Hello everyone! Long time no see!
As some of you will probably be aware, I was in Vietnam working for a charity teaching English in a University for 12 months. I'm afraid that is why I wasn't able to update in a while...I had no access to word, limited access to the internet and very little time to spare. However, I will not abandon this story. Thank you all for sticking with it and I hope to continue posting, even if the wait between this update and the last was unforgivably long….I will update more often!
I hoped that when I got back I would be able to continue updating, but I ended up catching a mysterious virus in Viet Nam that has laid me low for the last few months, and have moved to another country to study…then my brand spanking new laptop decided to blow up on me (literally blow up, lol) and I've been without a computer since December. A friend is away this weekend and I'm stealing his computer to finally give you the update you've been waiting so long for – enjoy!!
Maybe I did something in a past life to deserve this bad luck!!! Lol
I've continued writing the story while away so I have up to Chapter 16 fully drafted – just need to be edited, typed and posted.
Also, Aftermath will be update soon too so keep an eye out for it!! Chapter 13 of Job Interview should be within the next month but is unlikely to be any sooner –sorry! To compensate, I've made this chapter fairly long so hope you like it!!
Because it's been such a long time since this story was updated I recommend rereading all of the previous chapters (even I have done this as the author, although I've resisted the desire to re edit preceding chapters). However, for those who haven't – here's a summary:
Story so far:
Relena starts working for Heero's company after a desperate search for a job to support her son, Josh. In the meantime, one of Heero's business partners, Duo, is negotiating with Winner Corporations, their biggest competitor. In the course of the negotiations he salvages the lost deal between the companies by informing Quatre Winner that Heero has a family…even though that family doesn't exist. With no time to think of other options, Relena and Josh are drafted in to act as Heero's family for the duration of the Winners' visit…. but how much of the relationship between Heero and Relena is real and how much of it is just an act for the purposes of sealing the business deal? And what effect will the situation have on Josh? The last chapter ended with Heero, Relena, Duo, Hilde and Josh taking Dorothy and Quatre out to dinner on the second day of their stay.
Dorothy half-fell into the back seat of the car, laughing, and pulling Quatre along with her. Relena passed Josh to Dorothy and ensured he was tightly belted in before climbing into the passenger seat and sliding the seat forward to give Quatre some room. Heero was still outside, thanking the restaurant staff and talking to Duo. Hilde stood alone, off to one side.
Relena undid her belt and got out of the car again,
"Can you get home okay?"
Hilde looked up and smiled, "Yes, of course, I'll be fine"
"Are you getting a taxi?"
Hilde considered Relena for a second and sighed.
"Nope, the bus should be fine for me… you know I can't afford to waste money on a taxi!"
Relena blushed in embarrassment,
"I'm sorry. That's not what I meant…I just thought it would be too late to get a bus…"
Hilde took pity on her and softened her tone, "It's okay…don't worry about it"
"I'm sorry Hilde. I feel like I've left you to deal with a lot of things on your own, but even if it seems like it, I haven't forgotten my old life. This will all be over in a few weeks anyway…and at least we won't have to worry about money for a while"
Relena's voice trailed off and she looked down so the shadows hid her expression. Hilde touched her shoulder,
"We'll see…. anyway, don't worry. I'm doing fine on my own."
They embraced to say goodbye.
"Thanks for coming tonight…see you soon!"
"Bye!"
The journey home was conducted in the contented silence of a group of people who have eaten well and are ready to sleep. Quatre sat a little stiffly, afraid to move for fear of disturbing Josh who had fallen asleep against his arm. Dorothy watched the scene with undeniable longing in her eyes, barely even noticing the car drawing to a standstill.
"Do you want to carry him upstairs?"
Relena was leaning across, her blue eyes bright and sympathetic in the darkness.
"You can take him inside if you want"
Dorothy paused for a second; then dragged her eyes away from Josh, shaking her head furiously.
"No…no, thank you"
"Okay", Relena didn't push it any further, simply lifting Josh and going ahead of the Winner couple into the house. Quatre climbed out of the car and held his hand out to Dorothy; instead of taking it she flung both her arms around him, unable to calm the trembling in her limbs. In turn he wrapped her in a tight hug.
"Ssh, ssh…it's okay"
They stood in the circle of a streetlamp as silence washed around them. Heero took the car on into the garage without a word…somehow he understood that words would be meaningless in face of their pain.
Josh stirred and screwed his face up against the light.
"Where's Daddy?" his voice was petulant, the whine of an extremely tired child.
"Ssh. He's just downstairs…he'll be here soon" Relena whispered as she untied Josh's shoes and removed his socks.
"I want him now!" His voice rose and Relena shushed him with her finger across his lips.
"Just a minute…don't worry"
Heero entered the room as if he'd been cued and sat on the opposite side of the bed to Relena to kiss Josh goodnight.
"Night, night"
"Night Daddy"
"Night, night baby. Sleep well"
"Night, night Mummy"
Relena pulled the blankets over him as he lay down with a huge yawn. Almost immediately his head hit the pillow his breathing slowed. He was instantly asleep…she leant over to kiss him on the forehead once again.
Hero paused in the doorway as he was leaving,
"Are you coming to bed?"
Relena didn't even look up.
"Soon. I think I'll just sit with Josh for a little bit"
Heero nodded and Relena heard him retreating across the hallway and the soft sound of their bedroom door opening and closing once again.
Relena frowned down at her son,
"Oh, Josh. What have we gotten ourselves into?"
Earlier, she had thought that having a father for a short time would be better than having no father at all for Josh…. but now she wasn't so sure. Josh had already become extremely fond of Heero – what would it do to him to take Heero out of his life? What reason could she give him for why he didn't have a father all the time like most of the other kids…what reason could she give him for leaving Heero after they had become a family? How could she make sure he wasn't hurt by the entire stupid situation?
She leant over once again, "I love you"
Pulling the door across to stop light shining in, Relena eventually went to bed.
Dorothy was standing at the top of the stairs watching everything as Heero and Relena said goodnight to Josh. She couldn't see Relena's face when she sat on the bed but she could tell from her expression as she left the bedroom that there was something troubling her. Dorothy took a deep breath, still feeling a little shaky.
Watching Heero and Relena together with Josh gave her an indescribable ache in her chest…. a longing for and a fear that she would never have the happiness of a family like theirs.
She observed Josh for a while as he slept; one arm already escaping the confines of his duvet, thrown out with careless abandon. His soft breathing made the room a peaceful sanctuary…quietly; Dorothy retreated and slipped silently into the room she and Quatre shared.
He looked up guardedly, meeting her eyes in the mirror, and then his face relaxed into a fond smile. That quickly changed once again to a concerned frown as he caught sight of the unshed tears in her eyes.
"What's wrong?"
He stood up and came towards her, his tie still dangling undone around his neck. Dorothy shook her head.
"Nothing…just watching them with Josh"
Quatre nodded in sympathy and touched his wife on the arm.
"Yes, they seem so happy together"
Dorothy began to nod and then paused.
"But, Quatre, don't you think there's something a little odd about their relationship?"
Quatre frowned, "What do you mean?"
"I mean, they've been married for longer than us…and it's obvious how much they both love Josh…but they're almost awkward around each other"
Quatre nodded slowly, "I understand what you mean…. that's true…maybe they're just shy about showing affection in public?"
Dorothy shrugged in reply, "Maybe"
Two doors down awkwardness was present like a third person in Heero and Relena's room. They moved around the room, getting ready for bed in silence, save for quiet apologies when they got in each other's way. The presence of Quatre and Dorothy in the house was like a weight, making every little word or gesture take on a heavy significance.
"Heero"
He turned towards Relena slowly, almost regretful of the broken silence.
"Do you think they believe us?"
He turned away again before she could see the doubt in his eyes.
"I think so…..they don't have any reason no to believe us"
Relena nodded slowly, "Maybe you're right….but still…I feel like they know we're not being entirely sincere…like they can sense that we're hiding something"
"Everyone has secrets – how could they guess what our secret is? Even if we were a real family we wouldn't have to bare everything to them."
He turned off the main room light and there was a moment of darkness while he crossed the room and flicked the switch for the bedside lamp. In that moment, he missed the expression crossing Relena's face. When she remained silent as he slid into bed, Heero shot her a puzzled glance, searching for what she might be feeling in every line of her body.
"I guess the thing that we all have to remember in this situation is that no matter how much we pretend to be a real family, we're not and all of this is simply a deception constructed for the purposes of a business deal…"
Her voice betrayed more emotion than her carefully-controlled expression, and Heero knew he had to say something.
"Relena…"
She turned away from him and lay down to sleep. Heero struggled to find the words to express something that he himself remained confused about. Relena spoke before he had managed to string a sensible sentence together.
"I just wish I could tell Josh not to believe in this deception…but I can't…because this lie is the closest thing he's had to a real family"
"Relena…"
"Goodnight Heero"
She cut him off, still obviously upset and he turned off the bedside lamp, letting darkness refill the room with silence. They didn't speak to each other again, though both lay sleepless, staring at the blank ceiling long into the night.
Heero didn't ask, but he could tell Relena was thinking the same thing as him: Was a business deal worth toying with everyone's emotions? Building a friendship with Quatre and Dorothy, based on a falsehood…ignoring the confusion between the two of them, the false couple…creating a home for Josh only to tear it away…was it all worth it? And if it wasn't, what other options did they have?
Heero glanced at watch as sleep continued to elude him.
Still only Day 2 of the Winner's week-long stay…and doubt was gnawing at him as never before.
Everyone slept in the next morning, and Relena was still heavy-eyed as she wandered downstairs to make breakfast. It had been hours until she could get to sleep the night before, with Heero's wakefulness adding to her own.
She felt irrationally angry at him for involving her in his deception and for being prepared to go to such lengths for his business. True, she had chosen to help him and in doing so had metaphorically signed her own death warrant. If she had only said no then she would still be living with Hilde, struggling to pay her bills but content.
However, if she had said no, she would never had come to know Heero the way she did now…even if everything he said or did was designed to create an image for the Winner's benefit, it was still a different side of him to the rather severe man who chaired the company. If only she knew how much of what he said was sincere, perhaps she could reassure herself that she wasn't falling for someone who didn't care at all for her…perhaps she wouldn't feel like such an idiot for wanting what they had together to be real. Not only for herself, but for Josh…and even for Heero; none of them had ever known a real family. Her foster parents had been kind but she had always felt that the knowledge of her being adopted created an unbridgeable gap between them, Heero had been brought up in an orphanage and Josh was starting to question the fact that all of the other kids he met seemed to have fathers.
Relena looked up, startled as Quatre entered the kitchen. She hadn't really spoken to him very much as he had mainly been with Heero, while she spent time with Dorothy. He looked quite wide awake, although sleep still lurked in the corner of his eyes and his hair was uncombed. He smiled when he saw her.
"Good morning"
"Morning. Did you sleep okay?"
"Fine, thank you, we were very comfortable. I'm sorry we slept so long this morning; I think we're both still a little tired from the journey here"
Relena shook her head, "Don't worry about it. Heero thought you might need some time to recover so he hasn't timetabled anything for today. He's gone to the office already, but he should be back shortly. Oh, and he said that he's organised for a hired car to be sent if you and Dorothy decide you'd like to go anywhere this afternoon or at any point during the week. Of course, we'd be happy to accompany you if you so desire, but we wanted you to have some measure of freedom!"
Quatre laughed softly, "Thank you for your consideration- it's very much appreciated! I'll ask Dorothy what she would like to do, and let her decide."
"How is she this morning?"
"A little tired; she still tires quite easily, since her illness. Would it be alright if I took some things up to her?"
"Yes, yes, of course. What would you like?"
Relena showed Quatre around the kitchen, telling him to take anything he was in need of.
"Please treat this like your own home, and don't hesitate to ask if you can't find something!"
Quatre nodded, "Thank you" before returning upstairs bearing a tray laden with breakfast items.
Relena sank down at the kitchen table again, suddenly exhausted. How could she keep up this façade for any longer? Only Day 3 and she was praying for the days to go faster…less than a week and it would all be over.
It gave her a strange feeling thinking of it like that: it was like a dramatic production with months of rehearsals, set creation and prop acquisition before a bare few nights of performance.
She strode to the back door and flung it open, feeling stifled by the house and her formality in playing the role as Heero's wife. The cold air hit her lungs and she immediately felt better, more clear-headed and calm. She pushed the confusing thoughts to the back of her head: less than a week and it would all be over…less than a week until Heero was just her boss again…less than a week until it would all be over. Looked at that way she both wanted it to be over and for her fantasy family to continue, but it was impossible to have both. Taking another deep breath of the cleansing air she stepped back into her cage and closed the door.
Heero's office felt deserted and desolate when he stepped into it. Only a day since he had last been there but it felt like a lifetime. The time before and after the Winner's arrived was clearly demarcated in his mind.
Ignoring the papers scattered across his usually-tidy desk, he stepped straight across to the window and peered out at the car park, the motorway and beyond to the mountains and the clouds hanging heavy with unspent rain in the sky. He hated grey days like this, and longed for the clouds to burst and the rain to fall. The world always seemed so fresh and clean after the rain, everything smelling refreshed and gleaming in the sunshine that often followed.
He sighed and sat down at his desk, back to the window, and picked up the top document in his inbox. He scanned it without registering anything on the page; he couldn't work like this. He spun to face the window once again, the sheet dangling forgotten from his limp fingers.
Restlessness filled him; made worse by the hermetic stillness of his office…he needed distraction from his thoughts. Duo, Trowa and Wufei were all meant to come to see him, but he couldn't bear to wait for a moment longer as his mind filled the silence with unwelcome questions. He flung the sheet to the desk once more, careless of where it landed, and strode out of the office, barking an order at Doris to tell the others to come and find him. He didn't care if she thought him rude, and even the thought that he should have to consider her feelings irritated him.
He met no-one in the corridors as very few people were in work, and he was thankful to remember that it was a Sunday. The gym was completely empty so Heero quickly changed and started his weights circuit with furious concentration.
Only Day 3 of this entire ordeal.
Duo and Trowa found each other before they found Heero, and correctly interpreted his cryptic message to track him down in the gym.
Trowa frowned at the sky as they stepped outside and hastened his pace slightly – he had no wish to get caught in the rain.
"How do you think it's been going?"
Duo half-nodded, half-shrugged, "Well, I know I've seen them more than you but that's still not a lot. It seemed to be going fine to me and Heero appeared to be handling it quite well"
"What about Relena…and Josh?" Trowa feigned indifference in his question, but something about his tone of voice suggested he cared more than he was letting on about the answer. Duo stared at him quizzically, as if he caught the emotion but couldn't pinpoint what exactly it meant.
"They both seemed happy last night, but I think everyone's a little concerned about how the ending of this whole thing will affect Josh."
Trowa nodded, "Yes, he's the real victim in this situation."
There were a few second of silence as Duo studied his friend, "Why don't you go over and visit? Find out for yourself how everyone is doing."
Trowa nodded again, thoughtfully, "Yes, maybe I will do just that"
The man behind the gym reception desk nodded to them as they entered, "If you're looking for Mr Yuy, he's in the main weights area"
They saw Heero before he saw them, through the glass doors of the gym and Duo caught sight of his expression.
"Uh oh"
"What's wrong?"
Duo indicated Heero, "Look at him…he's not happy"
"You're right"
They didn't waste anymore time discussing it, but pushed open the door and stepped inside. Heero was the only one there and he glared at them before replacing his weights on the stand and turning towards them. His demeanour was challenging and an awkward silence followed as each waited for the other to begin speaking. Heero spoke abruptly, "Let's find a room to talk"
Not even bothering to change, he led the way back into the main building and into a small meeting room, closing and locking the door behind them. Duo began to feel trapped, and new doubts surfaced in his mind: was it really worth a business deal to put Heero, Relena and Josh through so much emotional stress?
Trowa was outwardly calm, but Duo knew he would be considering the best way to speak to Heero when he was in a mood like today.
Once again, Heero broke the growing silence,
"Why did you let me do this?"
His friends were startled.
"Do what?" asked Duo.
"Why did you let me think it was a good idea to try and deceive Quatre Winner and his wife? Why weren't we just honest from the start?"
Duo took a breath to answer, but Trowa spoke first,
"You said it yourself Heero – this business deal with Winner corporations could make or break our company"
"I know that!" Heero shot back, pushing his hair back from his face in agitation, "But lying likes this makes a joke of everything we profess to be"
Duo felt his own irritation begin to stir in response to Heero's,
"So what do you propose to do Heero, tell them? Just say, 'Oh, I'm sorry I lied to you. Can we forget it all and start all over again?' That will work well!"
"I know we can't do that! But I'm not happy about what we're doing now…"
"Then why didn't you say something sooner? You had a month in which to object to our plan!"
"I thought it was our only option. Besides, this wouldn't have started if you hadn't made that stupid comment to Quatre Winner about me having a family!"
"Now hold on just a second…"
Trowa interrupted the argument before it could grow anymore heated.
"With the situation we were given, this is probably the only option available to us. And, Heero, we've all made sacrifices for this company, perhaps you most of all…you've always done what's best for the company so why can't you do it just once more? Less than a week, it will all be over, and you can forget it ever happened."
Heero looked at the ground and Duo took a deep breath, trying to control his anger. Heero's thoughts were racing…less than a week and it would all be over….part of him wanted it to be over….most of him, in fact….but there was, he realised with something akin to horror, a little part of him that had started to believe in the 'family' he and Relena had created: A part of him that wanted to believe that the happy illusion was reality. Less than a week and it would all be over, one way or another…but he knew that it was something he would never forget.
Hope you enjoyed that and it was a fitting welcome back to the world of Job Interview!!
Thanks as always to all the reviewers – you make me write more often! - and I hope you will all accept my apologies for the wait between updates.
Individual thanks to reviewers below:
Pureevil230 - Sorry your threats weren't as effective this time...threats can't overcome typhoons and lack of internet connection in Vietnam, lol
I know this wasn't a quick update but I'm doing my best and I promise not to abandon this fic
Mini Nicka - glad you liked it though I'm afraid you'll just have to wait and see about Dorothy and Quatre:p
Incessant Escapist - happy you enjoyed it and sorry it took me so long to update!!
IchikoKitsuneKoumori - at the minute I have no plans for Josh's biological father to show up in the story, but I'll never say never until the fic is finished as sometimes the characters take the story into theri own hands
lazy - lol, glad you liked it
Lyn-Minmay- You're always patient about my updates but I'm afraid this one will have tried even your patience...sorry and thanks as always for your support
feathertop - Well thank you...a wow is always nice to get :0)
hieiashke - sorry it was so short...and I'm afraid this chapter will have been even shorter...it's been typed in instalments over a few weeks into my e-mail account as the internet cafes have no word/text documents. Anyway, glad you liked it...yeah Josh has really only shown his angelic side so far...but young kids definitely have a demonic side as well! lol
Pristine Harbinger - lol, happy you like both my story and Heero. Hope you continue to enjoy this story!!
Sery - please forgive me for not updating sooner...it made me feel so guilty when I saw your thanx in the review...will try to update sooner in future!
The hero of time 2005 - Thanks for the suggestion...like I said earlier, Josh's father doesn't really figure in my plans for the story but anything can happen! Happy you liked it and hope you keep reading!
Anna - Sorry you had to wait for this chapter...and you had to wait for so long...anyway, thanks for your review and hope you continue to enjoy the story!
heaven's girl - like everyone else you've been waiting for a long time...I'm sorry. Anyway, the story is really getting moving now...I'm really enjoying writing it too! As always!
Sakura123 - I can always rely on you for some comments - thank you! I thought Dorothy and Relena's interaction in the series was really interesting, but in a different situation I could see them becoming quite close, though i do think they remain very different personalities. I think that Relena's idealistic approach was the right one for her because if she deviated from her ideas it could be a slippery slope leading to a warlike situation, but Dorothy's realistic approach is also needed to fully grasp and deal with the situation...maybe that's also why Heero's viewpoint as a soldier was so useful to Relena...okay, sorry, I'm going off on a tangent as usual! lol
Hope you continue to read and really glad you like it!!
Soul Eyes - lol, yeah Heero doesn't exactly have much experience with children at all...sometimes I think Josh will just confuse him beyond belief! Glad you can see Quatre and Dorothy as a couple...a lot of people said they had doubts about them together, but I feel that it was the only way it could work in this fic. Anyway, thanks as always for your review!
RayxJade - Happy to hear you enjoyed the story and found it worth reading. I feel like Relena gets a but of a hard time from a lot of people because of how she acted in the series, particularly at the beginning but I think she's a really interesting character. And I think you're right about why she follows Heero around as well as for a whole host of other reasons. Sorry you had to wait so long for the update!
natsumi no tsunami - hey! Thanks for the review! Yes, I think Heero had to be slightly different in this story than in the series because in AU he hasn't been though the torture and trials of the Gundam pilot. I wanted to portray the ordinary person he could have been without the wars, but don't know how far I've succeeded in that task. Sorry I didn't update sooner and hope you continue to find it interesting!
mariel 4000 - lol, as always, glad to put a smile on your face!
Angelfires3000 - Sorry you had to wait so long for the update and hope you enjoyed it!!
Wing - Thank you for your review - I always enjoy reading them! Sorry its taken me so long to update...I would've updated sooner if I could have, promise! Keeping the pretence up in front of the Winner's is going to be difficult for all concerned and even more so whenever the Winner's leave and things are meant to just go back to normal...not that simple. Josh's plans will go into action soon with the help of Hilde...watch out for them! lol
Anyway, hope you keep reading and good to hear from you!
Will - Can always rely on you too! Thanks! Anyway, please don't hit me with your mallet...I'm sorry about Dorothy and I promise to do my utmost to update more often...didn't know what to do when i couldn't have access to a computer here in Vietnam! lol
Thank you for the compliments on the last chapter
Morrighan of Crimson and Sable - Sorry you had to wait for so long!! Will be going into Quatre and Dorothy's relationship in a little more detail soon so hope you enjoy it. Heero's learning about children and kitchen appliances but he's still got a lot to learn about looking after kids...lol
blissful trinity - yeah, it would be nice if things always worked out wouldn't it? Oh well, just have to wait and see about Heero and Relena...lol, sorry you had to wait so long for the update!!
Kat-Tastrophe - Glad you liked the last chapter and hope this one passed muster as well. Tension will continue to buld but who knows what will happen when it eventually breaks loose...even I have to wait and see!! lol
mischka - hope college isn't too tough and you still have enough free time to come online and read fanfics - everyone deserves to have time for that! lol, though I didn't have time to read any in Vietnam!! That's disgraceful! Really sorry I didn't update before now and hope you enjoyed this one too - thank you!
Pam - Thanks for your review and hope you're still alive...I'm afraid if your life depended on me updating you could be long-buried by now, lol, sorry. Glad you liked the way I wrote (and hope you continue to like my writing) and sorry for the late update!
Crazy4cocopuffs – Glad you like the story so far – hope this chapter lived up to your expectations and I promise that there is a lot more in store in the next few chapters!
Stormhammer – Happy that you bent your rules about AU fics for me ….please don't hunt me down…..i promise to update more regularly!!!!!
Hymn of Hymen – Thank you and sorry, all at once. Thanks for your comment and sorry I didn't reply to it with a suitably-timed update….promise to update more often!
4everfanfic – here's the update…sorry it's so late!
Chixydee – glad you liked it! And, sorry your wait was so long – hope this chapter and the ones to follow will be worth the wait for you!
4everfanfic(again) – Sorry sorry sorry sorry sorry sorry sorry sorry sorry sorry
Kawaii Selene – they're so cute together, I agree, lol…though things are complicated a bit by how the whole situation came about….oh well, hope you continue reading and see!
Lor17 – made me really happy to hear that you liked it – and if you ever get a chance to watch the anime, do – it's brilliant!….I'm actually really tempted to watch the whole thing again because I've been away from anime for a year! Lol
SammehIsTehSecks – hey, hope you liked it….sorry if the choppiness put you off…it's just my style, lol
Dragoneyes5000 – Thanlk you – glad you liked it and thought it was good – hope you keep reading!!
Mistress Kioko – I know you've been patient and thank you for that - did you see my explanations on my profile page? Hopefully you did. I'm sorry for not updating but there have been valid reasons for that, namely me being out of the country working for a charity in a remote area of Viet Nam. Now I'm back in a country where I have access to the internet and word, I will continue to update on a 2-weekly to monthly basis. Hope the wait hasn't been too long for you and the updates will be much more regular in future!
Vanderleigh – I have been writing all year even though my updates are only making it to the internet now – thanks! Hope you like the rest!! Oh, and happy you liked aftermath too – the update for it will be in a few days!
Gwepou – Glad you liked the story and sorry if any of my mistakes put you off. I hope you continue to read past Chapter 5 as this fic is a work in progress and I feel the standard of writing has already improved since the first few chapters. I have nothing against putting periods into quotations; I simply feel that it isn't necessary to mark them in this fashion. If you have any other problems with my grammar, please point out more exact examples, as I'm aware there are problems but most result from typing errors or are a deliberate stylistic device. As for the characters being OOC…well that's just something that reflects the fact that they don't have the history of the characters from the series. I'm also sorry if the direction of the fic appears to be wrong to you…with all due respect, I think that decision is up to me as the author. Thank you for your suggestions; I will take them on board when editing and continuing to update this story. I hope you'll continue reading and, hopefully, notice an improvement.
Lustrous jade – Sorry you didn't get the messages on my profile page – I'm back to the developed world now so should update much more regularly
Unknown beedee – glad you liked it – the movie you may be thinking of is Borrowed Hearts…I've never seen it but some other people have e-mailed me about the resemblance to this fic (or the fic's resemblance to it!) Hope you enjoy the update too!
Liesl944 – hey! Happy you liked it! Hope you haven't been sleepless all this time wondering what would happen next! Hello to Belgium….i visited Brussels to see the European Parliament and thought it was a really beautiful city, though very cold when I was there (we had snow!) I'd love to visit again someday.
Minchi – I made someone fall in love? Mission complete! Yay! Lol, hope you stay as besotted as you are now!
Anonymous asked…."Where's the update?"
Answer: The update is filling two notebooks sitting beside me now, and very soon will be online for everyone to enjoy or criticize!! I have drafted up to Chapter 16 and fully written most of the chapters 12 – 16 (just need to be edited and tied together)
Rosetta Starfire Syone – I understand the frustration of checking back to a story and reading it again and again but never getting an update….so I'm sorry I've put you and everyone else through that.
Don't worry, the updates will be much more regular now…as for Milliardo…well, wait and see!
Odinpeacecraft – Here's the update, later rather than sooner – sorry!!
Kaoru – I will update more often in future – promise!
Sailor Alpha – Here it is! Hope you liked it!!
Christal Steele – really encouraging that you found this fic, even after it hadn't been updated for so long – hope you like the update too!!
Until next time everyone – see you soon for the next chapters of Aftermath and Job Interview!
