Sorry this took a while, I've been caught up in watching season 1 of Supernatural... Anyway, there's some Irish in this, and I tried to be as accurate as I could, so I stayed far away from Google Translate, and found some good sites, dictionaries and matched some words up with Gaelic (Scottish) to trace the roots and see if I could get it as accurate as I could. If there's anything wrong, or if it's not correct, feel free to let me know. I hope you enjoy! Thanks for reviewing and favouriting guys, it means a lot! Please continue to :) PLEASE REVIEW IT KEEPS ME GOING GUYS EVEN IF THEY'RE BAD ONES :P Also, don't be afraid to share my story about, I'm always hoping to get more readers :3 Love you all, enjoy!
Rose opened her eyes and smiled; Jack was still lying beside her, his arm wrapped around her. She was just about to wake him up when he opened his eyes and looked at her.
"Morning." She said, lacing her fingers through his.
"Morning. Sleep well?"
Rose sighed happily. "Great. You?"
"Oh, I don't sleep, but you definitely do. You snore a little in your sleep." Jack said.
Rose hit him on the shoulder and scowled when he laughed. "Cad é atá tú a rá or a mhaíomh? Dún do chlab mór!"
Jack's eyes widened and he stared at her. "Did you just, did you just shout at me in Irish?"
"I did."
"How'd you do that?"
"I learned it off my aunt, plus my school taught it a little." She said, smiling. "It's not that commonly used now, like Gaelic in Scotland."
Jack laughed. "What did you say to me?"
"I'm not saying!" Rose clamped her lips shut to prove her point.
Jack whined and threatened to tickle her, his hands at her waist. "Come on, that's not fair! What did you say? I'll tickle you..."
Rose grinned and lay her head against his chest. "I said, 'What do you mean?' and...then I told you to shut the fuck up."
Jack's jaw dropped in feigned shock and he gave a startled laugh. "Well then. That's me told. Such vulgar language from such a pretty face."
Rose looked up at him. "Aw, you really think I'm pretty?"
Jack chuckled and hugged her tighter. "Oh, I do. But the question is...do you think I'm pretty?"
Rose burst into giggles and squeezed is hand. "The prettiest."
"Good. You're correct, of course." Jack gave her that lop sided grin that made her melt inside.
"Obviously." She laughed and rubbed her thumb across his hand.
Jack's lips pressed against her hair. "As much as I'd love to just lie here, you should go get ready. I've got something planned for today."
Rose nodded and stood up, stretching. She covered her mouth to yawn and crossed her arms. "Where are we going?"
"I'll tell you when you're ready." He said, smiling impishly.
Rose sighed an walked into the bathroom to brush her teeth and wash her face. The cool water splashed on her face and woke her up fully. When that was done, she walked back into the room and picked out some clothes. She picked out a white top, a deep blue zip-up hoodie, light brown jeans and blue converse. When she put her snowflake earrings in, she realized she'd dressed herself similar to Jack.
Hoping he wouldn't notice, she ran a hand through her hair quickly. "Have you seen my specks?"
"Your what?" Jack asked, confused.
Rose sighed and the corner of her lip turned upwards. "My glasses."
"Oh...I think you lost them in the lake." Jack said, the memory sending a chill through his body.
Rose groaned and walked over to her drawer, pulling out a small case. "Contacts it is then."
Jack watched her place the them in her eyes and pulled a face. It looked uncomfortable. "You okay?"
"I'm fine." She said. "Just give me a minute; I haven't worn these in a while."
Once her eyes had calmed down, she opened her second drawer and pulled out some liquid eyeliner and slowly put it on. For once, it went on without any mistakes, and both sides were even. So there is a God, she thought. Silently, she thanked him for the good eyeliner. When it was perfect, she added a slick of mascara and turned to Jack. "How do I look?"
Jack leaped up from the bed and walked behind her, his arms looping around her waist. He pushed her mane of hair to the side and kissed her cheek softly. "Beautiful. As always."
Rose scoffed and leaned into him, hitting his shoulder lightly. "You say that, but we both know you're the pretty one."
Jack spun her round and kissed her, catching her off guard. "I'm willing to share the title."
Rose felt her legs go jelly and forced herself to stand up straight. Her mind drew a blank whenever Jack kissed her- the only thing she could think about was him, and she found it was hard to shake the feeling away. She looped her arms around his neck and felt herself smile as she looked at him. She really was lucky. "So where are we going today?"
"To meet the Guardians." Jack said, waiting for her reaction.
Rose grinned widely. "I'm important enough now! Brilliant! Wait, am I under dressed? Should I wear a dress? What do I call them? How long will I be gone?"
"Wow wow wow, slow down." Jack chuckled and took her hand, leading her over to the desk. "You look fine. You'll be gone a few hours, so leave a note for your brother. He's probably worried about you...you haven't spoke to him in a while. Partly my fault. Sorry."
"Don't worry about it. You're right though, I really should spend more time with him. I'll try to talk to him tomorrow." Rose scribbled a sentence onto the notepad explaining that she'd be home later. She grabbed her phone and stuffed in in her pocket, before opening up her window. She eyed it warily. "Flying again?"
Jack grinned and held her close. "Just hold on tight. And open your eyes this time!"
Rose groaned and held on tight, burying her head in Jack's shoulder. He went higher and higher, as high as he possibly could with Rose still able to breathe. Nervously, she opened her eyes and squealed, clinging tighter. Jack's laughter annoyed her, so she opened them again. She kept them open.
"You know, this isn't actually so bad." She said, feeling light and happy.
Jack smiled. "I told you. Open your eyes and it's a lot more fun!"
"Is it bad I have the craziest urge to yell? Actually, I'm having a high School musical moment..cue 'Breaking Free'!" Rose burst into a fit of giggles and loosened her hold on Jack.
Jack shook his head and looked at her with a raised eyebrow. "I don't get it."
"You've never seen High School Musical? You've never lived, Jack." Rose laughed again. "It's this old cheesy musical thing."
"I don't have much time to see things like that. Being a winter spirit and all."
Rose sighed and placed her head on his shoulder. It was hard to hear each other, but it was better than not talking the whole way. She kissed him on the cheek and let out a happy breath. The wind was rippling through her long wild hair, and she couldn't help but think she was like fire. Rose tilted her head at the thought. She was fire, and Jack was ice. Are they each others missing puzzle pieces, or will she just end up destroying him? The sudden thought cast a dark mood on her, one which she tried desperately to shake away. Finally, Jack slowed down and they stopped, landing at the base of a tunnel.
Rose took Jack's hand and looked at it. "Where are we?"
"The Warren. Or just about to go into it anyway." Jack said, leading her in. The tunnel was cave like, with stone walls and grass across the floor. Grass also made its way along the stone, stretching out like a huge green blanket.
Rose touched it lightly with her hand as she followed Jack. Who lived in the Warren? She wracked her brain trying to remember her mother's tales. The Easter Bunny? She wasn't sure. " So this is the Easter Bunny's home?"
"Yeah." Jack said, tugging her along gently. "It's much nicer inside."
To prove it, Jack stopped and pushed her forward, watching her take a few tentative steps into the large area of grassy land. He stood next to her and took her hand, smiling at the look of shock on her face. Rose looked around in wonder and stared. She was sure her mouth had opened, but she couldn't close it right now; she was still shocked by the Warren. It was huge and airy, with bright green grass covering almost everything. The outside was covered in tunnels, leading to God knows where. There were giant stone statues standing tall and proud, and a few were even shaped like huge eggs. Hundreds of flowers were in bloom, and of to the right there was a river of multicoloured liquid, shimmering and gleaming, each time becoming a new colour. The trees were bright and almost magical looking, with the branches ending in little coloured spirals. There was a path starting from far off, where it stopped in the middle and split into lots of little paths, each one leading to a tunnel.
Rose stepped forward and delighted laugh escaped her lips. "This is beautiful! Look at it, it's gorgeous!"
Grinning, Jack put his arm around her waist. "It is."
Suddenly, a broad Australian voice came from behind the eggs. "Intruders!"
The giant egg statues stood up and twisted their heads around, now facing Jack and Rose with large angry faces. They began to advance towards them and Rose clung to Jack, trying to push down her fear.
Jack raced forward and shouted, "No! Bunny! It's me!"
A large grey-blue rabbit stepped in front of the eggs and held a paw up. The eggs spun their heads back round and sat down, as if nothing had happened. He had flower-like imprints on both his forehead and shoulders, and bright green eyes. He wore leather bracers set with orange stones, a single-strap holster with which he carried his boomerangs, and leather wrappings on his feet. Rose's eyes widened; he was huge! Over six feet tall, and with a mean look in his eye.
Rose held onto Jack. "That's the Easter Bunny?"
Bunnymund took a step toward them and pointed at her. "Oi! Watch it, you. What did you expect? A tiny rabbit with bows? Cause listen here, Missy-"
Rose shook her head and looked down. "No, no, sorry."
Jack looked at Bunny angrily. "Bunny, cut her some slack. She's never seen you before!"
Bunny turned to Jack and glared. "What is she even doing here? And how can she see us? Jack, what's going on?"
Jack sighed and griped his staff tightly. "I brought her here because I have to gather the Guardians. I'll explain everything when we have the others, please Bunny, just come with us."
"No, Jack! Why should I? Do you realize what a big deal this is? She's hardly a child! Why can she see us?!" Bunny yelled, pointing his boomerang at Rose. He took a threatening step towards her.
Jack stood in front of Rose protectively and raised his staff to Bunny. His voice was calm. "Put that boomerang down right now or I will ice this whole thing over."
Bunny retreated and put the boomerang down. He hadn't meant to frighten the girl, he was just wanting answers. Sighing, he dragged a hand down his face and looked at her. "Sorry."
"It's okay. Um, what do I call you?" She said, trying to keep her voice steady. The truth was the Easter Bunny terrified her, with his boomerangs and mean glare.
"Bunnymund." Said Bunny, his words clipped. Turning on Jack, he crossed his arms. "I'll go, but we're taking the tunnels."
"Fine by me." Jack lowered his staff and gave Rose's hand a squeeze. He looked at Bunny again. "Tooth Palace next."
Bunny tapped his foot twice on the ground and before she knew what was happening, Rose was falling.
It was over as quick as it begun, and in no time at all she was back on her feet, on new land. Rose gazed at Bunnymund. "That was incredible!"
Bunny didn't reply, but the glare in his eye softened. Rose looked around and gasped again. Tooth Palace was huge, and made up of what seemed like giant mountains. They were tinged with pink, and down the bottom was a glistening light blue lake, surrounded by trees. Huge extravagant platforms stretched on forever, and to Rose they resembled beautiful chandeliers, hanging gracefully. They looked like huge flowers, with pink and purple panels and intricate designs etched all over them. Gold tinged the whole place, running along the platforms, shining in the light. They were standing on a bit of stone bridge, spiraling out in all directions. Flying around in the air were, what looked like at first glance, tiny luminescent birds, with bright blue feathers and gold on their chests. However, at second glance, she realized they weren't birds, but in fact tiny fairies.
Rose tugged on Jack's sleeve. "Are those the fairies? I always thought they were like little people, not like this...They're beautiful."
Jack grinned. "Yeah those are the fairies. If you think they're beautiful, wait till you see tooth."
Rose flinched and tried to hide her jealousy. Of course she was going to be gorgeous, just look at her fairies. She forced the feeling aside and nodded. "Sure."
Jack took a step forward. "Tooth! Hey Tooth!"
Suddenly, a psychedelic woman with wings flew down towards them, smiling widely. She flung herself at Jack and hugged him, pulling him close. Jack hugged her back and laughed. "Jack! I haven't seen you in a while! How are you? And Bunny! Good to see you!"
"I'm fine, Tooth. You're good, too, yeah?" Jack gave an easy smile and leaned on one foot.
"All right, Tooth." Bunny said, nodding at her.
Tooth buzzed about, her smile almost as big as her personality. "Ah! I've been great! Busy, really busy! And Rose! Hi!"
Rose blinked at the beautiful woman in front of her. Tooth's whole body was feathers, ranging from turquoise and green to gold and pink. Even her face had feathers, starting from her nose and up, covering her forehead and acting as her hair. She had a huge gold feather in the middle of her head, and her eyes were a shining pink colour.
Rose stared at those eyes and appeared to ave lost her voice. "Um, I- uh, hi."
Tooth pinched her cheek. "Don't be nervous! I already know you. My fairies have gathered your baby teeth for years! You've grown up to be so beautiful!"
Rose blushed. Tooth was calling her beautiful? "T-thanks. So are you."
Tooth grinned, flashing her perfect pearly whites. "Oh! How sweet, thank you! But really Rose, how can you see all of us? It's certainly been a while since this last happened."
Jack interrupted her. "Yeah, I'll explain everything when we get Sandman and North. Rose is special."
Rose smiled warmly at him. Tooth fluttered her wings and grabbed Rose's hands. "How exciting! I can't wait to hear all about you! We'll leave now! I'm quite busy though, so don't be offended if I break away to-" Tooth's eyes went wide and she called out. "Canada! Section four! Go!"
Rose gave a small laugh and nodded. "Yeah...I see what you mean."
Bunny stepped forward and waved his paw. "Yeah, yeah very nice! Can we go now? We're all busy, let's hurry this thing up."
Before anyone could reply, Bunny hit his foot off the ground twice and they all fell through it.
Rose landed with a thud on the ground, ungracefully. The rest of the Guardians landed softly, and Jack offered a hand to help her up. She stood up and looked over her shoulder.
"Ow," she said, patting her behind. "My arse."
Jack snickered and nudged her. "So classy."
Rose smiled, flashing him a dimpled grin. "Aren't I just?"
Bunny groaned. "Will you two stop it? We've got things to do, hurry this along!"
Rose bit her lip to hide a smile. "Yes, Bunnymund."
The sound of heavy footsteps filled her ears, and the next thing she saw was a large round man with a long white beard and a pair of high-waisted black trousers and a red jumper tucked into them. He had on a black Russian hat, and tattooed on his arms there was the words 'Naughty' and 'Nice'. He yelled and lurched forwards, pulling out two large knives. Rose let out a yelp and jumped back, Jack's arms wrapping around her soothingly. He chuckled and shook his head.
"Relax. He's not going to hurt you, it's just how he says hello."
North strode forward and let out hearty laughter, which eventually trailed off when he looked at Rose. "Vait..." He said, studying her. His accent sounded Russian. "She isn't one of us. Who are you?"
Jack took her hand reassuringly. "Her name's Rose."
"And she sees us? Vonderful...she is special." North said, looking her up and down.
Rose trued to calm her heartbeat, thankful that he'd put the knives away. "S-so, you're Santa?"
North looked at her and waved his large meaty hand. "I prefer North. But yes, I am."
"And you're Russian..." Rose let a giggle escape before she could stop it, and placed a hand over her mouth quickly.
North looked at her through huge eyebrows. "Yes."
Bunny cut in again. "Right, someone get Sandman! I wanna get this over and done with already!"
A few hours later, Rose had been shown around the workshop by North, met the elves and yetis, talked with Tooth, and even attempted to talk to Bunny. Sandman had finally arrived and he shook her hand warmly, giving her a gentle smile. He was patient enough not to bombard her with questions, or rather signs, which she appreciated greatly. Rose held a mug of of hot chocolate in her hand and sat on the couch next to Jack. Everyone stared at her, and she could feel her hands shaking.
"How come you can see us?" Asked Tooth, smiling happily.
Rose took a deep breath. "Before my parents died, they'd tell me stories of you guys. Every night, before I went to bed. I loved them, they were always so amazing, the way my Dad told them. My Dad knew you guys. His name was Jamie Bennett." There was a collective gasp from the other Guardian's at this fact, but she continued speaking. " And I guess that I didn't want to forget those stories after they died. I don't know, but I guess that's why I can see you."
"Oh, I'm so sorry...poor Jamie." Tooth gave her a sympathetic smile, accompanied with all the other slightly saddened looks in the room.
"It's okay. Next question?" Rose said, leaning into Jack. She liked the feel of his cool body against hers, it calmed her down.
Bunny stepped forward and pointed at Jack. "Yeah! How long have you known him?"
Rose looked at him and tried to remember. It felt like she had always known him, and found it hard to remember a time without him. "Um, I don't know... two months? Maybe more? I can't really tell, it's just-"
"Feels like we've known each other for ages." Said Jack, nodding at her.
North raised an eyebrow. "Vait...are you two together?"
Rose blushed and scratched her ear nervously. "Yeah."
Jack gave a lop sided grin and put his arm around her waist, pulling her in. Her wild auburn curls fell down her back, swishing with her every movement.
The reactions in the room were certainly mixed: Tooth leaped into the air with a cry of excitement; Bunny shook his head and groaned; North stood with his mouth agape and Sandman bit his lip in worry.
"You are? How cute! Oh, it's a love story! The story of the star-crossed lovers! You guys are-" Tooth said, flying about excitedly.
"Are you bloody serious? You know this can't happen, Jack! It's against the rules!" Bunny shouted, waving his paws about.
Jack de-tangled himself from Rose and stood up, his gaze fierce. "I don't care about the rules."
North stepped forward and placed a hand on Jack's shoulder. "Jack...it is true. You simply cannot be with Rose. It is against the rules. The rules you promised to follow when you became a Guardian. You cannot break them."
Jack hit his hand away and drew back, anger seething through him. Why were they all coming down on him? Why was it against the rules? He looked at them all, breathing quick and fast. "No! I don't care about the rules! Why should I give up on the thing that finally makes me happy? That's- that's not fair!"
Rose stood up and linked her fingers through his, placing a hand on his face. "Jack. Jack, look at me."
Jack looked into her soft brown eyes and placed his forehead against hers, shoulders heaving. "I don't want to lose you. I just got you, Rose."
Rose felt the tears well up in the back of her throat. "I know. I don't want to lose you either."
Sandman gave them a look of pity and sympathy, sadness in his eyes. North and Bunny shifted uneasily; they had never seen Jack this way, so vulnerable. Tooth felt tears pool in her own eyes.
"Jack," She said, fluttering her wings slowly. "You deserve happiness. And I want to see you happy, but it can't work. I'm sorry. I'm sorry, Rose, but you can't be with him."
Rose felt the tears trickle down her face as she turned slowly to face her them all. She kept her fingers intertwined with Jack's, rubbing the back of his cold hand softly with her thumb. "Please. Don't do this. He saved my life...we've only just let this happen. Don't destroy it."
North looked at her, broken. He liked this girl, she was strong and fiery underneath. He could tell. It hurt him to see her so sad. "I'm sorry, but I can't do anything. It's the rules."
"Fuck the rules! There has to be another way, please." Rose yelled, sobs wracking her frail body.
Tooth looked at North, crying. "P-please, North. Look in the book. Do something. Anything."
Bunny groaned and looked at North. "Look in the book. Find a loophole."
North dragged a large hand down his ruddy face and nodded. "Okay. But don't expect a miracle, there might be no loophole."
Rose looked at him and sniffed. "Thank you."
A few minutes later, they were crowded round the book, searching for a way out. Rose was still crying, hugging Jack. His strong arm wrapped around her and he hugged her close, refusing to let her go for anything. If this was his last day with her, he'd spend every second mesmerizing her touch, her kiss, everything. His jaw was set rigid, and he stared at the book intently, reading every word of the small print. They stayed there until it got dark, reading as much pages as they could, but the still had no luck. Jack could feel his hope slip away more and more each second, and when they finally decided there was no way around it, he buried his face in Rose's soft bouncy hair. His hands wrapped around her waist, and she looped her arms around his neck. Her fingers threaded gently through his snow white hair, and she felt her body start to heave, beginning to sob all over again. Jack looked at her and his face crumpled, letting his own tears fall. He didn't even care that the Guardians could see them. They watched on is dismay, Tooth feeling like her own heart was broken. All she wanted was for Jack to be happy. To have someone. But it was against the rules. Even Bunny felt his charade fall apart as he looked at them, holding each other and crying. As much as Jack annoyed him, he never wanted this for him. The poor guy was alone. Sure he had the Guardians, but he was never seen. People walked right through him like he was nothing. And now, he'd finally met someone who could see him, someone who actually liked him, and they were denying them the right to be together. Bunny felt a wave of guilt and sadness wash over him and he looked away, letting the two have their moment. North tapped Sandman and Tooth, signalling them to leave the room.
"We'll let you have some private time." He said, looking down sadly.
When they exited, Jack traced Rose's face with his fingers, looking at every beautiful inch of it. She'd gotten so beautiful since he first saw her, and it was like her personality had just become her. It was written all over her face. He was going to miss her stubbornness and the way she clenched her jaw when she was mad. The way she'd never fail to make him laugh, and the fire in her eyes when she talked about something important. He'd gotten so used to the way she'd cross her arms, or give him that dimpled grin when he made her smile. And now it was going to be taken away from him.
"I'll still see you every night. Even if it's not in the way we want." He said, his voice shaky.
Rose shook her head. "Didn't you read the book? The rules said that you can't be involved with me. It's distracting from your duties. You've been breaking them all this time, you'll get into trouble if you do it more."
"No! No, the book s-said that I can still see you. Because you can see me. I ca-can still visit you." Jack said, their foreheads bent together.
"No, Jack. You can't. The rules said it has to be a child. I'm not a child." Rose cried, her lips shaking as she tried to speak.
Jack looked at her, defeated. "The worst thing is, I can still feel it. Still feel myself falling in love with you. A-and now, I'm never going to get to say those three words. And I know that if we could be together, I'd say them. That's what kills me. That I'm not getting that chance."
Rose tried to laugh and failed. She knew why he didn't just say them now- it wouldn't be the same. It had to be said freely, without the pressure. It was a serious deal, love, and it was something so fickle and dangerously beautiful that when said at the wrong time, could ruin everything. She didn't want that. What she had with Jack, she wanted to preserve it. Remember it for the rest of her life. She placed a hand on his cheek and smiled. "Save it. Save them for someone you can be with, because I promise you'll find them. There's someone out there for everyone, even you. I know you can find them. If it makes any difference, I can feel myself falling for you too. I've only had eighteen years on this Earth, but nothing, and I mean nothing, has made me feel the way you do. And I don't think anything else ever will."
Jack kissed her, pouring his emotions into it. He closed his eyes and pulled her close, his hand travelling up to tangle in her hair. Rose kissed him back, their lips moving together in a pattern infused with pain and longing. She could feel the tears fall down her face, but she didn't care. If this was the last time she was going to do this, she would put everything she had into it. She grabbed his hair in her hands and pulled him even closer, kissing him long and hard. Eventually, they slowed down to a soft and sweet ending, their lips breaking away slightly.
Jack attempted a grin. "I'm going to miss that."
"Me too." Rose gave a teary laugh and took his hand.
The other Guardians walked in slowly and smiled sadly at them. North was just about to speak when suddenly, Tooth interrupted him.
"North. Shh. Look, the man in the moon is here."
The Guardians all looked out the window in the room to see a huge full moon, like a bright light in the pitch black sky. Rose looked too, but all she could see what the moon. No man.
"I'm sorry, the man in the moon?" She said, wiping away her tears.
Jack looked at her. "Yeah, it's basically just the moon to you, but to us lot he's like a...a creator? He made us who we are today. The Guardians. We live by his rules." Jack's voice had turned cold towards the end of the sentence.
"Oh." Rose said.
North waved his big hands to quiet everyone. "I think man in moon has something he wants to say."
The Guardian's all walked up, Jack pulling Rose in front of him, hugging her from behind. He wasn't even sure he cared for what the man in the moon had to say right now, but he walked up anyway.
He looked up at the moon and scoffed. "What? What can you possibly say right now? It's because of you, you and your stupid rules that I can't be happy. That I'm destined to live a life of freezing things over and being ignored. Got a solution, man in the moon?" Jack was now shouting at the moon. "HAVE YOU?!"
Rose tugged on his sleeve and begged him to calm down; anger would do nothing. Suddenly, all the Guardian's went quiet as if listening to something. Rose didn't dare interrupt, even though she couldn't hear anything.
After what seemed like ages, the Guardian's mouths all opened and closed, like they'd ate something bad. Their facial expressions had changed to a mix of shock and disbelief, and Rose was itching to know what they'd heard.
"Jack." She tugged his jumper. "Jack, what did he say?"
Jack didn't answer. He stared on blankly, his mind thinking like mad. It was Tooth who spoke up. "He said... you and Jack can be together. But not like this. There's...conditions. Consequences." Her bubbly demeanor was gone, and instead she looked torn.
"Well, what are they?" When nobody answered Rose felt her breathing sped up. "Will someone please tell me?"
Bunny's low voice was next to be heard. "He said for you and Jack to be together, Jack either has to give up being a Guardian forever, or..."
Rose gasped. Jack? Give up being a Guardian? He couldn't, it was part of who he was. There's no way she'd let him do that. There had to be a better way, she just couldn't let him do that. But what was the alternative? "Or?"
Jack's icy cold voice was distant and he stared at her blankly. "Or you die and become a Guardian forever."
