My it has been a while. I'm so sorry for keeping you all waiting : ( work is busy. But here I am with another chapter! This is probably not a great chapter but it's here and that's all that matters. I suppose there are bound to be some boring ones that we have to get through to get the story on its way. Any way, I hope you enjoy!

Chapter 14

Elliot sat silently in her cage as she traced her fingertip along the dull edge of the cage floor and stared off at a point directly in front of her. She had not spoken to the males at all when they regarded her, instead she ignored them with a vacant expression as she dwelled upon the past, considering what she could have been doing if none of this had ever happen. She could easily have been home sitting around smoking or even drinking with friends after getting back from deployment, speaking of which she had lost track of all time and wasn't even sure how long it's been anymore. Apart from lost time, Elliot was positive about one thing, it had been days since her own abduction, but it felt like an eternity as she sat motionless in silence. The males had come and gone with food, but she didn't eat even when her stomach made a raging rumble. Her stomach hurt and she felt nauseous as a result from her own fasting, but she couldn't bring herself to eat the slop that ran over the sides of the metallic plate that had been coated in burnt char as a result of poor preparation. The food itself was brown, looking like wet dog food rather than an actual nourishing meal. At each sight of a new meal she would instantly reminisce on her time in Halkrath's kitchen. She actually missed cooking for him, only because she was also able to cook for herself. She hated seeing this gross representation of food. It was not food. It was a toxic mix of shit that one would feed pigs…..not humans. Oh how she missed the intoxicating smells of burning spices on sizzling meats,and, the sweet steaming aroma of sauces in a well heated pan, all cooked together to perfection. She missed it so much, but what she missed more was her own mother's home style cooking back home. Though she picked up a few skills in a restaurant, she had actually learned more from her mother about cooking, in fact Halkrath's favored meal was her mother's own recipe. She had never tired from cooking that for him, infact she was glad that she could enjoy a meal from home even though it required altering the ingredients some. Elliot held her knees tighter at the memories, wishing she could taste the homemade meal once more. Just thinking of it had her mouth flooding instantly as she licked her lips with desire.

The ambience of the buzzing lights and engine hums filled her ears and lulled her into a doze of sleepiness. The sounds were hypnotic as they played at a low and constant frequency, yet they seemed eerie in nature. Even the animals fell victim to the eerie lullaby as they remained frozen in a sleep of their own. Her eyes began to fall shut but then they widened at the awful hiss of the door. One of them had returned. The pounding of his footsteps penetrated her eardrums and she flinched at his approach, eyes blinking in sync with his steps. When the sound stopped she looked up to meet Vor'mekta's stern gaze, his eyes burning into her like that of a feral wolf. The fact that he was alone was something that surprised her since he seemed to always have the other in tow. His eyes trailed down to the cold plate that remained at the door. It was untouched, still full but the contents had grown harder into a gooey mix. A low disapointed rumble escaped him and she looked away from him knowing he wasn't happy about the sight. "you have not eaten in days." He stated and Elliot bit her lip in annoyance. He remained quiet for a long minute, expecting her to speak, before opening his mouth, "you had best eat before I force that shit down your throat. I don't appreciate you wasting good food." Elliot cringed at the way his voice rose to emphasize his anger. He wasn't kidding, but she was still not going to abide by his rules. Pulling her knees closer, she began tracing her finger on the ground again as she silently chanted for him to go away. 'leave, go away, leave me alone….' her lips formed behind her other arm yet the sound of her tongue clicking filled the air. The male growled as he watched her before finally deciding to unlock her cage. The creaking door hinges stole her attention and she looked back at him as he stepped inside. Kneeling down he dipped his finger in the plate as if to check the temperature before looking back to meet Elliot's soft yet narrow eyes. "why don't you eat, little girl?" he asked mockingly with a tilt of his head. "is it because you are scared?" His voice evolved into a sinister laugh before he continued, "do you think it's poisoned? Or, have you just forgotten how to eat?"

Elliot glanced away for a second as she hesitated to speak. She wasn't sure if it was safe to tell him she couldn't eat that disgusting crap, in fear that he would attack although she new he would anyway. "...I'm not hungry…." she claimed and her stomach betrayed her with a low rumble, voicing it's own oppinion. Vor'mekta chuckled before stepping closer to her, more like prowling like a Leopard on a hunt. His finger still contained the atrocious substance which reeked with a strong foul smell of decay (as if it had sat in the trash for a long time) and his intentions became clear. Elliot shifted some in response as she watched him in keen observation but still preparing to resist him.

"you will die if you don't eat. I was ordered to make sure you don't die." he said as he came closer and closer. "you will eat your food and then you will thank me for not letting you die." he said as he held out his finger that was coated in a sticky mucus. The mere sight of the texture made her gag and she looked away. Even the scent left her holding her breath as she fought the urge to regurgitate. Vor'mekta sat waiting for her to move, his finger position directly in front of her mouth. He was generally a patient being, but his patience with her was dwindling to that of a weak thread. He hated having to care for her, even her abduction was an annoyance. Humans were never his favorite to abduct. Selling them was generally a pain as they were only ever bought from him as bait. Overall they sold for cheap and because of that he didn't bother to care for their basic needs. They were weak, and he rarely was requested to obtain a handful for the black markets. Anytime one did sell for good money, it was for a rare one like an albino or one that came from a line of royalty. Those were the ones that were often kept as a pet. But this one was a different case. He was asked to retrieve her from a territory that he couldn't get into easily, but he agreed for the pay. He didn't know why, but he was asked by a stranger to retrieve her and take care of her without inflicting any serious harm to her. At first he disagreed, but after hearing the pay he didn't hesitate to accept. Vor'mekta's thoughts returned to the woman before him, still not accepting the food he offered.

"I told you, I'm not hungry." she stated, louder this time as if to get her point across.

The male sighed before suddenly grabbing her with his free hand and shoving his finger down her throat without mercy and without warning. The taste was awful, sour and bitter with a tinge of spice, and she gagged against his large finger that nearly filled her mouth. Elliot squirmed against him but his hand found her neck to hold her still. When he finally withdrew his finger, Elliot spat on the ground in an attempt to rid her mouth of the foul taste. "I told you many times before to eat your fucking food. Now, I have no choice but to force feed you." his voice was low and stern, showing no signs of mercy. She coughed against the spicy taste and lapped at her mouth like a dog would to get rid of peanut butter. Without warning Vor'mekta dragged her over to the plate, dipping his finger into it again. Elliot shook her head, gritting her teeth in retaliation, but that didn't stop him from shoving it into her mouth with a force so great he nearly took her teeth.

Elliot gagged again, feeling her stomach's contents coming up. "stop it, please! I'm going to be sick." she pleaded when his finger left her mouth again but he merely ignored her. He shoveled food into her mouth more and more, leaving her no time to swallow so that the corners of her mouth dripped like an infant's. Soft whimpers escaped her and she tried pulling away again but failed as his finger entered her mouth again and again. Her hands soon found his wrist and she frantically pushed as she squirmed to get away from his suffocating hold. Again he removed his finger, this time covering her mouth and nose to force her to swallow. She tried desperately not to give in but eventually her reflexes kicked in and forced her to swallow. The slick substance slid down her throat easily, leaving a trail of slime and a sickening aftertaste that triggered her gag reflex.

Vor'mekta simply watched the woman as she held her stomach whilst gagging relentlessly. He had released her, allowing her to move back to her corner where she hunched over and held her stomach with one hand and supported herself on the bars with the other. Her eyes had squeezed shut as her stomach contents rose in her throat. Before she knew it, she was tasting that same taste all over again as she vomited everything in her stomach. The male behind her laughed as he turned away to leave again, paying a final glance before locking the door. She was still gagging, having dropped to her knees after losing the strength to support herself. The foul taste seemed to never leave her mouth, only it was unbearably strong. "next time, eat your food and this won't have to happen." he said as he began marching to the door.

"fuck you." Elliot mumbled in a meek voice as she glanced to him bravely. The male stopped for a second, growled low, and then left without paying anymore attention to her. It was as if he wanted to say something, but thought it wise not to. It was either that or he just didn't think she was worth the time. Elliot looked away again, trying desperately to keep from vomiting any more. The action was one that she among many others hated, she felt absolutely awful throwing up. Her tongue was continuously overwhelmed with a sickening taste and she felt like she had caught the plague. By the time she finished, she was laying on the ground with her mouth aching from his oral assault. Thick drops of saliva fell from her chapped lips, connecting them to the floor by a sting. Her heart was pounding and her eyes had grown dull, feeling tired yet overwhelmed by adrenaline.

Would Halkrath have done this to her? Most likely not, though he was a menacing being. He, unlike most, seemed to respect her more than she thought at first, and with every passing moment she was growing to realize this more. Too many times he had ordered her around, but many other times he had protected her. He had given her many orders, mostly annoying ones, and turned her into a slave. She hated it, despised it, and eventually got into a fight with him. After what had happened she only focused on her hate for the male, completely ignoring all that he had done for her. It had never crossed her mind that maybe, just maybe he had done it all to protect her. Except for the rape of course. She would never be able to forgive him for that, but, now that she was away and able to focus on it more, she began to come to terms completely with the fact that she was beyond lucky to have encountered him. He saved her life and continued to protect her from the dark realities of his world. He could have easily killed her or left her to die but he didn't. He saved her and continued to protect her of his own free will.

A tear escaped her eye, rolling down her cheek before another came. She had fucked up. If only she had listened to him more. If only she had obeyed him rather than try to defend her own ego. She could not fathom how many times or even how far she went with her mistake. Elliot had made many mistakes….but this, this was the biggest. Her mother had always told her, "be thankful for what you have cause you could lose it in an instant." back then she thought that it only meant that people and things could just leave her...she never considered that she could be the one to just give up everything so blindly. That's when it hit her completely and she realized everything. Elliot began sobbing hard, her shoulders shaking relentlessly as whines escaped her. Her body tensed up and her fingers clawed at the ground before traveling up and pulling her hair in a distressful act. She never paid enough attention to what was given to her, instead she focused on how her life SHOULD be. She should have been a soldier. She should have died in that collapse. And, she should be on earth. But it all changed when he, out of a sliver of kindness, saved her life. Elliot never thought of how lucky she was back then...never. but now she wanted it all back. She wanted Halkrath to come for her. She wanted to apologize for how much of a bitch she was, for never paying attention, for ignoring the signs that were right in front her. She was safe with him all along. What she thought was a nightmare, was infact just the opposite. She was alive and well, she had a roof over her head, and she had someone looking out for her. Never once did it cross her mind that there were worse things than him….he was merely the least of her problems.

"oh God what have I done… I'm so fucking stupid...I'm so fucking ignorant. Please god…."she whimpered as her vision grew impaired by tears. "please God give it all back to me…..please….." her pleas were a whisper as she hugged her legs close like a child. "Halkrath, I'm so sorry…..please don't hate me…..please." she said as she pictured him in her mind. His strong demeanor was scary in the beginning but now it brought hope to her as she wished to be near him, to feel his scorching heat invade her space when he lingered near her. She wanted to see how his dark locks fell carelessly past his shoulders and how his muscles flexed effortlessly with every movement that he made. Even his dark ordering growls began to sound like music in this moment. All she wanted was to see him again and make shit right.

Luar-ke's words returned to her again and she cried at the thought of the male actually feeling something for her and how she should feel something, mostly grateful. The thought made her feel warm inside but soon she grew cold at the memories of her attitude and hate for him. She once wanted him to die, but now that thought made her so sick to her stomach that she couldn't resist the urge to vomit again. Her cries echoed through the room, unspoken hopes flooding the atmosphere while fear and doubt began to crush her like a trash compactor would do. She wanted him so badly. She wanted to feel his strong arms around her and his deep voice telling her that everything was ok, or at least hint it since he was never emotional. The next person that entered the room, she wanted it to be him, infact she willed it to be him. Elliot couldn't deny it anymore. She was attached to him, strangely but surely. But who could blame her? She had lived with him for so long that she forgot what an actual human looked like or what the interaction felt like.

The animals in the cages grew restless at the sound of her cries and began growling and snarling toward her, as if she was some sort of prey for them. Their claws scraped the ground, sending a chill down her spine but she paid it no attention as she continued crying.

Elliot lay there crying for far longer than she anticipated before the door opened again and Vor'mekta returned. He gave her an annoyed snarl and she looked up to him with narrow eyes. Her tears stopping all of the sudden. "what do you want? Why can't you just leave me the fuck alone!?" she barked when he began approaching. A growl escaped him, as if ordering her to shut the hell up. And she did as she watched him, wiping her eyes one after the other so that she never stopped seeing him. He said nothing, only opened her cage and stepped to the side. Elliot was confused by the gesture but never moved. Was he wanting her to run away again? She assumed that was the case and thus left him standing there in waiting.

"get the fuck out." he ordered relentlessly with a point of his claw. Elliot clenched her teeth and glared at him more, refusing the impending embarrassment. The male dropped his hand and sighed, shaking his head in disappointment. Before she even had time to process the action, the male lunged for her and forced her out of the cage and over his shoulder. Elliot began squirming and pounding on his back as she screamed for him to release her.

"let me go! Let me go you fucker!" she cried out with every struggled move. "take me back you cocksucker! Take me back!" Unlike the other, Vor'mekta never lost balance. Instead he walked through the corridors with ease as if he was carrying a feather and not a body. In a matter of seconds the woman tired herself until she was nearly limp on his shoulder, but wiggling around every so often in hopes of making him let her go. In no time at all, she was carried outside the ship and thrown to the ground. She didn't even realise the ship had landed anywhere, and she didn't realise that she was outside until her fingers dug into the moist mud beneath her. She looked back to the male and tried standing but was met with his foot to her back, making her face plant into the mud. When she was down she felt his foot linger on her spine, holding her down as he began talking to a stranger. She couldn't turn her head enough to see, only listen to the terrible english the flooded the air.

"well, here she is. Alive and not completely broken." Vor'mekta said, pushing his foot harder into her back so that she groaned in pain.

"alive? She looks half dead." the stranger came in and poked her with his foot. Elliot twitched at his claw nicking her before he finally stopped.

"well, she was refusing to eat."

"so? You could have force fed her easily. She is a weak human after all." the stranger replied.

"relax. I made her eat in the end. Now, let's get down to business."the other said with a short pause. "I'll take 300,000. 100,000 for her and 200,000 for having to enter THAT territory. That arbitrator is bound to be following after us if what you said was true."

"you get 50,000 and that's it." the stranger cut in abruptly, wasting no time to make his point.

Vor'mekta let out a loud snarl and his wrist blade shot out until it was pressed to her neck. Elliot trembled beneath him, knowing that he was ready to kill her for what he wanted. "that was not the agreement!" he roared, his weight shifting on her back to make her cry out in pain. Elliot froze then, trying not to cut herself on his blade that was already digging into her skin.

"abuse was also not in the deal, but I can see you two left bruises on her. 50,000 and that's final."

Another growl left him and his blade dug deeper into her skin. "200,000. As I said, that arbitrator will be coming. I have risked enough to capture this pathetic thing. Going into well guarded territories is not in my contract, but I did it because you guaranteed 300,000."

"that's right I did. But I said IF you turned her over to me without any injuries, but look at her. You are even drawing blood. 25,000." the stranger replied with crossed arms and a puffed chest, indicating he wasn't going to give in.

"wait!" Vor'mekta said all of a sudden," Times are bad. 50,000 is enough….but, next time I expect the full payment you cock sucker." Vor'mekta finished and retracted his blade as he removed his foot. Elliot didn't dare move until a hand landed on her and pulled her to her feet.

Elliot groaned at the harsh pull of her arm, groaning at the feeling of talons digging into her skin. When she was at her feet, she looked up to see a new male before her. She didn't recognize him at first glance, but the more she gazed at him the more familiar he looked. His eyes had met hers, staring into her as if claiming a piece of her soul. The contact made her feel nervous, her stomach twisting and her muscles tensing up. He didn't seem like he was happy to see her, rather he looked at her with a form of disgust and scrutiny. So then what did he want with her? To make her a slave of his own? She wasn't convinced of that rather her gut screamed at her to avoid him at all costs. Still, she wanted to know where she had seen him. The thought came to her mind that this was the father of that kid she played soccer with, still holding a grudge on her, but then she remembered what he looked like and realized this wasn't him. She knew him from somewhere, but where?

His eyes left hers and he scanned over her body, giving a judgmental huff before looking away as if she was something gross. "I don't see what he sees in you. All you humans are weak, yet you pretend to have so much courage. But really you are all disgusting cowards." he voiced and took a lock of hair to twirl around his finger. The action sent a shiver down her spine and she crossed her arms nervously, not willing to give him reason to kill her. "do you know why you are here?" he asked and Elliot shook her head whilst looking at the muddy ground. She shivered at the feeling of the cold moist mud overtaking her bare feet, teeth chattering for a second before she rubbed her arms vigorously to stay warm. It was obviously winter, a thin blanket of frosty snow covering the ground made it clear. Her thoughts turned to his question and she shook her head feebly. The male chuckled and put his hands on his hips, staring at her like she was some pathetic creature that he didn't know what to do with. "I want to teach that man a lesson about his species. I want him to know how weak you humans are. And, I want to get revenge for what he stole from me." Elliot's eyes narrowed in confusion, not understanding what he was talking about. The side of his finger found her chin and tilted her head to look at him before he said, "do you know who I'm talking about?"

His question lit a bulb in her head and her eyes widened with realization. "...it's Halkrath, isn't it?" she said in almost a whisper. The male gave a chilling grin as to confirm her answer. It was that moment that she remembered him as the guest that came to visit before she got into the fight with Halkrath. But still she didn't understand what he was talking about.

The male released her chin and she boldly continued to watch him. "that's right. But, you don't know what I'm talking about. He never told you shit about himself." Elliot didn't answer, only stayed quiet knowing she was going to get an explanation. "his status as a high ranking elite was not supposed to be his. He stole it from me. You see," he paused and began pacing back and forth with heavy steps." before he got that status, I was supposed to have it. Just like when the elder dies, I should become the elder like my great grandfather. He stole my place. Apparently the council, and the elder himself, never trusted me or my bloodline, after all my hard work, but they had the audacity to trust the son of a dishonorable fuck who violated our traditions and tainted our blood by mating a human. That's probably why I had to save his sorry ass that time during one of our hunts." a look of confusion crossed her face. Human? Was this guy saying that Halkrath's mother was a HUMAN? The male stopped to read her expression and laughed at her ignorance. "you are trying to fathom how his mother could be a human huh? It's true. He doesn't know it, but I do. You see, my father knew Halkrath's father and though the information was kept secret from all but a select few, my father also knew how to get people to talk. He knew something was up when the other came back from one of his hunts, said his personality changed. So, one night my father paid a visit to the other at the local bar and got him intoxicated, knowing he wouldn't talk willfully. When he was drunk, my father began asking questions and that's when he found out about the human." he began pacing again as he continued his tale. "as one who conformed to the traditions and culture of our people, my father was upset. He believed, that males were to be with females of our race, to preserve the strength and purity of our race. But when he found out that the blood of a superior race was going to mix with a far inferior one, he became convinced that it had to be stopped. That night my father slipped a neurological drug into the others drink. It was just a small dose, but it was enough to alter the others emotions, make him violent.…...although that didn't go as planned….." he trailed off with a thoughtful look on his face, clearly looking back on the past.

The male's words made her hand twitch with disgust and anger. The explanation made it transparently clear of what what was meant to happen to the woman in the story. This was possibly the worst case of pride she had heard of. "...but, if he was happy...why would someone do such a thing?" she asked in pure curiosity, trying desperately to understand his reasoning.

"to save the species. Long before then, we were a great species, but slowly we have became weak. But only a few cared for the future of our species. Before our clan, other clans had cases of males mating with a female of another species. It wasn't always human, but it was the same. My father and his father before him were some of the few people who cared. They were the ones who fought to make our people great again, and now I also stand for that purpose. This planet you are on, was commandeered to start a new clan….a pure bloodline." he said. Elliot swallowed a nervous lump that formed in her throat, his words sending a chill down her spine and made her hair stand. He sounded merciless...like those activists that shun others because they think that they are far better. She remembered seeing that crazy church group who always hated on people and pressed their beliefs on everyone who didn't agree. She remembered seeing them hold signs that talked of God hating specific groups and it made her sick. That was not the God she believed in. Her god didn't hate like that. And here this male spoke of similar things...and it made her sick the same way.

"but, whether or not we are a different species, we have one thing in common and that is a soul. We are all living things capable of love and affection. How we live and where we come from shouldn't be a diminishing factor to hate us. Where I am from, I watched many people die for the same thing that you speak of, and at the end of the day, it was never worth it. Eventually we learned from each other and embraced the knowledge that we shared with each other. A white man married a black woman and what came next was something beautiful. The white man didn't become any weaker than he was before, neither did the woman. They brought balance to each other. Light and dark, strength and weakness, one can not exist without the other…..otherwise it would be total chaos." Elliot voiced, her arms having dropped to her side as she looked the other in the eye with reason. She knew she couldn't change his opinion off the bat, but she didn't care. The male broke out into bellowing laughter as if she said something hysterical. Elliot only held her gaze on him, showing that she wasn't backing down from her statement.

The male stopped and looked at her, staring at her determined eyes for a moment before opening his mouth to speak. "weakness is not an option, only strength. Only a fool would believe you. You humans believe in the most pathetic things, no wonder you have not come very far. You are weak."

"...we are...I can't agree with you more. But it's because not many of our people have understood the words I spoke. One side is always trying to be better than the other, and this is what causes war and chaos. It is what causes needless deaths and wasted strength. There is no balance…" she trailed off as she looked away to a different point.

The male stared at her for a moment, comprehending her words before he lifted his right hand and smacked her with a force that sent her collapsing to the ground and a loud clap echoed through the air like weak thunder. Elliot held her cheek in pain, a tear falling in the aftermath. It stung, and the force itself was enough to make her bite her tongue. Blood pooled in her mouth and she was thankful he didn't make her bite her own tongue off. Her eyes trailed up to him, her vision having blurred behind tears, and he stared back with his chest puffed with pride. This man liked to bring pain to smaller creatures, that much she knew, but she wasn't about to give in to him. Spitting the blood from her mouth, Elliot lifted herself halfway before she was met with a metal boot to her stomach. A painful groan escaped her as she rolled away a few feet, the male laughing at the sight of her ragdoll like form skipping across the dirt.

The male shook his head then said something in his native tongue. A few other men came to his side and stared at her for a moment until the other said something more. She couldn't understand them, but she knew what was said when the action ensued of them hoisting her up by her arms.

"ahem…." Vor'mekta interrupted by clearing his throat to get the others attention. "I can see you have everything under control here so I will be taking my leave." he continued and waited as the other turned his head to look at him.

"hmm?" the other did a whole 180 to look at him as he fiddled with a small leather pouch on his hip. "ah, yes, where were we. Here is your pay. As we discussed, you will not speak of this to anyone. If you do, I will personally hunt you down and kill you myself." he ended with a feral growl, one that made Vor'mekta himself tremble for a moment. They held each other's gazes for a moment more before Vor'mekta glanced to Elliot, paying her a final look of disgust and an equally disgusted growl to emphasize his dislike For her.

Without another word he turned and left, tossing the pouch in the air as he marched up the ramp and into his ship again. Elliot dropped her gaze to the ground, willfully waiting for the males to lead her like a dog to some other area of this hell. Her only thought was whether or not Halkrath was infact looking for her.

The male turned back to her and stared a moment, deciding what kind of threat she would be. During his first encounter with her, she seemed full of bravery and determination. She was like a fire, burning with life. Having made up his mind, the male pulled a large syringe from behind his back and approached Elliot, taking a hand full of her hair and pulling her head to the side.

"wha- what are you doing? Stop it!" she cried and began squirming against the males. He didn't seem to be fazed by her efforts, rather he gave an ordering grunt for the others to hold her still before finally pressing the needle to her neck and pressing the plunger. Elliot gave a painful cry before looking to the male who slowly back stepped to observe her. She watched, wondering what he did to her until her sight grew fuzzy and her limbs went weak. She was tired, exhausted, and before she knew it she couldn't hold herself up anymore. The male watched her fall limp in the others hands, her eyes closed and her breaths slow. She was asleep and looked more weak and vulnerable than before.

"sweet dreams little girl. You won't have any more after you wake up." he said in a sinister tone with a dark laugh. With a weak flick of his wrist, the males followed him as they dragged the girl along effortlessly towards a new hell.

OK THERE YOU HAVE IT. I HOPE YOU DON'T FIND IT AS BORING AS I THINK IT IS. I TRIED TO MAKE IT INTERESTING BUT I GUESS I'LL FIND OUT HOW I DID IN THE REVIEWS. THANK YOU GUYS SO MUCH FOR THE SUPPORT. IT MEANS A LOT TO ME :D I HOPE TO BE BE BACK REALLY SOON WITH NEW CHAPTER. SO SORRY THAT I KEPT YOU ALL WAITING.