chapter seven: marble
You're so cold but you feel alive,
Lay your hands on me one last time.
.
.
.

Upon arriving at Hana's home, Naruto's hand had begun to swell so severely that the smallest twitch of his fingers caused a shooting pain to travel the entire length of his arm. The flesh of his palm was still a searing, violent red, the skin split open and peeling.

"Fucking bastard stove," he grumbled angrily as he knocked on the door with his uninjured hand. Inuzuka Hana welcomed him inside with open arms and a kiss to each of his cheeks. As she was holding onto either side of his face, however, the smile that was plastered onto her peach-colored mouth slipped abruptly.

"What happened to your face?" she asked, thumbing the pink scars along the apples of his cheeks.

The dark hue of his skin hid what little flush had crawled up his neck, but Hana noticed something was amiss as he scrambled to find the appropriate words to describe how he had obtained scratch marks—evidently nail marks—across his face.

"…and—and this cat comes outta nowhere, right, and straight up attacks me—"

"Mhm," Hana said, waving the ridiculous story off. "Right. And your hand?"

He grimaced, swallowing hard and gently placing his pulsing hand into her open palm. "Jesus," she said, "what happened with this? More cats?"

Naruto rolled his eyes. "Hardy, har, har, you're killing me. It was the fucking stove. Burned me like the fires of hell."

Hana tsked. "And how did that happen?"

"What do you mean? I was cooking."

She looked up from his hand into his eyes, her brows pulled tightly together in confusion and surprise. "You were cooking?"

"I cook sometimes, okay!" he answered defensively.

Hana's head cocked to the side, her hair cascading over her shoulder in a dark chocolate wave. "You're full of shit. You know that, right?"

Naruto opened his mouth to respond, but a stern look from Hana forced him to swallow any other excuses that were bubbling at the base of his throat. She gently tugged on his arm, leading him into the kitchen where she sat him at the table. He gingerly placed his searing hand onto the smooth wood surface of the table top, smiling softly as Hana sat next to him with a large first-aid kit tucked under her arm.

"Just ointment and gauze, right?" he asked her, remembering Tenshi's words.

Hana nodded surely. "Yeah. Burns always look more nasty than they really are."

She was in process of squeezing a clear jelly substance into his hand when Kiba sauntered into the kitchen with Shikamaru and Chōji on his heels. On Kiba's face was a wide, condescending grin.

Naruto sighed unhappily.

"Thought I heard you sulkin' around in here," Kiba said, his eyes trailing to Naruto's burn. "Jesus! What the fuck happened?"

"He was cooking, he says," Hana answered, securely wrapping his hand in soft white gauze.

"You cook?" Chōji asked.

Naruto gave a shrug that was both nervous and haughty, causing Shikamaru to frown in quaint curiosity.

"Right," said Kiba. "He cooks. And I'm a fuckin' mermaid."

Hana shook her head with a laugh as she finished bandaging Naruto's wound. As Kiba, Chōji, and Shikamaru settled themselves around the kitchen table to speak with Naruto, Hana stood to excuse herself, packing the first-aid items back into their box. Naruto watched her for a moment, suddenly very grateful that she existed.

"Hana," he said. "I, um, needed a favor, by the way."

"I know. Kiba told me. I already have the clothes ready. Just come get me when you need them."

His eyes softened. "Thanks, Hana."

"It's my pleasure. Hopefully this girl will do you better than the last one, eh?"

A small smile tugged at the corner of his mouth. "Hopefully."

Hana winked, disappearing out of the kitchen behind a hallway. As soon as she was out of sight, the boys rounded on him.

"Were you really cooking, Naruto?"

"What the hell happened to your face?"

"Why are you such a goddamn idiot?"

Naruto diligently disregarded Kiba's dig at his intelligence and instead opted to answer Chōji and Shikamaru's questions, respectively. He sighed, pressing his thumb against the gauze wrapped securely around his palm.

"Yes, I was cooking. I was doing it to impress Tenshi," he said sheepishly, heat collecting in a spot at the back of his neck.

"Yeah. Look how that faired. And your face?" Shikamaru pressed.

Naruto swallowed. "Cats."

"What?"

Kiba nodded firmly. "I believe it. Those fuckin' bastards."

Shikamaru and Chōji very discreetly made uncomfortable eye contact.

"Anyway," Naruto said, "I'm just glad this happened when it did. It'll have some time to heal before Sasuke gets here."

Chōji nodded. "And when is he getting here?"

"Tonight, I think."

"Sasuke's already in town," Shikamaru said, tapping vigorously on the screen of his cell phone.

"He is?" Naruto said.

"Wait, what? How do you know where he is, Shikamaru?" Chōji asked.

"I have his phone tracked."

"Okay," Kiba said, slamming his hands down on the table. "That's just fuckin' weird."

"It's for his own good," Shikamaru explained. "He gets in some pretty nasty situations. It's important that someone always knows where you are."

"You're gay for him, ain't you?" Kiba speculated.

Shikamaru briefly rolled his eyes before he took another sharp look at his phone. "Oh…"

"What? You got cameras on him, too, ya lunatic?"

Shikamaru ignored Kiba, looking purposefully at Naruto. "This says he's already at your house."

Naruto frowned as Shikamaru placed his phone on the table, pointing at a small, beeping red dot that represented Sasuke. When Shikamaru pressed the dot, Naruto's address appeared clearly above it. Kiba coughed in a conspicuously tense manner, causing Naruto to swiftly meet his eyes. To his surprise, Shikamaru and Chōji also possessed equal expressions of unease.

"What's up with you guys?"

"Don't you think it's…weird that Sasuke is at your house? With Tenshi?" Chōji asked carefully.

Naruto made a face that expressed he was not all frazzled by the queerness of the situation. "I don't know what you mean."

"Given Tenshi's, eh, history," Shikamaru said. "You don't think it's weird?"

"No…?"

"For fuck's sake!" Kiba said. "She's a fuckin' prostitute, Naruto. And Sasuke, lo and behold, has a dick!"

There was a droll, slow pause.

"Are you serious?" Naruto asked incredulously, obviously offended.

"Dead," Kiba said pointedly. "And you're a moron if you don't think so."

Chōji and Shikamaru watched with pursed lips as Naruto stood from his chair, his brow furrowed but a flicker of pain in his eyes betraying genuine hurt. "Too far, Kiba," he said. "Too fuckin' far."

Kiba gave a petulant roll of the eyes while Shikamaru stood as well, his hands braced in front of him to coax some understanding from Naruto. "We just want you to be careful," he explained gently. "After last time—"

"It's fine," Naruto interrupted. He looked resolutely at the three of them. "Tenshi's not her."

He then proceeded to stalk out of the kitchen in order to fetch Hana. She handed him a large bag of clothing before she sprinkled a few heavy-duty pain killers in his unburned palm so he would be able to sleep through the night without his injury causing him discomfort. He thanked her with a firm hug and a kiss to her cheek, hauling the bag over his shoulder. He bid a curt goodbye to his friends, being sure to give Kiba a clear view of the bird as he walked out of the door.

"He's fucked," Kiba said.

Shikamaru and Chōji nodded in agreement.


When Naruto returned home, he was ecstatic to see Sasuke's sleek black vehicle parked in the driveway. He quickly exited his car, taking careful measure to handle the large bag of Hana's clothing in a way that did not aggravate his burn. Pushing the correct key into the lock, he stepped inside of the house, immediately spotting Sasuke on the sofa.

"Dude!" he said, placing the bag on the floor and closing the door with his foot.

Sasuke idly looked up from the paper he was reading. "Fool," he said coolly.

Naruto pouted, slinging his keys onto the nearest table. He plopped next to Sasuke on the sofa, carefully trailing his eyes over his friend. He frowned at the formalness of his clothing: black slacks, a collared white shirt, and costly leather shoes.

"Why are you dressed like such an asshole?"

Sasuke flipped a page of his paper. "This is called 'professional'. Most adults wear something like it."

Naruto grumbled, crossing his arms over his chest. "Yeah, maybe if they professionally suck dick for a living."

And then Sasuke smirked, lightly punching Naruto on the side of his head. "You're a moron."

"Whatever."

"I met your house guest," Sasuke suddenly said.

Naruto noticeably blanched, but Sasuke said nothing of it. "Yeah? What'd you think?"

"She's got a nice tits."

"Don't be a dick," Naruto said, punching Sasuke back. "She's a nice girl."

"You don't say. Where'd you meet her?"

Oh… He hadn't prepared a story."Hmm?"

Sasuke cocked a brow. "The girl. Where'd you meet her?"

"Oh! Right. Yeah, church."

"What?"

"We met at church."

"You met her at church."

"Yes, I met her at church."

For a brief moment, Sasuke internally laughed at the fact that Naruto actually believed he was a good liar.

"What's her name?" he pressed.

"Tenshi."

"Tenshi," Sasuke repeated. "How poetic."

Naruto smiled. "Since you're here now, when are we gonna—"

"I have to go."

"Wait, what? You just got here! Hell, I just got here—"

"I'm not here on vacation, Naruto, I have business to handle."

"Okay, well, when you and Shikamaru are done jerkin' each other off, you know where to find me."

"For Christ's sake, don't be so jealous. I'll be back tonight." Sasuke folded his paper, slapping it against Naruto's chest. "Give my regards to Tenshi," he said, collecting his keys and jacket.

Naruto had a mouthful of insults at the ready as Sasuke walked out of the door, but at the mention of Tenshi, he cooled, remembering that he had yet to give her Hana's clothes. He tossed the paper onto the coffee table, hauling the bag and walking into his bedroom. She was situated on the far end of the bed, her hand pressed against Ai's fishbowl. The koi was hurling herself in rapid circles, seemingly frustrated that Tenshi was at such a close proximity.

"You're not torturing my fish, are you?" Naruto asked, placing the bag of clothing on the bed.

"Only a little," Tenshi admitted, her eyes becoming bright when saw the colorful pieces of clothing through the plastic bag. She stepped down from the bed, gratefully walking into Naruto's open arms in a full-body embrace. "Thank you," she said in his ear before kissing his cheek and then the corner of his mouth. She pulled away from him to inspect his burn. "Did Kiba's sister fix you up?"

"Sure did. Ointment and all."

"Good," she said, gently running a finger over the cotton surface of the gauze on his hand. "What's her name?"

"Hana. She's great. I'll take you to meet her soon."

"Okay."

"Here, see what you like." Naruto helped her sort through the varying underwear, bras, shirts, shorts, jeans, and dresses, spreading them out across the bed. Tenshi was overjoyed to be able to wear regular clothing after having spent many years either dolled in lingerie or nothing at all. After a few minutes of observation and playful banter with Naruto, she found at the bottom of the bag a lavender dress. It was soft and feminine and reminded her of flowers, which in turn reminded her of her mother. She immediately stripped herself of her clothes, holding them out for Naruto to take.

He appeared stunned for a few fleeting moments, his eyes lingering on her naked form, but Tenshi simply smiled, flattered by his speechlessness. When he took the ball of clothes from her, he kissed her hard, watching as she redressed in the lavender ensemble before sliding on pink panties. The dress hung a few inches above her knees, outlining the curves of her waist and the shape of her legs. It had spaghetti straps and a straight neckline that cut just above her cleavage, compressing her breasts and highlighting their swell.

"You look beautiful," Naruto mentioned.

Pink dusted her cheeks. "Thank you."

She hugged him again, this time wrapping her arms securely around his neck. She had to stand on the tips of her toes to kiss him, withholding a sigh as the heel of his palm dug into the base of her spine before he was holding a handful of her ass. She broke their kiss with a sweet wet sound, her face so close to his that for a moment their eyelashes tangled.

"What's wrong?" he whispered.

She shook her head. "Nothing…w-where's your friend?" Naruto hadn't even mentioned Sasuke. The room was suddenly too quiet, and her thoughts had become unbearably loud. Did Naruto know Sasuke had been there? Was he still somewhere in the house?

"Sasuke? He had to leave. Something about being a professional."

Relief pooled throughout Tenshi's guts as she nodded slowly, gripping Naruto's forearms and kissing the side of his neck. He bit into his lip with enough force to draw blood, sliding his thumbs underneath the spaghetti straps of her dress. All he could think of was pulling the straps down, pulling the dress off, and pushing her to the bed. All he could think of was the dark flush of her nipples, the stretch of tight skin along her abdomen, the jerk of her muscles.

He halted her movements, grabbing the bottom of her face. Her eyes were lidded and grey and more intoxicating than any sake he'd had in his life.

"I don't wanna go too fast," he said. She was used to sex. He wanted to give her something she wasn't used to: patience.

Tenshi smiled. "Okay," she said, and allowed him to kiss her once more. He softly patted the side of her face.


That night, after showering and changing his bandages, Naruto took the pain pills Hana had given him before getting settled into bed. The medication made him immensely tired, and he found himself nearly dozing off before nine o' clock. Sasuke had yet to return.

"Are you all right?" Tenshi asked as she leaned over him, effectively tucking him in. "Do you feel dizzy?"

"No," he said. "Just dead."

She giggled. She was still wearing Hana's lavender dress, and her hair had been pulled into a high ponytail. She huffed dark fringe out of her face as she gave Ai's bowl a few swift taps.

"Are you going to be okay?" she asked Naruto, motioning towards his burn.

"Yes. And you'll be okay with Sasuke by yourself? If the bastard ever comes back."

A nervous tremor slipped down the length of her spine, but she disguised her discomfort with a sure smile. "Yes," she said softly, picking up Naruto's uninjured hand. She placed two firm kisses against the ridges of his knuckles before she bent her head to brush her lips across his. He wrapped his free arm around the back her neck, forcing their mouths together. Tenshi's breath pleasantly spilled out her as their chests collided, her ribs knocking into his to the point of pain. After a few long moments, Naruto released her, watching intently as she licked away the thin, silvery string of saliva bridging their bottom lips.

"I'm happy I found you," he whispered.

Tenshi touched the side of his face, running her thumb across the arch of his brow. "Me, too."

Naruto smiled sleepily. "Will you stay with me until I fall asleep?"

She grinned. "Don't tell me you're afraid of monsters."

"Sure I am. Sasuke's staying here, isn't he?" He laughed, and Tenshi had to pretend that the sentiment wasn't wholly true.

"Right," she said.

"He was nice to you, wasn't he? When you met him?"

She nodded quickly.

"Good. I didn't wanna have to kick his ass."

"Of course not," she said, climbing under the covers next to him. He turned on his side and she coped his position, taking pride in being the big spoon as she curled her arms around his midsection and peppered kisses along his bare back. Not even ten minutes passed before he was snoring. Tenshi unwound herself from him, playfully sticking her tongue out at Ai before she switched off the lights and closed the door as she exited the bedroom.

She breathed deeply, brushing a few wayward strands of hair behind her ear before she made her way to the backdoor where she slipped on a pair of black sandals. She walked into the warm night, smiling as the ocean softly greeted her. She moved closer to the shoreline, removing her shoes and sitting in the plush sand. Gentle waves lapped against her feet as she stuck her legs out in front of her, closing her eyes, and she was almost at total peace until she felt a shift in the surrounding atmosphere—another presence.

She didn't have to open her eyes to know it was him.

"Sasuke," she said, pulling her legs in. He was standing beside her, hands stuffed into his slacks and watching the sea with acute boredom. He didn't acknowledge that she had spoken to him. "Where have you been?" she asked him.

"Out."

"O-Oh."

A minute passed.

"Did you have a good day?" Tenshi said and then instantly regretted it. She had no inkling as to why she was even attempting to have small talk with him, but she felt as if remaining completely silent when there was so much left unsaid between them was nearly impossible.

Sasuke slid his eyes downwards to give her a mean glare, but then he saw it—a soft wink of light against her chest. His eyes narrowed in subtle speculation before a tight knot formed at the base of his throat. Its presence unnerved him, prompting an uncomfortable sensation that slithered down his esophagus and coiled in the pit of his stomach like a serpent.

"Who gave you that necklace?" he asked.

Tenshi's hand immediately flew to the jeweled pendant. She purposely did not look at Sasuke. "A friend," she answered.

Sasuke frowned. He thought the ocean blue hue looked oddly familiar, but the thought was ejected from his mind as he watched her push her hair over her shoulder, the attractive bumps of her collarbones becoming apparent. He watched the subtle flex of the tendons in her throat, the twitch of her mouth, the nervous wandering of her eyes. She was unaware of the majesty of her own being; unaware that every moment she lived caused him great agony.

Naruto didn't deserve the backlash she would bring unto his life. Unlike Sasuke, Naruto was ignorant to the curse of her smile; how she could make a man feel useless and immaculate all at the same time. Sasuke wanted to protect Naruto. He had to protect Naruto.

"Wanna go for a ride?"

Tenshi swallowed, carefully lifting her head to meet his gaze. His eyes were pools of liquid coal, eating holes through the fleshy mass of her suddenly befuddled brain.

A…ride? "W-Why?"

"Because I asked you to."

"Sasuke—"

"Stand up."

She hesitated as slow, sticky heat permeated behind the walls of her chest.

"I said stand up."

She did then, wincing as that same warmth spilled into her extremities and spread to her stomach. It was not a sweet feeling. It set flame to her muscles, prompting her blood to pump harder through her veins in the event that she may have to physically escape him. With Sasuke, she needed to constantly be on the alert. He was shifty, fast-talking, and well aware of the inner workings of her soul.

He tilted his head to one side as if he were a canine abruptly perplexed. "Do you think I'm going to hurt you?"

Tenshi blinked hard, her fingers beginning to twitch. "No," she lied.

"Good," he said. "Come with me."

Uneasily, she nodded. She walked with him because her body knew him. She did not trust him, but her skin knew his skin, knew his bones and ligaments. Her legs knew his waist, her fingers knew his hair—their heartbeats had once been in perfect synchronized rhythm and she felt an invisible pressure forcing her into him, propelling her forwards, as if her flesh had recognized the individual imprint of his touch and was begging to be returned home. So she followed him to his car.

At that moment, she didn't realize what she had agreed to.

"Get in," he told her, walking around to the driver's side of the vehicle.

Once they were both inside, Sasuke sped off down a road she didn't know the name of.

They drove a substantial amount of time, neither speaking, and the longer she was away from Naruto, Tenshi began to become more and more paranoid about Sasuke's intentions. When she began to fiddle with her fingers and nervously stare out of the window, Sasuke spoke.

"What do you think is going to happen here, Hinata?"

She winced. "What do you mean?"

"Do you really think Naruto is going to keep you when he finds out who you are? What you are?"

She was already blinking back tears. "H-He knows I worked in Kokoro—"

"Yeah? And what about the other shit? Does he know about Orochimaru? About the Snake Room?"

"N-No, but—"

"You're dangerous. You know he must be looking for you, right?"

"Sasuke, p-p-please don't—"

"Jesus, will you stop stuttering? You sound like a broken fucking record—"

"Stop the car!"

Sasuke pressed hard on the brakes, jolting them both forward. Tenshi covered her face with her hands. It took a few minutes for her to find her breath and her voice.

"You left me all alone," she croaked. "And you know what he was like when I was alone."

Sasuke turned off the car. "I did what I had to."

"How can you say that?" she asked.

He shrugged. "Easy."

She tried to hit him. He caught her hand with calculated precision and squeezed her wrist so hard she thought he might the snap the bone in two. Hiding her pain well, she maintained a strong front, although there were tears steadily coursing down her face.

What happened next was unexpected. Even to Sasuke.

He grabbed her by the base of her throat and then smashed his mouth to hers. At first, Tenshi froze. She was neither mentally nor physically prepared for any altercation with Sasuke on an intimate level, but suddenly he was yanking the dress from her over her head and pushing her into the backseat of the car. He spread her legs, removing his shirt and slacks in a few quick motions. Tenshi couldn't help but to brace her hands against his chest as he leaned over her, coating two of his fingers in saliva before pushing her panties to the side. Her fingernails dug into his shoulders.

He was like flesh-colored marble—smooth to the touch and cold to the bone.

She focused on taking even breaths, grunting when he pushed into her with unnecessary force. And then she realized his motive.

He was trying to hurt her. In any way he could.

She squeezed her eyes closed, pretending that she was eighteen again. Pretending that this was normal. Pretending that he loved her.


"Get out."

Tenshi finished tying her hair back into a ponytail, her eyes still filled to the brim with heavy, stinging tears. She licked her lips, her forehead going tight with anguish as her heart fluttered into the pit of her stomach. "You can't treat me like this, Sasuke. Not after everything that's happened."

He shook his head, running a hand through the length of his black hair. "Just get out of here, Hinata," he whispered.

"Don't you dare," she said darkly, turning her body towards him in the front seat. "Don't ever fucking call me that again."

"That's your name," he told her blankly. She bristled, her teeth clenching so tightly that her jaw began to ache. Sasuke was the only person who knew her name and therefore he had her soul. Tenshi had never been able to keep secrets from him, but suddenly she wished they were perfect strangers instead of two people so grossly entangled she couldn't tell where he began and where she ended.

She looked down at her disheveled state and felt her throat constrict painfully. "That's not my name," she said. "Not anymore." She placed her hand on his leg, shrinking back when he roughly jerked away.

"Don't fucking touch me. I want you out of my sight." He frowned, his face twisted into a look of pure disgust.

Tenshi felt as if he'd wrung her dry as her breath flew out of her in a tiny wisp.

"What?" she asked hoarsely, intertwining her fingers so he wouldn't see them shaking. She leaned further his way, desperate for some form of understanding, some type of compassion from him. She needed the closure. But Sasuke needed space. After a moment of eerie silence, he took a deep, heavy breath.

"I don't want anything to do with you," he said. "I hope I never fucking see you again."

For Sasuke, Tenshi was the physical embodiment of all of his failure as a human being; a tangible, breathing reminder of everything they had lost. She made him feel inadequate. What little they'd had between them had been deadly; the type of love that sticks to the ribs long after it's gone.

"Sasuke," she muttered, her eyes shimmering with tears. "Sasuke, I loved you. Do you get that? I loved you more than anything else in the whole world."

"I know, Hinata." He turned to look at her, reaching across her body to push open her door. Tenshi glanced from his outstretched arm to his face. "Now get out," he said, gently swiping a piece of hair over her shoulder.

Her lips parted in absolute surprise at his cruelty. "Sasuke…"

"You loved me," he suddenly said, and he searched her eyes in such an intimate, desecrating way. Tenshi felt his gaze pierce through the soft marrow in her bones. "So what?" he finished.

Swallowing hard, she gathered the strength to ask him the one question that had plagued her for two years. "Do you blame me?"

Sasuke continued to look into her eyes, expressionless, although she did notice that his jaw clenched and nostrils flared. He was angry. "You're weak, Hinata. Always have been, always will be." He turned to stare straight ahead. "Get out of my fucking car."

With her heart splintered into a thousand pieces, Tenshi nodded slowly, letting herself out and standing outside the closed car door, her face a sickly shade of red. Suddenly, she began frantically knocking at the window, and Sasuke slowly let it down, one of his hands already on the steering well. She let out a strangled sob, quickly covering her mouth with a shaking hand and stubbornly wiping away the wetness on her face.

"Why d-do you h-h-hate me?" she wanted to know. "W-W-Why?"

Sasuke raised a brow at the stutter. Hmm, he thought briefly. He must've struck a nerve.

"I don't hate you, Hinata," he answered after a moment. He once again gave her that look; the one that saw through the very atoms of her soul. "I hate Tenshi." He then rolled up the window, the dark tint concealing him from her view as he sped away from the curb and down the street.

She was too numb to feel anything but remorse as she watched him drive away into the dark of the night. It was then that she felt a sickening pull on her lower body. She had no idea where she was. She collapsed to her knees on the curb and profusely vomited. When she was finished, she wiped her mouth with the back of her hand, checking to see if she had ruined Hana's pretty dress. The fabric was still intact, still pristine and whole and lavender, and after she allowed the tears to dry on her face she was forced to face the fact that she was alone.

How could she return to Naruto after what she had just done?

"Fuck," she whispered, taking a look at her surroundings. She could see the tell-tale signs of a busy street across the way, and figured lights, music, people, and the smell of sweat meant that Kokoro was not too far. It was degrading and humiliating to return back into its bowels, but it was all she knew.

It was all she had.

She looked back in the direction that Sasuke had driven off and decided that she could no longer allow him to have dominion over her heart. If she ever wanted to be truly happy, truly free, Uchiha Sasuke would have to go. Perhaps that was why he had decided to abandon her in the first place; she had imprisoned him, too.

Her hand reached towards the base of her throat, idly fingering the blue jewel laying against her skin. She briefly thought of Sasuke's mouth slipping across her shoulders before she frowned.

She would never let another man kiss her again. They would ruin the memory of Naruto's lips.


YOU GUYS!

If you'd previously read GB back when it posted and know a large majority of the story line, DO NOT WRITE ABOUT IT IN THE REVIEWS. That spoils the story for all of our new readers who are super excited to find out what happens and, personally, I really, really hate spoilers so I don't want anyone new already knowing what's going to happen because someone talked about it in a review.

I know that can be something that can occur when you decide to do a rewrite, but let's all be super cordial for our new readers; I want them to be surprised just like you guys got to be surprised!

And to those new readers who want to be surprised and enjoy the suspense, I strongly recommend you do not read the reviews. Just stick with me weekly, biweekly, and I will push out updates. I've worked a large portion of this story's grit around suspense, so if you read reviews from past chapters that are now deleted, you will have nothing to look forward to and my feelings will be very hurt!

And obviously this chapter is WAY overdue, but the good news is the next chapter will be up tomorrow and there's a little surprise. Can anyone guess what it is?

I love you all, you're all my pretty babies, and I will you see again very soon!