First, I've got to say that I'm sorry this didn't come out on Saturday. It's been a bit of a busy week and whenever I had a spare moment, I was just trying to relax. Luckily things have calmed down a bit and I've been able to sit down and write this.

Also, I want to get this out of my system before anything else. 10th CHAPTER! WOO HOO! I'M AWESOME!

Heh. Sorry, I'm just glad I got so far in so little time. It's been just a month, I'm already relatively far into it. This makes me happy really, 'cause usually I'm one of those readers that takes a month or two to always update. I knew for a story this long that that wasn't gonna work out, I'd loose interest long before I got even half-way. This is easily going to be the longest story I have ever done, so I know I need to stay on top of it if it's ever going to thrive properly.

Currently I have a mini Ghost Writer pumping me full of inspiration for this story, a mini Clockwork poking my constantly to remind me I can't afford to waste a day doing nothing since I'm trying to balance so many projects at the same time, and a mini Dan Phantom whispering in my ear about how the the world needs more Danny Phantom yaoi. Yep, that's who I consider my muse for my lusty little one-shots, especially since they're all so kinky. Aside from the foot tall hallucinations harassing me all the time, I don't own Danny Phantom (show or character). I do however own my hallucinations. Hartman can't sue me for them. They're mine and I'm entitled to my crazy tendencies.

So there. Nyah.

Chapter Ten: Bargaining Chips

"So, would you care to explain to me why that you not only failed to kill Danny Phantom, but now he is also back with his allies, he knows you're after his life and thus knows I'm after his life, and it wasn't even him that defeated you, but a completely different ghost?"

Angela didn't look the Observant in the eye. In fact, her back was to him. She had her arms crossed as she overlooked Amity Park, trying to think of her next move. This wasn't as simple as going to try to kill the boy like before. She needed a plan, a way to get to him without evoking the wrath of several different ghosts, and since her opportune moment had blown up in her face, she needed to be a bit more subtle about it.

"Is it safe for you to be here?" she asked eventually. There was no point in explaining. He knew without her saying a word to him. She really shouldn't have been surprised. She had a feeling this lousy thing had known what was going on even before she had. It had to have been watching her at least, something that made her skin crawl when she thought about it.

"They won't sense me. It's simple projection."

She arched her eyebrow then shook her head. She didn't really care. He was a god, end of story. Honestly, a mere day in his service and she was already getting sick of the way he seemed to enjoy rubbing his powers in her face.

"What exactly are you?" she asked. "What is an Observant anyway?"

"Exactly what it sounds like. Simple minded cowards who were too afraid what needed to be done," he replied bitterly. "I am so much more than what they could ever hope to be. And you have not answered me."

"I haven't failed yet. I can still take him out," she stated with a sigh. She better not push it. He sounded pissed enough as it was. "There was an unforeseen attack before I could get to him. I thought if I-"

"I know what you thought," he cut off. "And the only reason I'm not bringing you back for punishment is because you have opened a very opportune door for the cause."

"What are you talking about?" she asked as she looked over her shoulder at him, confusion in her eyes.

"The one who defeated you was Vlad Masters, correct?"

The mercenary's eyes snapped open. She didn't know why, but she had a very bad feeling about admitting to that. Still, it's not as if she could lie or anything.

"I'm pretty sure that's what he said his name was," she confessed.

"Excellent. You certainly did come through."

She looked at him confused, unsure why he was praising her.

"I don't understand," she said uncertainly. "I thought you were angry that I didn't take my shot when I had it."

"Oh, I am, but what you have done regardless of any intention of yours is fruitful," it explained. "A man like him is perfect for my plans. He has a strong desire in him, and it's pushed him to great lengths. His motivation for love is strong, and can be reaped for the greater good."

"So... what, do you want me to tell him about us?" she asked, honestly a little insulted. She had no desire to go to him after the crap he'd done to her. Still, this thing she was working for obviously had something planned. Any supposed soldier would help and despite her bitter feelings as being beaten, she wasn't above admitting he was pretty strong.

She wondered if it was because of his uniqueness. Was he so strong because he was both ghost and human? Or was he powerful simply just because he was powerful? Was Danny, who was the same as Vlad apparently, just as strong? Stronger? He had to be someone to reckon with if a god was worried about him.

"No," the Observant said. "Unfortunately, he is also very prideful. I could not simply go to him and offer him the power to achieve what he wants. He is the kind of human who needs to think they are in charge if they can be made to move. A manipulator if you will, much like the people you waged war for." He snorted. "Short sighted and vain, but not an impossible quality to deal with. We'll let him think he's coming to us of his own free will and he'll be more useful to the final goal."

"Final goal?" she asked in confusion.

"Never you mind," he said. "It's hardly a consideration for you at the moment. All you need to worry about is following your orders."

So this Observer had his eyes set on Vlad, but he wasn't going to outright seek him. She had to wonder if that had been planned from the beginning or if it had just been a good opportunity that came along. She guessed it hardly mattered. It had been obvious that man was interested in what was going on, even if he couldn't possibly understand all of it. Hell, she hardly understood any of this. Though, if he did somehow manage a way to worm into things, and she saw that as very likely actually, he was going to end up as one of that damn Observant's puppets. Just like Judas... and her.

She snorted. Good. That rich pompous ass of his deserved it, she was sure.

"So what are my orders now?" she asked. "Danny is with the other ghosts. One I saw before, but I don't know who the other was. It all happened pretty fast too. I didn't really see what was going on."

"Don't you worry about lack of details," the Observant said. "That ghost was called Clockwork, a very very powerful entity. He has been taken care of to an extent, but right now someone like you would have no chance against him. For the moment, Danny is unreachable through a straight attack."

"So what now?" she asked, assuming he had a plan.

"Subterfuge," it replied.

"Subterfuge?" she repeated back at the Observant, eyebrow arched. "What, you want me to go to him and pretend I've seen the light? He'd never believe that, not now."

"No, don't lie to him about that," he said. "Simply tell him that if he surrenders, his friend's lives will be spared. They're in their homes now, no idea of what's been happening."

"You want me to kidnap a couple of children?" she asked with a frown then shrugged. "Fine. Quick question though, those kids going to live if he surrenders?"

"He won't be the type to," the Observer explained. "He'll attempt a rescue, and during battle is when he'll be struck down."

"And his friends?"

"The loose ends will be tied up. I prefer my orders to remain neat."

She nodded.

"If that's what you want," she said with a shrug. "Will this save my city?"

"Why do ask questions that have such obvious answers?"

"I like to make sure."

"You service for your city. Danny Phantom's head is all I need to have you prove your sincerity. I do not care for my followers not being true to the faith."

"Uh huh," she replied. "So, where can I find these two bargaining chips?"

#---------#

"I don't see why we have to wait for him," Dan grumbled.

"Oh hush," Clockwork said as the two floated above Fenton works, waiting for Danny. He couldn't blame the boy for wanting to go back to his parents to assure them that he was fine. He and Dani certainly had panicked when they'd seen their family unconsciousness in the living room, and the young hero had insisted that Dan not be there when the family woke up. The ghost from the future had been less that pleased with having to wait around yet again, but Clockwork agreed with the boy. The last thing they needed was a hurried explanation about an evil version of their son from the future that was currently begrudgingly helping save the universe in a twisted sort of community service program.

He certainly didn't envy Danny his circumstances in life. For some reason the boy had an uncanny knack of attracting complications to him. It was as if he was a magnet for difficulties. Then again, that could be said of almost anyone who devoted their life to making life right. No good deed goes unpunished it would seem.

"What's taking them so long?" Dan growled out.

"Be patient," Clockwork sighed. "You're acting like a child."

Dan arched an eyebrow and looked at the ghost who was currently in the form of a little kid. Snorting, he went back to watching the house.

"They aren't going to be happy about him going off to fight a war," Dan observed.

"Funny coming from you," Clockwork noted. "Concerned?"

"They'll want to come along," Dan snorted. "They'll be worried and think he needs them to keep him safe."

"Perhaps."

"You aren't going to let them, are you?"

Clockwork gave him a look. There wasn't any kind of worry on his face. Instead, he seemed pissed off and the Time Master could only chuckle.

"You think they'll get in the way," he stated. It wasn't a question.

"Of course they will," Dan snapped. "Ghost hunters they may be, but they can't go up against something like what we're facing. I barely agree to letting the boy come and you-"

"Relax, they aren't coming," Clockwork said, cutting through what would quickly become a very long and annoying tirade if he let Dan get too far into it. "They are his parents, but at the same time, they know this kind of thing is something they have to let him go and do without them. He's growing up, and they can't be there all the time. Besides, Danny isn't the type to let the ones he cares about get too far into harm's way. He is going to insist on doing this on his own."

"How do you know?"

Clockwork chuckled.

"You were that young boy once. Surely you remember how often you ran off to save the day? If they had found out about you, don't you think you would have had this sort of conversation with them a few times? This isn't the first time he's had to leave. Actually, I applaud your parents. They're much more understanding of how life works than what most people would give them credit for."

"They aren't my parents," Dan said with a faint growl. "That isn't my family, and that isn't me down there dammit! My family died. They never found out."

"I realize that," Clockwork sighed. "But that doesn't mean that they aren't your flesh and blood. Who knows? Maybe someday they'll accept you too."

"I don't want to be accepted," Dan hissed. "I want my freedom, nothing else."

"Of course," the Time Master said, not giving the other ghost anything he could latch onto and bitch about next. He was actually getting a little irritated with this conversation anyway. It would be so much nicer if the violent and crude man could be silent for ten minutes and give Clockwork some peace and quiet.

He could understand the man's frustration, really he could. Dan was in a situation that he had no hope of controlling. As lost as Clockwork was in some of this, he knew Dan had to be even more in the dark about everything. For a man such as him, who had once been the strongest and most feared in his own world, to have no command over what was happening around him would of course be maddening. It was obvious that he needed to vent his feelings in order to deal with it. Still, that didn't mean that Clockwork wanted to listen to it, or felt like being on the receiving end.

"What's taking so long?" he asked again, as if wanting to start their whole conversation all over.

"I can always freeze you in time, so you don't have to wait," Clockwork offered. It hadn't been a threat, well... not really. Still, it accomplished what he'd desired. Dan said nothing more and Clockwork smiled at the peace.

#---------#

Maddie placed her cup of coffee down on the kitchen table. It had become a habit to make herself coffee when talking to Danny lately whenever he brought up ghosts. It had started shortly after she had first found out about his powers. He had disappeared in the middle of the night and she'd noticed her absence after she'd gone to wish him sweet dreams. She's rushed to the lab, gotten as much ghost hunting gear she could carry and was almost out the door before he'd flown in, a little tired but perfectly fine.

She'd wanted to cry and yell and forbid him from ever doing that to her again. Instead she led the boy into the kitchen, determined to talk things out with her maturing son. They'd sat together over coffee for hours, discussing an awkward but necessary conversation. It had actually become a little bit of a ritual for them whenever things came up that he had to take care of, and had to explain to his mother. Ghost hunting, private talks concerning Danielle, even things like how he planned to eventually balance ghost fighting and college and eventually a job.

It calmed her nerves somehow to have these normal rituals concerning the not so normal circumstances of her son's life. Sometimes she didn't understand why it was so strange to her. She and her husband had experience in the world of ghosts, were use to dealing with spectral beings and hunting them down. She accepted who son for who he was and no less.

Yet... she worried, constantly. She worried when he insisted on going out to fight with little to no back-up in order to protect his family. She worried there would be times when she wouldn't be able to help him. She worried one day her child may not come back to her.

This definitely seemed like a good time to worry too.

"Mom? Are you okay?"

Maddie looked up at her boy's concerned expression and sighed.

"It's just... a bit big," she said and looked to her husband that was quiet as well. "The thought that there are other people out there that are us. And there's someone trying to... destroy it all?"

"I'm not exactly sure what this person wants or what it's goals are," Danny admitted. "All I know is that Clockwork needs my help to stop this. Heck, I don't even know exactly whats going to happen or how long I'll even be gone. I'm so sorry for not telling everything that was going on earlier. I just..."

"You get worried," Maddie sighed. "We realize that."

"Danny, we're the parents," Jack said. "It's our job to look out for you and keep you safe, not the other way around."

"I know," Danny said. "I know. I just... don't want you to worry."

'Yet you worry about us all the time,' Maddie sighed mentally then shook her head. "I'll explain to Mr. Lancer you may be absent for a little while. Just please be careful, and if it's possible, try to inform us as things happen."

"Mom..."

"You're needed Danny," she said. "We understood that a long time ago."

"Mind you're mother and be careful Danny," Jack said and stood. "Actually, that Quill sounds rather interesting. I wonder if there's anything we can invent that works like that."

"Dad," Jazz said. "Ghosts are one thing, but can you please not try to create something that can affect life as we know it?"

Jack chuckled a little, thankfully realizing that for once maybe a crazy invention wasn't such a good idea.

"Well, don't worry son. You know we have every confidence in you," he said and grabbed the boy. "Come on, we'll get you situated with every piece of ghost fighting equipment we have!"

"Ack!" Danny choked as he was drug away quickly by a overenthusiastic Jack. "Dad, please!"

"Oh, don't worry Danny. No need to thank me."

Jazz sighed and slapped a hand to her face.

"Typical really," she muttered. "Decides to be sane for one moment and then he has to go overboard about something else mere seconds later." She stood up and followed the two out. "Guess I'll go save him from Dad."

Maddie looked over to Dani, who had stayed very quiet throughout the whole talk. She smiled lightly at the girl, but she didn't return it.

"I don't blame you for not telling us everything," she said reassuringly. "You only did what Danny asked you to do. And he was right. We would have worried..." She laughed softly. "And maybe over reacted."

"Yeah," Dani said softly. "That's not it though. I think I should go with him."

"I assumed you were," Maddie said, a little surprised. "We know what's going on now, and we can certainly handle any ghost problems while Danny and you are gone. We are professionals after all."

"He doesn't want me to," the girl said. "He thinks I'll get hurt. It's never been a problem before!"

Maddie smiled lightly at her outburst. This girl cared so much for Danny. It was painfully obvious the two were close, constantly feeling they need to protect each other from the whole world. It made them a good team, but it was also bound to bring these kind of situations up as well from time to time.

"I don't see any reason for you not to go along," she said. "Personally, I'd feel a lot better if I knew there was someone who he can rely on. You two have been a team since you came to live with us."

"Try telling that to Danny," she snorted.

"And here I thought you were stubborn enough to do what you wanted," Maddie teased, causing Dani to smile a little and flush a little in embarrassment.

"Guess I'm acting like a bit of a kid, huh?" she asked. "I mean, sulking like this."

"Yes, but you are one. It's understandable," Maddie replied and got up, walking around the table to hug the girl. "Danny worries about you, but he sometimes doesn't take into account that people worry and want to help him too. Go along with him. If anything else, it will make me feel better."

"He's not gonna like this," Dani said with a smile.

"Well, he's going to have to deal with it. Ghost boy or not, I'm still his mother. And I say you go."

Dani chuckled for a moment before frowning.

"I can't." she said. "Even if Danny didn't have a problem with it, I promised Clockwork. I have something I need to do here."

"Something?" Maddie asked.

"He's asked me to guard the book to this world," she stated. "He said he doesn't want it to fall in the wrong hands to be used against Danny. I promised I'd look after it for him."

She had agreed to watch the it. It would be pretty irresponsible to go along without at least checking with Clockwork first. After all, he had trusted her to literally protect the whole world. She'd hate to disappoint him so soon afterwards.

"Hm, I can see how that would be a problem," her aunt said.

"Well, I did promise him," Dani said with a sigh. "It's not there's not much I can do about it."

"Where is Clockwork anyway?" she asked suddenly. "You two said it was him that came for you after Skulker."

"Uh yeah," Dani said evasively. "He's just waiting for us, that's all. I think he had something he needed to check on."

"You know Jack and I would be happy to to watch it," she reassured her.

"No, that's okay Aunt Maddie," Danni said and shook her head. "It's not that I don't want to go, but I did promise to do this first. Danny can handle himself, and besides, he does have Sam and Tucker."

"Well, that's up to Sam and Tuckers parents," Maddie said, her voice suddenly a little cross. "Especially Sam's parents. You know how they feel about this."

"Yeah," Danni said. She hadn't met Mr. and Mrs. Manson many times, and she was happy for that. Chipper to a point it even freaked her out a little, they were actually pretty rude to Danny and her. They certainly didn't care much for their daughter running off to fight ghosts and they'd made their position on it clear. Not that it really stopped Sam from going off whenever she wanted to, but Dani supposed her aunt had to side with them, being a fellow parent and all that.

"Hey," Maddie said and laid a hand on her arm, "why don't we go down to the lab and check on Danny? He'll probably need to be going soon, and we really should see him off."

Dani nodded her head.

"Okay."

Making their way down to the lab, they weren't surprised to see a very enthusiastic looking Jack rummaging through several Fenton Works inventions, while Danny stood in the middle of the lab, already loaded down with several of them. Apparently Jazz had given up on trying to save her little brother, as she too looked like she was in danger of dropping the pile of electronics her father had forced upon her.

"What does he think you are, a mule or something?" she asked Danny. "You couldn't walk with all this stuff, much less fight off a whole legion of brainwashed ghosts."

"You think I don't know that Sis?" he asked back in a mutter. "Still, you have anymore luck talking sense into him?"

"Oh yeah right," she said before yet another Fenton Thermos was tossed onto her pile. "Ugh."
Maddie giggled softly at her husband's enthusiasm. It was so amazing how he had never changed from that sweet and eager young man she had known from so long ago.

Dani looked up at her aunt's swooned expression and rolled her eyes. Adults were so weird at times.

"I guess you'll be leaving soon, huh?" she asked as she went up to Danny.

"Just as soon as Dad is distracted enough to let me escape," he said back to him, looking just the slightest bit annoyed. His clone didn't buy it. She knew he was flattered by his parents being so eager to try to help him.

"Well, I thought I'd wish you good luck," she told him. "I-"

A sudden ringing cut her off and both the young halfas looked down at Danny's pocket.

"My cell," he muttered and rolled his eyes before simply dropping the pile. Aside from some loud clanking, the stuff wasn't damaged.

"Hmm? Is something wrong Danny?" Maddie asked when she noticed him grab his phone.

"It's Tucker," he said as he looked at the number. "I wonder why he's calling so late."

He flipped it open and put it to his ear. Actually, he was planning on grabbing them before he left with Clockwork anyway.

"Hey Tucker," he said. "What's up?"

"Daniel," a voice said over the phone. One that certainly wasn't Tucker's. "We need to talk."

"Wait, Angela?" he yelled. "What's going on? Why do you have Tucker's phone?"

"Actually, that's what we need to talk about," Angela said. "I've taken your friends, both of them. I'm not going to bother with the cliché 'If you want to see them alive you'll do as I say' bullshit either. Danny, you're in the way of my employer, and he wants you dead."

"So what, you plan to use them as hostages?" he asked angrily, ignoring the concerned looks of his family.

"Bait, actually," she replied. "The plan is to kill you when you come for them. He doesn't think you'll surrender."

"You're damn right I'm not going to surrender!" he yelled at her. "I'm going to get them back! I don't care what it takes!"

"I understand," she replied. "I wouldn't bother with trying to come after me in your realm though. I'll be gone long before you could find me. If you want them back, you're coming back to my world, to play the game by my rules."

"You think a home field advantage is going to help you? I'll still beat you."

"No. I think you facing a whole army will help me. Sorry Danny, but I'm not letting you go again. Do what I say, or throw their lives away. It's your choice."

He heard the phone get hung up and he barely resisted the urge to throw his own against the wall.

"She'll get it for this," he snarled. "Doing all this to help her city was one thing, but kidnapping Sam?"

"Danny, what's going on?" Jazz asked.

"The ghost I told you about, Angela," he explained quickly. "She got Sam and Tucker. She's using them as bait to force me to fight her!"

"What are you going to do?" Dani asked.

"The only thing I can do. I'm going to save them," he said, quickly changing to his ghost form. "Come on Dani!"

He grabbed her hand and pulling her after him, barely giving her time to shift as well before he flew out of the lab, ignoring the shocked calls of their family. She certainly couldn't blame him for being rushed though.

"Hey, wait," she said. "I thought you wanted me to stay here?"

"I'm going to need all the help I can get," he said. "I know I shouldn't ask you, but..."

"Hey, I'm not complaining," she said as they they left the house and approached the two ghosts.

"You certainly took your-"

"She's got Sam and Tucker!" Danny said quickly, interrupting Dan. "Angela took them back to her world to try to get to me. We have to go save them!"

Clockwork looked at him levelly for a moment before nodding his head.

"We'll take care of it," he said. "We need to get back to the Library first though. We may have found some information about what's been going on."

"But-"

"I promise we'll save them," the Time Master reassured him. "But rushing isn't going to help anyone, including yourself."

"We should go in knowing everything we can," Dani said. "This may just help us stop all this for good."

"Yeah," Danny said and nodded his head. "Yeah, you have a point."

"You coming along brat?" Dan asked looking at her. He was actually a bit curious about her anyway. Danny had said something about her not existing before he had come to the future, but aside from that, he didn't know much about her.

"I have a name you know," she said to him. "Call me Dani."

"How very original," he said teasingly.

"HEY!"

"When the siblings are done bickering with each other," Clockwork said crossly. Dani looked a little sheepish, and Dan just snorted. "That's better. Come on, we need to go."

He opened a portal for them, and Danny flew through it quickly, followed by Dan. Dani caught Clockwork's cloak though and looked up at him.

"Hey, is it okay for me to come along?" she asked. "I mean, what about the-"

The Time Master pressed a finger to her lips before she could say anything.

"I have a feeling we'll need you with us more," he said. "Is it hidden away?"

She nodded.

"No one knows where it is," she said. "I... I told Aunt Maddie I needed to watch over it, but that's it."

"It will do," he said with a nod. "You are right. Hopefully we'll simply be able to end this before it goes to far."

#---------#

"I SAID LET ME GO!" Sam screamed as she fought against her captors. She kicked and wrenched her arms as hard as she could, but the ghosts simply tossed her into her cell, a bruised looking Tucker landing roughly by her side a few moments later.

"Stop making such a fucking racket," Angela muttered as slammed the barred door shut, locking them in. "Just be glad you aren't dead yet."

"Gee, that makes me loads better," Tucker mumbled as Sam growled and stood up roughly.

"This isn't going to work," she said as she made her way over to the bars. She was careful not to touch them for the ecto energy coursing through them. "Danny isn't so weak to loose to a traitor like you!"

"I'm not going to get in a god damn shouting contest with you," Angela said flatly. "You're stuck in that fucking cell, and you aren't getting out."

Sam glared at the woman as she turned around.

"You really think he's gonna keep his word?" Sam shouted at her back. "You really think he's going to give mercy to your city after the way he's treated the rest of the planet? You show me one person who he's saved!"

Angela glared a her and Sam jumped back suddenly when a blast hit the bars, hissing angrily as the energy clashed. The woman lowered her hand and strode up to the bars.

"Shut the fuck up. You don't understand anything," she hissed. "You're nothing but a stupid little bitch who never had to live in a world like mine. A nice little mansion and well off parents that you should feel lucky I didn't kill just for the hell of it. All of your 'be better person' shit doesn't count in a place where you have no choice, and you won't know anything about having to salvage what's left of it. Now be fucking quiet and behave!"

Sam glared at the mercenary as she turned her back on her prisoners and ordered the other ghosts to keep their eyes on them. Angrily, she made her way back to Tucker, who was nursing a bleeding hand. She looked at him sympathetically.

"Are you going to be okay?" she asked. "It's not broken, is it?"

He shook his head.

"Just scratched up," he said. "Honestly, I'm more worried about Danny. Angela took my cell and my PDA. There's no way we can get in contact with him."

"You think your PDA could even send messages over worlds?" she asked. "I know you're good, but you aren't that good."

"Thanks for the vote of confidence," he said sarcastically.

"Just trying to be honest," she said with a shrug.

"You're worried aren't you?" he asked, to which she frowned and her shoulders slumped.

"Of course I am," she said. "I mean, I know he'll be fine, but I..."

"Hey," he said and laid an arm on her shoulder. "It'll be okay. Danny'll be fine, and the second we're both out of here, we'll help him get the Observant or whoever's behind this."

"Really think it's an Observant that's doing all of this?" she asked.

"I guess," he said with a shrug. "I mean, it was you that said it was, wasn't it? I mean, in a way."

She rolled her eyes. Oh yeah, like that made her feel better. She shook her head. However she felt for that woman really wasn't going to help them any by dwelling on it.

Pulling her knees up to her chest and crossing her arms over her knees, she looked out at the bars and sighed.

'Please be safe Danny,' she thought.

End of Chapter Ten

Whew. Glad I was finally able to get this done. I apologize for the lack of much more than character's just catching up on what was going on, but hey, the plot has to go somewhere. ^_^

I would like to thank everyone who has been reviewing and I ask you to keep it up. I love hearing from you guys, especially concerning what you think about the story. Reviews pump me up, and make me want to get the next chapter out even faster.