he had, begrudgingly, used his Geass on her, forcing her to forget everything she loved about him. Nearly every part of him knew that he rightly should have sent her away. He should have lied to her, told her he hated her, done anything to force her away. And yet, some portion of his mind – either selfish for being so unwilling to let her go, or sane for allowing himself the only comfort available to him – prevented him from doing so. Briefly, he thought of asking CC for advice on the matter, but scowling, decided against it, knowing that she would most likely be a source of mockery rather than wisdom on the matter. "Lulu," she said again with some force this time, color rising in her cheeks when he finally shook himself out of his thoughts to regard her with a decidedly less than vibrant gaze. She was already standing in front of him, and had apparently been calling his name multiple times over. So deep in thought, he had completely ignored her.

Embarrassed by this realization, he averted his lifeless gaze downward. "I'm sorry…" She sat down next to him, clearly aware that something was wrong and prepared to do something about it. He took note of her warm proximity distantly, but elatedly nonetheless. He truly did value her presence, finding himself almost addicted to her comforting warmth, whether he wanted to admit that to himself or not.

She wrapped an arm around his shoulders, almost startling him out of his thoughts again. His eyes briefly met hers once more, only to return to his reflection in Zero's mask once more – this time to hide, futilely, the rising blush in his cheeks. "Talk to me Lulu." Beginning to succumb to her efforts – or rather, his own desire, since she had yet affected so little effort thus far – he finally dignified her with the attention she deserved, focusing his gaze on her concerned, penetrating emerald pupils. For once, he decided to be brutally honest with her; she had always displayed for him the unfettered, uncensored emotions of her heart, so the least he could do was to return the sentiment in kind. "I shouldn't…" he began, continuing even as he saw the unvoiced question form in her concerned eyes, "I shouldn't burden you with all this knowledge...of all my sins and shortcomings. They've caused me so much pain…I don't wish to put anyone else through that kind of suffering."

He frowned, dropping his gaze again once he realized the hypocritical nature of his words. He didn't want to make people suffer? That was the best argument he could come up with? He was Zero, bane of the Britannians, the one who had affected more slaughter and suffering than any nation, let alone any single man, in the last several decades. Least of all those whom he had caused suffering for was Shirley herself, having killed her father and rejected her love over the course of the past two years. And yet, she continued to stay by his side, comforting him no matter what the affliction. No, that excuse would do no good for him in her mind. Cheeks reddening slightly once more, it occurred to him that his lowered gaze had brought him to stare unknowingly at the creamy flesh of Shirley's upper thighs, exposed by the short skirt of the Ashford Academy uniform she insisted on continuing to wear. Thankfully, she hadn't noticed – either that or she simply did not care. Blush spreading even more profusely at the implications of the latter possibility, Lelouch returned his gaze to Shirley's face, who responded by smiling gently with understanding.

Unexpectedly, she moved to embrace him, her arm circling around him to join its companion and grip him quite securely at the shoulders. Though surprised, Lelouch found himself unwilling to resist, the warm comfort of her tight embrace driving all other thoughts from his mind with ease. She exhaled contentedly, the warmth of her breath against the flesh of his neck again almost causing him to jump with a start. "Lulu, I understand why you want to keep hiding things from me," she said, a gleeful smile still inexplicably plastered to her face – did she really enjoy his mere company that much? – despite the somber nature of her words, "but please, share. I know from experience that distancing yourself from others who are trying to console you when you're this depressed only makes it that much worse." She backed away slightly, the smile gone, now replaced by a sincere pleading in her eyes. "So please, let me console you," she murmured before wrapping her arms around his midsection and nestling her beautiful face against his chest. "Please…I want this"

Stunned by her sincerity and either unable or unwilling – he knew not which emotion overpowered him more – Lelouch found himself gradually returning Shirley's embrace, slowly allowing his arms to wrap around her shoulders. He was grateful that she, burying her face in the crook of his neck as she was, did not notice the tear that managed to escape Lelouch's normally well-maintained façade. For awhile, they remained that way, content merely to revel in the comforting warmth of each other's embrace in silence. For Lelouch, it seemed enough, the intoxicatingly pleasurable sensation of her proximity driving all other worries from his mind easily enough alone. However, he had already made his promise, so when the two finally separated – though only enough to regard each other properly – he sought her advice.

"If you want the truth," he began, his gaze unwavering from hers, "I've failed." From the cast in her eyes, he could tell that she was contemplating making some light joke about how her darling Lulu was so perfect, ingenious, and could never possibly fail at anything, but she kept her mouth shut. Steeling his resolve, he continued on and explained to her his dire situation – how, despite everything, he had utterly failed to defend his sister. "The emperor knows I'm Zero. Now, no matter what move I make, it can only end with Nunnally being used as a pawn, and myself surrendering to the emperor in order to protect her. There's no one else I can rely on for this – Rolo's far too risky, and would probably do more harm to her than the emperor – and there's simply no other way of getting to her in time," he finished, shivering with mild revolt as he spoke of his younger "brother."Her gaze dropped, now deep in thought trying to help him think of a solution. When the silence persisted, Lelouch began to despair once more, returning to much the same demeanor that had occupied him when Shirley first entered the room. "There's just no one who can help me."

Abruptly, her eyes widened and her gaze brightened instantly, as if his defeatist statement had suddenly caused her to realize something. "Perhaps that's true, but that doesn't necessarily mean you can't still save Nunnally." His eyes shot open, instantly vibrant once more at the prospect of saving his beloved little sister. Seeing his intent gaze focus upon her so quickly and with such intensity, Shirley faltered a bit before answering, blushing under the intensity of his stare as she did so. "Even if there's no one willing to help you, surely there must be at least one person who will help Nunnally," she said meekly, finding herself distracted as she lost herself in his intent stare. He opened his mouth to immediately shoot down her theory – having assumed that he had already thought through every possible scenario – but, embarrassed, discovered that he had failed to think of such a plausible solution. Lowering his gaze yet again, deep in thought once more, he decided he would consider Shirley's surprisingly useful suggestion.

Eliciting a surprised yelp from Shirley, Lelouch suddenly and vigorously embraced her, cradling her head into the curve of his neck. Though taken aback at first, it was not long before she relaxed, returning his embrace and wrapping her arms around his torso once more. He sighed contentedly, his warm breath against her neck causing shivers to race down her spine, as did his words when he whispered softly into her ear: "Shirley…thank you." Moved by the sincerity of his words, she let her eyes gently flutter closed as she hummed contently, tightening her grip on Lelouch. Satisfied to simply revel in the warm comfort of their embrace, the two remained in silence for several moments. Shirley drew up her legs, now sitting side-saddle in Lelouch's lap, and slung her arms around his neck as their hands began to caress each other in the heat of their consoling embrace. Pausing briefly, blush effusive on both of their faces, they regarded each other with intentness in their eyes before closing once more, reuniting in a tentatively passionate kiss. Hands tangled in hair and heartbeats fluttered endlessly as lips mingled and flesh slid across flesh. In seemingly no time, however, it was over – ended prematurely by a mutual need for air.

Between panting breaths and futile attempts to regain their collective composure, Shirley broke the long lasting silence between them. "Do you need some time alone? To think?"

"Yes," he replied with only partial honesty. Though a small part of him did crave the solitude, his motives stemmed more from his diminishing capacity to control the biological reactions occurring within his trousers as a result of Shirley's warm presence, than any other reason. Smiling, as if aware of his thoughts, she relented. "Okay," she whispered before placing a final, chaste kiss on his cheek and gently extricating herself from his lap. Blush still profuse on her face, she smoothed out the hem of her skirt – by now somewhat ruffled and wrinkled as a result of their heated embrace – before smiling gently and departing, leaving Lelouch to stare longingly and wistfully after her. Yes, he was enjoying her company far too much, and he feared – or rather, he anticipated – that it would only become worse in the future.

… … …

Seeing her opportunity − Lelouch, his head turned in distraction to follow Shirley as she departed − Euphemia made her move. Silently slithering out of the shadows of the closet in which she had taken refuge, she treaded lightly, eventually coming to a halt directly in front of her troubled sibling, though he had yet to notice her. Thus, even though she spoke softly, he was visibly startled upon realizing that she was behind him. "She's right, you know." Whirling about to face her, Lelouch chuckled, though somewhat mirthlessly. "You're getting far too good at that...Honestly, I think you're even worse than CC."

Choosing to ignore his admonishments for the moment, Euphie pressed the subject. "I must admit, even though she looks dumb, she must have some grain of intelligence. She identified the only possible solution remaining for you with relative ease, even when that solution escaped a 'genius' such as yourself," she sneered in a playfully mocking tone. Reverting to his traditional, serious demeanor, Lelouch slowly rose from his seat, marching languidly over to the closet Euphie had just vacated. "It was useful advice, I won't argue that. Still, it assists me little in the way of details. Really, it just changes the nature of the question − rather than asking who I could turn to that would assist me, I now have to ask the same of who would help Nunnally. Unfortunately for both of us, the list of suitable candidates is equally short in either case," he droned morosely, solemnly donning the rest of his attire as Zero.

To his mild surprise, Euphie continued to display her incessant, annoyingly infectious smile − quite reminiscent of Nunnally's, he thought off-handedly. "Well, then this certainly is a good day for me. Who knew that I would know a simple answer to a question that has so easily baffled the great and powerful Zero," she cooed, again playfully mocking him. That was beginning to annoy him, so it was with mild harshness in his voice that he curtly replied: "Is that so? Well then, out with it! Who is this contact of yours, insane enough to help me − Britannia's most wanted − in kidnapping one of the empire's most beloved, helpless faces?"

Euphie herself now returned to a more serious demeanor as well, discarding the playful, mocking attitude she had so easily worn. Suddenly afraid to answer, her eyes dropped away from his, though his gaze remained intent on them. Euphemia remained silent, but that did little to impede Lelouch's impeccable ability to extract knowledge from seemingly out of thin air − or in this case, from the remorseful, wistful cast of Euphie's abruptly saddened gaze. "No! There's no way I can turn to him after everything that's happened! You of all people should know that!" Lazily lifting her gaze to once again meet his, her eyes filled with intent, she replied softly: "If he's as good a friend as you claim he once was, then he'll help us. At the very least, he'll do it for Nunnally's sake; he knows what the consequences would be if the emperor were to get a hold of her. Besides...I know him."

Seeing her sincerity, Lelouch's expression softened in kind, beginning to agree with his sister, much to his own chagrin. Stepping wordlessly past her, he retrieved the mask of Zero, which still lay forgotten on the table, and moved towards the exit. Rather than depart immediately though, he lingered for a moment − mask held up to his face, but not yet fully donned. "Alright, then. I have to make preparations. If I'm going to do this, though, you need to stay here, got it?" Wordlessly, she nodded her reluctant assent before gazing after Lelouch as the doors shut behind him.

Lelouch having departed, she let her guard down in the solitude of his private quarters, allowing a single tear to drop and a shudder to wrack her body. She had tried to avoid thinking about him over the course of the past year, knowing that doing otherwise would only rekindle her insatiable longing and desire for him, but now it was inevitable. Lelouch would soon weave their paths once again, and even though he had forbidden her from leaving the ships, Euphemia knew she would not be able to stop herself from seeing him once again, after so long.

"Suzaku..." she whispered sadly.

... ... ...

Waiting sternly atop the summit on which rested the Kururugi Shrine, Suzaku wore a fierce scowl as he waited impatiently for the rendezvous he had only half-heartedly agreed to. Rather than his typical knight's uniform, he sported his Ashford Academy uniform, somehow finding the formal military garb too official for the very unconventional meeting that approached. However, he had with him an integral part of an old uniform, a keepsake that he now kept with him at all times, a certain pin he could never let go of. It was Euphie's pin − the very ornament with which she had ordained him her knight, and − unbeknownst to the rest of the world − her lover. It had been well over a year since she was painfully robbed from him, torn from her rightful place at his side. Since that unspeakably horrible day, she had been on his mind incessantly, though thankfully not enough at the forefront of his mind to cause him to weep daily for hours on end, as he had in the first few days succeeding her death. But now, with this reuinion between himself and Lelouch, Suzaku found himself unable to keep her out of his focus, pain, rage, and ire instantly reigniting to the level of ferocity they had first reached upon Euphie's death. His scowled quickly turned into an expression twisted by indescribable rage.

Fishing around in his pocket briefly, he retrieved the fateful pin that had not left his grasp since that horrible day. He held it aloft in his palm, gazing at it wordlessly for several moments, his features softening into mournful sadness momentarily. Allowing a single tear to fall upon the pin he held so dear to his heart, he clutched it tightly in his hand − tight enough to draw blood, though the pin itself was already stained with several spots of blood: his, as well as Euphie's. His eyes slid shut, pained as he was, and he begrudgingly let his mind wander. Almost immediately, he saw her face, as beautiful, clear, and vibrant as it had been on that last, wonderful evening they had spent together. Her long, stunning pink hair was the most immediately recognizeable aspect of her immense beauty. Before long, though, he stifled the pleasant memory − an aftereffect of his ever-building rage. Opening his eyes, the former sadness now replaced by enraged, resolute determination, he replaced the pin in his pocket. "Euphie...finally, I'll have answers. Finally, I'll have retribution." He turned to face the growing sound of footsteps on the stone stairway behind him. "Lelouch..."

... ... ...

Lelouch stared angrily at the endless tower of stone steps that lay before him, standing motionless. Had it really been eight years since he had set foot on these steps? His frown deepened, remembering the last time he had surmounted this obstacle. It was hot, and he was drenched in sweat and sore to the bone the last time he had climbed these stairs − the latter aspect mostly due to the fact that he had singlehandedly been forced to carry Nunnally first, and then her wheelchair all the way up the stairs. Moments later, he had met Suzaku for the first time − a meeting characterized more by violent rage than the close friendship they had grown into by the time they met again at Ashford. Suzaku, at the time quite spiteful of the Brittanians, had beaten him senseless, and it had ironically been Nunnally who had saved him from any further torture.

The memory seemed all too fitting now, for Lelouch's heart was filled with much the same rage, and he predicted that his body would soon absorb a similar amount of pain. But, the memory of Nunnally steeled his resolve. He would do this. For Nunnally's sake. He had to. After shutting his eyes briefly to mentally review what he planned to say − as well as all of his contingencies − reopened them resolutely and began the long climb towards the summit, where the Kururugi Shrine, along with his best friend and greatest enemy, awaited his arrival.

... ... ...

The two acrimonious comrades stared each other down from afar with intense fury in their eyes when Lelouch finally reached the summit − a single drop of perspiration had managed to form on his forehead, concealed by his long bangs. They remained locked in their stare down for several moments, as if a blink from one of them would ignite a fistfight at any second; in the end, neither did. Ultimately, it was Suzaku who broke the silence, his words as spiteful as his stare:

"You actually came alone. Honesty. That's a new trick for you."

Lelouch returned the sentiment by deepening his scowl, attempting to pierce Suzaku via his gaze alone. "I didn't come here for my own entertainment Suzaku. I came to ask for help."

That did little to assuage his friend's rage. Approaching him sternly, Suzaku raised his voice. "Help? What makes you think I could help you after all the lies you've sold; all the people you've betrayed; all the blood you've shed!"

Frowning more deeply, yet revealing a trace of sadness and remorse in the cast of his eyes, Lelouch retorted in an equally loud tone: "It's not me that you need to help, Suzaku...it's Nunnally!"

His features softening for a moment in astonishment, Suzaku seemed momentarily pacified by Lelouch's revelation. Soon enough, though, his hateful scowl returned with even more ferocity. "You're sickening, you know that? You've destroyed the lives of so many and then you have the gall to come beg me to save one of your loved ones?"

"Don't be foolish Suzaku! You know as well as I that Nunnally is one of your loved ones as well, that's why it's not for my sake that I do this!" Bowing his head slightly − though the saddened scowl remained − he sank slowly to his knees, clutching the fabric of his Ashford uniform as his shins came to rest on the pebbles below him.

"What's this?" Suzaku demanded angrily.

"You want me to beg, Suzaku? Well here I am. Never in my life have I lowered myself humbly before anyone. I have nothing to offer but my humility. Please, save Nunnally!"

This only seemed to enrage Suzaku even further. "Your humility? Do you think that means anything now?" Gritting his teeth in anger, he rushed forward at Lelouch, lifted his leg and brought it furiously down upon his friend's bowed head, crushing his face forcefully into the gravel below. Lelouch groaned quietly in pain.

"That's not good enough," he growled furiously. "Lelouch...Zero, you're going to answer for everything you've done!"

... ... ...

Euphemia watched helplessly as Lelouch and Suzaku furiously argued with each other. Concealed as she was by the bushes on the periphery of the Kururugi Shrine, neither of them knew she was there, for which she was grateful. She was right, and had been unable to resist a chance to see Suzaku once again after so many long, lonely months. Having arrived before Lelouch did, she was able to simply admire him sadly from a distance, watching as he stared longingly at the pin he held in his hand − the pin she had given him as a request to become her knight. She was beginning to regret her decision to come; he was so close, yet so painfully far away.

Things proceeded downhill quickly once Lelouch arrived, and she could not help but raise a hand to her mouth, gasping, as Suzaku exploded in a fit of rage and crushed Lelouch's face beneath his foot. She felt even worse now, for she could tell the reason for Suzaku's sudden rage was born out of unresolved grief over her apparent passing. At that moment, she wanted nothing more than to run over and embrace him. She wanted to console him, assure him that everything was alright, that she was fine, and that Lelouch's actions were not as cruel as they seemed − that he had legitimate reasoning behind almost everything. Unfortunately, she knew that was just wishful thinking. She was disobeying Lelouch's orders as it was, leaving his quarters without his permission. She certainly could not reveal herself outdoors − after all, she had been "dead" for well over a year. So, she continued to watch helplessly, eyes watering and heart aching, as the two men she loved most in the world were slowly consumed by an insurmountable hatred for each other. "Oh Suzaku..."

... ... ...

"You're going to answer everything I have to ask, got that?" Suzaku spluttered angrily. Lelouch, crushed as he was, made no reply.

"Lelouch...are you Zero? Be honest."

"...I am"

"Were you responsible for Euphie's death, and the slaughter of the Japanese?"

"...It was my fault...I ordered her to do it..."

Suzaku grunted with rage, eyes narrowing even further. "You disgust me," he spat hatefully. "I won't do it. I'm not going to help you."

Immediately disconcerted by the thought of his beloved little sister's last chance slipping away, Lelouch frantically tried to convince him otherwise. "Suzaku you must! IT'S NUNNALLY!"

That only angered him further. "Why must I do anything? You're Zero the miracle worker right? Figure it out yourself!"

Frantically deciding he would go to any length to save his sister, Lelouch did something he had rarely done over the course of his life: he became brutally honest. "I'm not a miracle worker! It's all tricks and stage production! Everything I've done is a lie! The mask of Zero is just a device that lets me tell lies!"

"SHUT UP!" Suzaku shouted furiously, grinding his friend's face even deeper into the gravel. "There's only one thing I could possibly want from you..." he raged, tears suddenly forming in his eyes as he fished around in his pocket for something. Pulling it free, he revealed it to be the pin that Euphie had bestowed upon him − the one physical memory of her he had left. He wielded it like a weapon, shoving it in Lelouch's face and forcing him to look at it. "If you're such a miracle worker then bring Euphie back from the dead! RIGHT NOW!" Lelouch only groaned louder and louder as the pressure from Suzaku's foot continued to increase, his skull now on the verge of fracturing. The tears now flowing freely, Suzaku added hatefully: "YOU SCUM!"

"Suzaku!"

Suzaku froze instantly, eyes widening and pupils shaking erratically in shock. Impossible...that sounded like...

Slowly, he turned, gradually decreasing the pressure he placed on his friend's now softened skull. There she was, standing proudly amidst the bushes behind them, the tears in her eyes reflecting his. She looked exactly as she did in his dreams: a soft, warm smile, her long pink hair blowing in the light breeze. He staggered forth, utterly shocked, drawn to her as if magnetically. Lelouch, meanwhile, failed to notice the incredible spectacle, as he knelt on the ground, clutching the sides of his head in pain − both physical and mental.

"It...can't be..."

Staggering forth in shock, and stumbling several times, Suzaku slowly approached the vision which he knew surely must have been a mirage. It couldn't possibly be her – she had been dead for over a year. Despite this knowledge, he was simply unable to resist the alluring sight of her: vibrant pink hair blowing gently in the breeze, a saddened smile on her face, and arms outstretched in open welcome. He knew it was not real. And yet…

Suddenly, all too soon the vision was cut short, interrupted by a sudden stream of Britannian soldiers that rushed forward, obscuring his vision.

"Hey!" he shouted uselessly, though no one seemed to hear him. Reflexively, he extended an arm, desperately trying to grasp the fading image before him, but it was no use – a Britannian squad leader cut him off, standing right before him and effectively blocking his view.

"Excellent work, Sir Kururugi."

"What? What is this?"

By now, the soldiers had reached Lelouch, who – having only recently recovered from Suzaku's beating – was promptly shoved face-first into the ground once more. Several soldiers wrestled with him, not that he provided any physical resistance, while one stood by and read off a number of charges:

"Zero, you are hereby placed under arrest for treason, terrorism, homicide, genocide, regicide…" the list seemed to go on forever, though Lelouch paid the soldier no heed, for he was instead overtaken by unspeakable rage.

"Suzaku…you BETRAYED ME!"

"No...I…" distracted as he was by what he had just seen, as well as the sudden appearance of the Brittanian military, there was nothing Suzaku could say to assuage his enraged opponent.

… … …

Unseen by any present at the shrine, Euphie recoiled in shock, gasping slightly before stifling herself in fear. Ducking back behind the bushes, she felt tears forming in her eyes – brought about by her interrupted reunion with her beloved knight, as well as the immense, almost palpable hatred radiating between the two. Unfortunately, with this many people around, she knew there was nothing she could do. So, filled with regret and remorse, she did what she had become so accustomed to over the past year: silently, she sank into the shadows, melding with their all-encompassing tendrils, and escaped.

Suzaku stood rooted to the spot for quite some time, even after all had departed, with his head in his hands. His mind still struggled to comprehend everything that had seemed to transpire with such impossible simultaneity mere moments ago. Unfortunately, it was little use; he still could not make sense of anything. Instead, he simply kept frantically glancing over his shoulder, hoping, praying that he would catch another glimpse of her. Alas, it was no use.

"Euphie…"

… … …

Lelouch sneered devilishly as he surveyed the scene before him from the safety of Shinkiro's cockpit, assured that the moment of his revenge was nigh. Nunnally was in safe hands, the Brittannians were being routed, and soon he would doubtless find a way to deal with the emperor. All the pieces were falling into place. To top it all off, before him floated the dismembered, disabled Lancelot, signaling the final defeat of the longtime friend who had betrayed him. It was all too delicious; he couldn't contain his excitement. In an evil, frenzied cry, he gleefully gave his next order.

"Kill him, Kallen! KILL SUZAKU!"

Unfortunately, his orders were never carried out. What happened next, he could not explain – all he knew was that his assured victory was suddenly and decisively replaced by an overwhelming sense of defeat, dread, and despair. In one, swift motion, the Lancelot dodged Kallen's killing blow and retrieved from its back some sort of handheld missile launcher. Out of this launcher, it fired a single projectile that raced towards the center of the Tokyo Settlement and disappeared, if only for a short while. After that, all of Lelouch's aspirations vanished in an instant, swallowed up with the rest of the Tokyo Settlement in an ever-expanding ball of deathly magenta light. An endless amount of thoughts raced through his head, but above all only one thing remained on his mind as the deathly light before him began to etch his retinas:

"NUNALLY!"

Whew, didn't think I'd actually finish this one...apologies for the severe delay, but I've actually got a bit of time now, so perhaps I'll finish this soon enough. Thanks to all who continue to support me, especially a very special friend of mine who might be joining forces with me in the near future ;]. Finally, I've got a solid idea of how I want this one to end, so bear with me in these last few chapters and I'm sure you all will love it! Thanks again, and kindly review as you always do. See you all soon!