Tony was only out for a few seconds before his brain automatically rebooted and tried to wake him. He was still laying in the sand, back pressed against the wall in a way that should have been painful, but wasn't.

Steve was crouched over him, absolute chaos still churning around them. Tony smiled regardless, feeling carefree and bold with the drugs still coursing through him. "Hey." He stated with a dopy grin.

"Hey, yourself." Steve replied with a concerned frown. "Don't try to move yet." He commanded when Tony started to push himself back up.

Tony ignored him, hand reaching unsteadily for the wall as the ground moved under his feet. The flow of blood surged briefly as he stretched the skin of his back and he grimaced at the sticky sensation. He reached back to rub at it without though, but Steve caught his hand before he could.

"Hey." Steve said, voice commanding Tony to look at him. Their eyes met and Tony smiled again.

"Hey. "Tony repeated.

Steve's frown deepened and he reached up to press against the button on his com. "I need a medic in here, now." He commanded shortly.

Tony immediately focused on the word medic and shook his head. He looked around, mind catching up with the situation once more. He felt spacy and dazed, his mind like sand draining through spread fingers. Still, he tried focus, straightening and moving his grip from the wall to Steve's arm.

Steve couldn't grab him back, not without holstering his gun, which he wasn't yet prepared to do just yet. Still, he stepped closer, moving so that his arm was more directly under his hands and offered more support than it had initially. "I don't need a medic." Tony stated, sounding more like himself.

"You've lost a lot of blood." Steve insisted.

Tony shook his head stubbornly and began trying to move towards the door. Steve moved with him reluctantly, wanting him to remain still but unwilling to constrain him. "I want to walk out of here." He said simply.

And Steve couldn't argue with that desire. Had felt it before, himself, every time he'd survived something he hadn't thought he was going to. It was a primal urge, the need to carry oneself away from that which almost killed them, the need to prove that you survived and you were now free to walk away.

So they walked together, Tony feeling like his head was going to float away, and Steve concerned at how unsteady the other mans swaying steps were. Regardless, they made it to the main gates and exited into the flashing red and blue lights now surrounding the compound and lighting up the darkness of the night.

Steve steered him directly to a waiting ambulance and Tony went without further protest. He was seated on a gurney, EMTs surrounding him immediately, Steve pushed away and to the background.

"Oxygen is 73%." One announced, and a mask was pressed against his face a couple of seconds later. He ignored their buzzing, eyes still locked on the other man. As he laid there, he saw Danny join the group, moving to stand by Steves side. Tony was glad to see him, glad he'd be able to distract Steve from his worrying. As he lay there, his vision began blurring once more, and the last thing he saw was the lights coloring Steve's face as they flashed.

When he woke again, the sun was shining weakly through the window. He was laying in an uncomfortable bed, a cannula tucked into his nose and the horribly familiar feel of a hospital gown surrounding his otherwise naked form. Steve was seated in the chair beside his bed, head tilted awkwardly to the side, still wearing his gear from the night before, and arms crossed tightly across his chest, even his his sleep.

He had bags under his eyes, Tony noticed with a feeling of guilt rising in him. He wanted to wake him, to ask questions, but couldn't bring himself to disturb him. He pulled his eyes away instead, glancing around the rest of the room. It looked like every other hospital room he'd ever seen, sterile and generic.

He reached up to pull off the oxygen tube, not able to stand the blow of air up his nostrils for another minute. When he moved his arm, he felt the sharp tug of an IV set in the crook of his elbow. His eyes followed the multiple lines running up to the machine, four separate bags hanging from the pole.

His eyes felt heavy and gritty. He closed them to try and relive the ache and was asleep before he could open them again.

When he did finally open them again, the sun was shining brightly and the room was empty. He felt much more awake, and was much more aware of his body. He tensed immediately, body feeling achy and somehow uncomfortably tight. He could feel the lines of fire still burning on either arm, and he honestly couldn't tell if it had abated at all.

He couldn't feel pain from his back, but he could feel the pressure and pull of stitches in raw flesh taking up damn near half of its surface. He grimaced slightly, pushing himself up regardless and then searching blindly for the button to raise the head of his bead. When the cannula once again pulled, he was cognizant enough to look at the oxygen monitor beside his bed before simply yanking it off. When he saw the red numbers glowing '98,' he reached up to pull it off anyway.

Once he was sitting up, he could see that several bouquets (including one made of candy) and colorful balloons had been added to the room and lined the wall and windowsill. He smiled slightly at seeing it, though was confused as to how many was there.

The IV was still running in his arm and his call light was on the tray table beside his bed. He reached out and pressed the button silently and then tried to shift to try and make himself comfortable. Only a minute or so passed before the nurse was bustling into the room with a light knock on the open door.

"Agent DiNozzo." She said, smiling down at him. "My name is Jen and I'm your RN this afternoon. How are you feeling?"

"I'm feeling okay." He said, tone raspy.

She shot him a sympathetic look as she moved over to look at the screen of the IV. "Your doctors have been notified that you're awake. They should be here shortly and will be able to tell us whether or not you can have some water."

"Doctors?" He croaked painfully.

"Yes, Dr. Macintyre is your admitting hospitalist, and your pulmonologist, Dr. Pauahi, asked to be notified once you were awake as well."

Tony nodded slightly in acknowledgement. She moved on to listening to his lungs and check a few other things while he sat quietly and moved as directed. She was just preparing to leave the room again when a middle-aged man with sun tanned skin and greying hair walked into the room.

"Agent DiNozzo." The man greeted with a friendly half-smile. "My name is Gerald Macintyre, and I'm your attending physician for your stay with us here." He introduced himself, reaching out for a hand shake. Tony appreciated the gestures and took it readily.

"It's nice to meet you." He responded quietly, mustering a smile.

"Likewise." He man stated, moving over to the pitcher of ice water sitting across the room by the sink. He poured a small paper cup and brought it back over.

Tony accepted it gladly and sipped it in appreciation. "You've been through quite the ordeal." The man commented casually, reaching out to wrap a hand loosely around his wrist to feel for his pulse. "You were in pretty rough shape when they brought you in on Friday."

He realized immediately that the man said 'Friday,' and not 'yesterday.' As most would have. "Today's still Saturday, right?" He asked more easily thanks to the liquid, and was able to impart a bit humor into the question.

The man shook his head, eyes raising back up from his watch to meet Tony's gaze. "Today is Sunday. We kept you under light sedation yesterday but began weaning you off this morning. It is three o'clock now." Dr. Macintyre informed him calmly.

Tony's brow raised in surprise. "Why?" He asked automatically, not feeling he was injured badly enough to warrant that.

The man's eyes darted quickly down to his arms. "Are you hurting anywhere right now?" He questioned instead of answering the question.

Tony frowned at him, but answered regardless. "The cuts on my arms hurt a bit." He said grudgingly. "But other than that, it's just tightness and some achiness."

"On a scale of zero to ten, ten being the worst, what would you rate your pain right now?"

Tony shrugged slightly, immediately feeling the increased tightness and mentally telling himself he should probably avoid doing that for a while. "I don't know. A four, maybe?"

It was the doctors turn to frown at him. "The police were able to identify the substance used on the knife that left the wounds on your arms. All of the other victims who were exposed to the same chemical in the last two weeks are still experiencing significant to excruciating levels of pain." The man informed him, causing Tony's expression to turn slightly offended.

"I'm not a victim." He responded, voice cooler. "And it's not that bad. Is that why I was kept under sedation?"

"Yes, well, most of those exposed to his chemical are still sedated." The man said, not pressing any further. "Pain medicine is ineffective against it, and in most cases, it's better to allow those exposed to try and sleep through it. Unfortunately, your medical history is a bit more complicated than most, and you are at a much higher risk of complications resulting from deep or extended sedation."

The bedridden man nodded in understanding, though to him that didn't sound unfortunate. He wouldn't have wanted to be kept sedated, so he was a little glad his lungs made it impossible. The pain was just pain, it was always bearable.

"But your vitals have stabilized. We transfused three units of blood yesterday, and your lab values are back to normal. Your stitches all look good, and don't show any sign of infection. Your chest x-ray is a little concerning, but Dr. Pauahi will discuss that more in depth with you when he arrives." Tony nodded again. All in all, it didn't sound too bad. "You're definitely staying again tonight, and we're going to get you in for a Chest CT tomorrow. We'll go from there. Any questions at this point?" He offered, stepping back, with his hands clasped loosely in front of himself.

"Can I eat?" Tony asked with a crooked smile, though in truth he didn't really have an appetite. Still, it got a light laugh from the doctor, so it served its purpose.

"Yes, you can eat up until midnight, tonight. I'll have the nurse bring you a menu. Anything else?" Tony shook his head slowly, knowing he'd get a lot more information when the other doctor came in. "Alright, then you get some rest and I'll be back to see you tomorrow after your test."

"Thanks Doc." Tony replied. As the man was leaving the room, Steve was entering. Tony's attention was immediately drawn to the man. He'd clearly just showered and was wearing a fresh pair of tan cargo pants and plain black tee. He was also carrying Tony's familiar duffle bag in his hand. "Hey." Tony smiled, a little cautiously at the severe look still on his face.

"Hey." The man responded, walking up to the bed and leaning over to press a kiss to his forehead. It lingered for several seconds before he pulled back. Once he did, he set the bag down in the chair beside the bed and crossed his arms, looking down at his bedridden partner sternly.

Tony pulled himself more upright, automatically steeling himself for whatever was coming next. Steves blank expression faded to concern for a second when Tony grimaced, but held himself still. "I'm glad you're okay." Steve finally said once Tony stopped wiggling himself up in bed.

"What happened?" Tony asked in response, fidgeting with the edge of the covers.

"The ring was dismantled. At least for now." Steve reported calmly. "We made 987 arrests, and were able to free thirty-two prisoners, along with eight endangered animals that were being kept."

Tony shook his head slightly. "They said there were thirty-seven prisoners." He stated quietly.

"We also recovered five bodies." Tony swallowed, but tilted his head in acknowledgement.

"How are they doing?" He asked next.

"It varies. Some are better than others. Some are still sedated." Tony nodded again. "How are you doing?" Steve asked in return.

Tony shrugged, feeling the pull on his back again and silently berating himself for repeating the uncomfortable movement. "I'm okay." He said simply, hoping he'd leave it at that.

Steve's lips curled slightly, but it wasn't a smile that Tony could see. He shook his head and asked, "Are we still doing this?" Tony's eyes dropped, breaking their locked gaze. "You said we needed to have a conversation once the case was over. Case is over." Steve continued.

Tony looked back up at him, and could see the slight waver in Steves stance, like he wasn't sure if it was a good idea to press just then or not. He didn't back down though, waiting silently and stilly for Tony to respond. He observed the other man for a long moment before nodding. He still felt a little loopy and detached, but maybe that would make it easier to get through the upcoming conversation.

He drew his legs closer to himself, happy that they, at least, weren't bothering him, and patted the space left behind. He didn't think Steve was going to move at first, but after a pause he stepped forward and sat gingerly on the edge of the bed. "You were right." Tony started with, hoping it would lighten the other man up a little bit. He couldn't tell if it worked or not. "I was avoiding you this week, but it wasn't because of anything you did." He paused to clear his throat and take another little sip of water.

Steve's expression didn't change. "I, uh, well, um, about three years after I started at NCIS, we had a letter delivered that was just addressed to 'NCIS Special Agent.'" He paused, eyes darting up to meet Steves quickly before dropping back down. "I opened it, and it was, uh, filled with white powder…"

Steves expression curled into a small frown of concern, but he didn't interrupt. "It turned out to be a strain of genetically modified pneumonic plague, with a suicide chain built in. I survived it, obviously," His eyes darted up again. "but it damaged my lungs pretty bad by the end. I'm fine now, usually, um, but I can be more susceptible to certain things…" He tried to put his thoughts into order, wanting to explain properly, to make this strain between them go away. It was hard though, he just felt strained, exposed and uncomfortable, and he was having a hard time focusing.

It turned out Steve was going to continue for him. "Things like volcanic fumes." He stated, voice cool. "That's why you stopped to read that sign at the park." His voice was rising the slightest bit, anger beginning to build. "You knew you shouldn't be there, and you didn't say anything."

"It wasn't like that." Tony defended himself, though his tone remained slightly subdued. "I've felt great since I've been on the island. I'm in better shape than I have been since college. I didn't think it would matter." His honesty was audible in his voice, but Steve still didn't soften.

"But you knew there was still risk enough that it made you hesitate." He shook his head. "So, what happened?" He demanded.

Tony's eyes dropped again. "I started to get a cough. It's how it always starts when I get sick. I was hoping it would go away on its own after a few days. When it didn't, I went to the doctor. He said I have Chemical Pneumonia. -What?" He broke off and asked at the look of realization on Steves face.

Steve shook his head, crooked smile on his face, though he didn't look happy. "I thought you'd been drinking more than usual. Just makes sense now." Tony's eyes dropped again. He didn't think Steve had noticed, but alcohol was a natural cough suppressant. He'd been drinking more scotch when he'd been around Steve so that it would help dampen the need to cough.

"Look," Tony spoke up, voice taking on a defensive note, though he remained subdued. "I just, I didn't want you to know I was sick."

"Why not?!" Steve demanded, pushing himself back to his feet and pacing around to stand at the foot of the bed, creating more space in between them. "What would be so wrong with me knowing you're sick? Why would you even hide something like that?" He continued, voice incredulous and pressing.

"Because I didn't want you to treat me any different!" Tony finally exclaimed, starting to get worked up for real. He was Italian, after all, and they weren't exactly known for keeping an even temper.

"What?"

"Look, all's anyone had done since it happened has told me what I can't or shouldn't do. Okay?" His voice was angry and coated with bitterness. "I'm sick of hearing it. I don't want it to be what you're thinking about every time we go for a run or a hike. I know what I'm capable of. I don't- I can't." He broke off, fuming and trying to bring himself under control. He took a deep breath and forced himself to continue. "I wouldn't be able to be with someone that treated me like I'm handicapped or incapable, just because my lungs are a little scared up. Okay?" He demanded again, willing the other man to understand where he was coming from. "I can't have you be another one of those people in my life. So no, I didn't tell you I was sick, and yes, I was avoiding you for a few days. But-" He cut off his rant, feeling a little foolish and off kilter.

He glared down at the bed, deciding then that no, it wasn't a good idea to do this on drugs, because he definitely wasn't focused enough to have a conversation that could essentially change his life if it went wrong. It deserved his full attention, and he wished they could just rewind and do this all later. Because he wasn't looking up, he didn't see Steves shoulders drop or his expression to soften slightly as the man observed his despondent tone and posture.

He did hear the sound of his door opening again, and he glanced towards it to see a familiar face entering the room, already frowning at him. "Dr. Pauahi." He greeted, attempting a welcoming tone, but sounding more tired than anything. "This is my partner, Steve McGarrett. Steve, this is my pulmonologist."

"Commander," He nodded at Steve, clearly knowing who he was already. Steve nodded silently in return. "If you could excuse us for a few minutes, I need to evaluate my patient."

Steve looked back at Tony, not wanting to leave the room, but knowing it was ultimately the other mans decision. Tony met his eyes, looking unsure. "He can stay, if he wants to." He offered quietly.

Steve nodded, moving to stand in the corner so he was out of the way, arms crossed and face blank. "Very well." Dr. Pauahi stated, beginning by bringing his stethoscope to his ears. The whole thing took a good ten minutes before the physician stood back with his hands clasped in front of him loosely. "I was informed you were unable to start your antibiotic regiment prior to your abduction?" He questioned lightly.

Tony shook his head. "I filled it," He replied, "but never had a chance to take it out of the bag."

"I told you that you shouldn't be working in your condition." The doctor continued, sounding slightly scolding.

"And I told you that we were in the middle of a case." Tony stated stubbornly. The doctor shook his head at him with a frown before continuing.

"At some point during your captivity, you were injected with a fluoroquinolone antibiotic. There are still traces of it in your blood. It was likely given to prevent infection setting into your wounds, but in your case the massive dose was enough to prevent your lungs from worsening. They actually sound a little better than they did when I last saw you." He admitted grudgingly.

"I thought that was just the pain medicine." Tony joked, trying to sound normal. He'd noticed it felt easier to breath, but hadn't really had the time to give it much thought since waking.

"That probably doesn't hurt." The doctor agreed, smiling at him slightly for the first time since their introduction. "We're still going to get a CT of your chest tomorrow, and start you on a ten-day regiment of broad spectrum antibiotics. If everything goes well, we'll probably discharge you tomorrow night. I still want to see you for your follow up on Tuesday, and then after you finish the treatment. Sound fair?" He asked when he finished.

Tony nodded, somewhat grudgingly. "Alright. Get some rest, and I'll be back to see you tomorrow afternoon."

"Thanks, Doc." Tony stated as the man took his leave. The two men were left alone once again, and Tony turned his attention back to the man once the door had closed again.

Steve wandered slowly back over to the bed, and reclaimed his seat on the edge, propping himself up with one foot on the chair still holding the duffle bag. "Okay, listen," Steve spoke up, voice rumbly and quiet. "I know you, Tony. We might not have talked for a few years, but I know you. It doesn't matter to me if your lungs are messed up. I know how strong you are, how capable. I will never doubt you, or tell you that you can't do something, because I don't believe it myself. You can do anything you put your mind to. You've proven that a hundred times before."

Tony face crumbled the tiniest bit before he got it back under control. "You mean that?" He asked.

"Yes, I do. But that doesn't mean you should take stupid risks or that you can hide it from me. You gotta be honest with me, babe. This isn't gonna work if we're keeping secrets from each other. If I knew about this before the trip, and you told me you were good, I would have taken your word for it. And when you got sick-" He broke off, leaning back slightly and shaking his head. "you should have told me instead of avoiding me."

"You're right." Tony agreed, immediately. "I know I needed to tell you, I just, I wasn't expecting it to be as bad as it was, not with how good I felt. I'm sorry. I promise, no more secrets."

Steve studied him for a long moment and then leaned forward to wrap a hand lightly around the other mans neck. He pressed their lips together softly, and Tony returned the kiss with feeling. Steve scooted closer on the bed, and they stayed that way for several minutes, reveling in the closeness they'd been deprived of since the whole thing started.

When Danny, accompanied by Grace, arrived an hour later, Tony had gotten dressed in the pair of sweat pants and his well-worn Ohio State Buckeyes sweatshirt that Steve had thoughtfully brought him. It probably wasn't cold enough for it, but it was soft and comfortable. He'd also put on the pair of dog tags that had been silently added to the bag and that went unmentioned. When they'd been together before, Tony had always worn Steves tags, or kept them on him in some way.

Because of the nature of their assignments, the SEAL teams were actually unable to wear anything identifying, and so even though they were issued Tags, they never wore them. Tony had liked wearing them when Steve was deployed (which was nearly always), because they made him feel more connected to the other man, as silly as it may have been. Steve also enjoyed seeing Tony in them, it appealing to his inner possessive caveman, and so both had taken pleasure in the habit.

When they'd broken up, Tony had shipped them back to the island, with a few other odds and ends of things he didn't want to keep and couldn't just toss out. Feeling them rest, once again, against the bare flesh under his shirt felt right in a way he couldn't put into words. The expression that had flashed over Steve's face when he'd pulled the chain silently over his head clearly showed his own satisfaction, and filled Tony's stomach with warmth.

They'd sat the head of the bed all the way up and sat, side by side, atop the covers watching the game of the smallish TV mounted to the opposite wall. The IV was still in his arm, right sleeve pushed up above his elbow, but he'd otherwise been disconnected from all the tubes and hoses. He'd also ordered some food, but it sat abandoned and barely touched off to the side of the bed.

Grace was carrying a bright, floral, 'Get Well Soon' balloon, and Tony was pleased when she scurried right up to the bed to hand it to him. "I'm sorry you got hurt!" She professed as he took it.

He smiled down at her. "Thank you." He replied softly.

She began chattering away happily as Danny wandered over to them, hands tucked into his pocket. He nodded at Tony, a smile on his lips, and clear respect in his expression. The four weren't alone for long before the others began trickling in. His own team filed in to see him, baring a small planted fern-like, get well basket. They didn't stay long, but Tony was touched they'd come by all the same. They hadn't been working together for long, after all, but it was still more of a gesture than his coworkers had made for him in the past.

Kamekona and Flippa were the last to arrive, but came bearing bags of delicious smelling food. Tony immediately perked up at the scent, stomach rumbling. He and Steve were each handed a Styrofoam container, which they set on the dinner tray Danny helpfully cleared of the forgotten hospital fare and brought over to them.

The room was probably louder than it should have been, considering they were in a hospital, but with as many people were stuffed in the small room, it was kind of inevitable. Because it was so loud, and Tony and Steve's attention were both on Danny as he regaled them with a story from his days in Jersey, they didn't really notice the door opening and two more people joining them. At least not until the room started to quiet and it drew their attention.

Malachi and Liat made their way up to the side of the bed, looking as fresh and put together as they always did. Malachi was wearing a lavender shirt with the top two buttons open under his normal black suit, despite the heat, and Liat a thin long-sleeve shirt and black cargo pants. He smiled up at them, having been filled in on their assistance with the takedown. "Sorry to interrupt." Malachi said as the came to a stop, voice droll.

"Hey, not problem at all. Wasn't sure if I'd see you before you left or not." Tony said in greeting. "How's your agent?"

"He is well." Malachi answered easily. "We will be departing for Israel this afternoon. He is happy to be going home."

"That's great!" Tony exclaimed. He glanced around the room, noticing the still way everyone was holding themselves. He shook it off, Malachi's personality could be a lot for most people to deal with, Tony wasn't surprised no one else was joining in greeting the pair. "I'd uh, offer you some food, but-" He shrugged with a crooked smile, knowing full well neither of them would eat shrimp.

Malachi's lips curled into a small smile. "No need, we are not staying. We simply wanted to wish you farewell before we depart. I am disappointed we did not get to work together this time, though watching you fight was quite impressive."

Some may have gotten upset at the bluntness of the statement, but Tony understood what he meant and knew Malachi wasn't mocking his captivity. He ignored the jolt of nausea that spiked through his stomach as the image of Nathan's throat being slashed flashed behind his eyes and smiled instead of grimacing. "I appreciate you working with the teams anyway. I owe you one."

Malachi waved off the statement with a casual motion of his hand. "Twz no hardship." That was high praise, coming from the man, and Tony smiled at hearing it. Steve nodded his own head beside him, agreeing with the statement. Despite the somewhat rocky start they'd gotten off to, Tony knew that the Mossad agents had earned Steves appreciation and respect over the course of the operation. He didn't necessarily like the other them, but he knew Tony did he respected that.

"Well, thank you all the same."

"You are very welcome, my friend. I am glad you are well."

"Well, I got a pretty cool scar out of the deal." Tony joked, rotating his shoulder slightly and feeling the tug of new stitches across a huge swatch of his back.

"That you did. Well, we will not keep you. You really should come to Israel. You would enjoy it very much." Malachi reached a hand out, which Tony grasped automatically in return.

"I'll try." He promised.

Liat stepped closer once Malachi pulled away. She leaned down and pressed her lips against his cheek. "Yes, come to Israel. We will show you a very good time." Her accent was as thick as ever, and pitched to be seductive. Malachi watched the exchange carelessly, though Tony felt Steve bristle beside him at the clear invitation.

Tony smiled at her, though it lacked any flirtation in return. He'd grown use to the behavior from both of the Mossad women he'd been in extended contact with, and had come to expect it in some manner or other. He didn't take it seriously, though he knew she probably would sleep with him if he truly tried. He knew she and Malachi were far from exclusive, and even occasionally took a third partner to one or the others bed. When one lived as dangerous of a life as they did, they took pleasure when and where they could find it, and never took a day for granted.

"Shalom." He said simply, instead of reacting directly to the statement.

Malachi nodded to him and repeated the phrase, followed by Liat. The two took their leave, as silently as they had arrived, and it took several seconds for conversation to start up again. Once it did, and Tony had finished his food, he settled more deeply into the bed, coming to rest slightly pressed against Steve. He pulled his right leg, the one on the outside of the bed, up and rested his elbow against it comfortably. His hand came to rest naturally over the now warm metal hidden beneath the fabric.

He felt warm and comfortable, and he wasn't sure if the slightly dazed feeling was from the medicine, or from his own contentment, but as he listened to Danny and Kono loudly debate one football team over another, Grace piping up with her own comments every few seconds, he felt happier than he had in a long time. These people, this group, who had been strangers to him just a few months before, had become more of a family to him than he'd had since the early days at NCIS. He was so, so glad he'd boarded that plane, that he'd come back to the one place that he'd always loved being. He'd come home, and that made all of the residual anger and bitterness, all the discomfort, and even the lines of fire still scored across him arms, seem so much less significant.

~* END *~

A/N: This is it folks. I hope it met all of your expectations! Thank you so much for sticking with this series, and for all of the comments. Special thanks to those of you that commented on every story and every chapter. I recognized you and looked forward to hearing your thoughts on each new installment.

As you can probably tell by the length it took me to get this last chapter out, I'm definitely losing steam on this. I may come back and post more in the future, but for now you can consider this series completed. Still, I'm pretty proud of it- over 74,000 words in just under two months! Thank you all so much for reading!